The Hill News

Top figures in the Republican Party rallied around House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) as Democrats sought to cast him as out-of-step with his own party on taxes.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Rush Limbaugh each had Boehner's back on his strategy over taxes, and other House GOP leaders sought to openly demonstrate support for their leader on Monday.

"What Boehner said is, if they lose that vote, as long as there's not a tax increase involved, if you give the Republicans a chance to cut somebody's taxes, they're going to try to cut them. I think that's perfectly reasonable," Gingrich said on WVOC radio in South Carolina. "Why would you vote against a tax cut for millions of Americans just before an election, just so the liberal Democrats could then attack you?"

The show of support came as the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress sought to play up Boehner's remarks as an endorsement of President Obama's preference on taxes, which would be to extend all the tax cuts that are left to expire at the end of the year, except for households earning over $250,000 and individuals earning over $200,000.

The GOP that was confused on the issue, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer argued in a Monday evening blog post.

"If Republican Leader Boehner took his position in order to show that he was not 'holding middle-class tax cuts hostage,' then clearly the implication is that Senate Republicans are prepared to do exactly that," Pfeiffer wrote, pointing to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) plan to fight to tie all extensions in tax rates together -- a position echoed by some other top House Republicans. "Perhaps they have some things to talk through."

But the conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh said the onslaught against Boehner was a set-up by Democrats and the media.

Limbaugh, speaking Monday afternoon on his radio show, said that the question Boehner faced over the weekend was an effort to "try to get [Boehner] in trouble with the Republicans when their original effort was to get him in trouble with the whole country.! "

The host said he was satisfied that Boehner didn't endorse letting taxes for high-income households and individuals rise, and said the Ohio Republican leader was a victim of a "setup."

Other House GOP leaders showed support for Boehner, too.

Boehner tweeted that "Republicans are unified" against all tax hikes across-the-board, a sentiment retweeted by House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and other rank-and-file members. The retweets, which were flagged by Boeh! ner's office, were intended as a show of support for the would! -be spea ker as Democrats seized on other Republicans' statements to play up a sense of discord within the party.

"Boehner's made it very clear that his official position, one he's going to fight for, is to stop any tax increase on any American because it's bad for the economy," Gingrich said.