CraigsList and Infighting and Failed Votes, Oh My

Just a little over a month into Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the wheels are already wobbling.

This week marked some public failures on the part of the conservatives to stay united and focused on their jobs.

Somehow, even noncontroversial floor votes could not manage to cross the vote threshold, leading some to speculate about the cohesive nature of the party behind closed doors.

If the Republicans wish to remain a strong opponent to Democrats in 2012, they’re gonna have to try harder than that and stay away from CraigsList.

Of course, kicking off the year with a Freshman class of 87 does complicate things. It’s going to require leadership to explain the facts of life to these folks and focus the caucus on some reasonable, attainable and quantitative goals.

The latest Republican proposal to cut spending goes deeply, but does not hit the $100 billion mark promised. But, the one message Republicans traditionally own well is spending cuts. That continues to be true – so much so that the White House plans to send Capitol Hill some suggested cuts on Monday.

Meet the Press will host Speaker of the House John Boehner this Sunday (let’s hope for a tearless interview) about the GOP’s master plan to get our economy moving forward, among other top issues facing the party.

UPDATE: Watch interview here as Meet the Press host David Gregory pushes Speaker Boehner heavily on all these topics and more.

On a positive note, the relationship between President Barack Obama and Speaker Boehner does seem publicly congenial. How effective that partnership will be in accomplishing the top objectives of Americans remains to be seen.

However, should Speaker Boehner’s underlings keep hanging him out to dry – the blame for failures will rest squarely on his shoulders.

Then, he’ll really have something to cry about.

–Follow me @erica_holloway.