Also, John Boehner won re-election as the GOP Majority Leader. This is surprising. Since losing seats in '06 and '08 I expected the GOP to at least put a different face on their caucus. Not to mention the fact that Boehner's not that impressive of a leader (see: financial meltdown), nor is he the sort of person you'd expect to spearhead a GOP comeback.
UPDATE: TNR has a good post on why Boehner is actually the most clever politician in Washington. Really interesting.
Also - Eric Cantor took over as GOP Whip (after Blunt stepped down).One by one, he masterfully co-opted or defused his rivals in the conservative faction. Rising star Eric Cantor, the guy who could have most easily toppled Boehner this year, was given the number-two job of whip, currently held by Roy Blunt, who's graciously giving way to Cantor. ("Blunt fell on his sword for Boehner," says one GOP aide.) Right-wing power broker Mike Pence, who ran against Boehner for leader in 2006, was gently lured into the fold when Boehner let him take the lead on the House GOP's big August pro-drilling push and then effusively praised him for it. ("I'm starting to understand why [the House GOP conference] went with John Boehner," Pence gushed in return after the episode.)
And then, using the newly loyal Pence, Boehner outmaneuvered one more potential enemy, conservative upstart Jeb Hensarling of Texas. After the November 4 bloodbath, Boehner called Pence and asked him to run for conference chair, a leadership role that one of Boehner's allies had suddenly and mysteriously vacated - the very post Hensarling had been planning to run for. Pence and Hensarling have the same power base, and with Pence in the ring, Hensarling had to give up his bid. Checkmate!
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