Picking campaign chiefs

House Republicans have taken jabs at House Democrats in recent years about how they select campaign committee chiefs.

In 2006, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Reynolds (N.Y.) noted more than once that Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) was not elected, but appointed by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), then the House minority leader. This cycle, NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) has echoed the fact that he got to his post by convincing a majority of his colleagues to back him.

But if recent history is any guide, it is time for House Republicans to rethink their policy.

Things didn’t turn out well under Reynolds, and GOP prospects don’t look any better under Cole.

In 2006, there was tension between Reynolds and Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) over who knew what, and when, in the scandal surrounding Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.).

This cycle, Cole and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) have publicly clashed over NRCC staffing and fundraising.

By contrast, Pelosi and Emanuel worked well together to win control of the House, and there are no signs of tension between the Speaker and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.).

Although Cole and Boehner have bickered, their political futures are interlocked. If House Republicans do badly in November, neither man is likely to hold a leadership post next year.

It makes sense for the party leader to pick whomever he or she wants to run the campaign committee, but after losing seats in 1998, House Republicans changed their policy at the NRCC.

At that time, Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was ousted as Speaker, while NRCC Chairman John Linder (Ga.) was informed that he would have to win an election to retain his job.

Dissatisfied that their majority was cut into after the impeachment of President Clinton, House Republicans bounced Linder and instead voted for Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) by 130 votes to 77.

Boehner was also blamed for that electoral loss and was defeated, 121-93, in his reelection bid for conference chairman by Rep. J.C. Watts (Okla.).

Following their three recent special-election losses in conservative-leaning districts, there has been speculation that Davis would take over for Cole. Davis ignited that chatter by crafting a 20-page memo on how the Republicans need to change direction.

But Boehner said on Sunday that Cole will not be ousted, so the two leaders are in the same boat for the rest of the cycle.

It seems unlikely that they can stop the GOP ship from sinking this fall. But in the next Congress, Republicans would do better to stop jeering at how Democrats pick their campaign chiefs and instead try to do the job as well themselves. That might start by allowing the leader — either this one or his successor — to choose the lawmaker best trusted with commanding the party’s efforts to return to power.