Boehner’s whole relationship with his freshman class is a critical part of the dynamic now. These are the lawmakers who made him speaker, remind him of himself as a younger lawmaker and have led him to shed some of his jaded, worldly style like so many William Holden characters in old movies.

He is now their elected leader but also their mentor, and by having opened up the House to a full debate on the budget cuts, he is in a position to now ask the freshmen to trust him when the time has come to move to the next fight…

Indeed, Boehner’s bond with the freshmen could be an asset for him when he faces what may be his greater liability: older rank-and-file conservatives, some of whom have their own political ambitions outside the House…

“Why?” Pence said when asked whether Republicans should split the difference with Democrats. “I think we’re starting to win the argument.”

“Sometimes, the most reasonable thing in the legislative process is to be unreasonable.”