Column: Why doesn't Boehner just ditch the hard right?  Robert
Costa is the National Review's Washington editor and one of the
best-sourced reporters among House Republicans. Like many
others, I've relied on his reporting in recent days about how
House Republicans are strategizing around the government
shutdown. But it left me with some questions, particularly
around Speaker John Boehner's strategy. We spoke by phone, and
an edited transcript follows.  Ezra Klein: Walk me through the
math of the House GOP a bit. Most people seem to think Boehner
has around 100 members who largely back him and don't want a
shutdown, and it's a much smaller group, a few dozen or so, who
want to take this to the brink. So why doesn't Boehner, after
trying to do it the conservative's way as he has been in recent
weeks, just say, we're voting on a clean CR now, as that's what
the majority of the House Republican majority wants?  Robert
Costa: Ever since Plan B failed on the fiscal cliff in January
and you saw Boehner in near tears