Boehner hits tea party groups as budget vote nears

Boehner hits tea party groups as budget vote nears

WASHINGTON (AP) — The battle-fatigued U.S. House moved toward passage today of legislation to ease across-the-board spending cuts and prevent future government shutdowns after Speaker John Boehner unleashed a stinging attack on tea party-aligned conservative groups campaigning for the measure’s defeat. “I think they’re misleading their followers,” the Republican speaker said of the groups, whom he pointedly also blamed for last fall’s politically damaging partial government shutdown. “I think they’re pushing our members in places where they don’t want to be. And frankly, I just think that they’ve lost all credibility” by opposing legislation before the details are known.”