Sources Think Boehner's Done as Speaker

Several insiders tell the Huffington Post that John Boehner could exit the House speaker role after 2014, despite his July assurances to the contrary. "The speaker has made clear publicly he intends to remain in his position in the next Congress," says a Boehner rep. But others close to the speaker suggest otherwise: "He has to say that. He can't not say that. The minute you say (you're leaving), you're done"—but "everybody around him thinks this is his last term."

"It's the overwhelming, working assumption as people are making strategy going into 2015 and 2016," says another GOP figure. For one thing, HuffPost notes, Boehner might not be able to keep the job even if he wanted it. Tea Partiers nearly voted him out last time around, "and that group of opposition has only grown," notes another insider. On the other hand, the speaker fears the prospect of a GOP in disarray should he leave. Meanwhile, several names have emerged as replacements, led by Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling, the Financial Services Committee chair. Click for more. (More John Boehner stories.)