WASHINGTON – Why is House Speaker John Boehner the target of so much criticism from conservatives?
He'll tell the nation on "60 Minutes" Sunday his critics on the right are turning him into a "human piñata" so they can profit off their attacks.
"The issue with the tea party isn't one of strategy," he says. "It's not one of different vision. It's a disagreement over tactics, from time to time. Frankly, a lot is being driven by national groups here in Washington who have raised money and just beating the dickens out of me. It works. They raise money, put it in their pocket and pay themselves big salaries."
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The interview was conducted jointly with Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
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Earlier this month Boehner faced a rebellion within his House Republican caucus when several members tried to oust him after he got GOP members to support funding of both Obamacare and Barack Obama's executive amnesty.
Yet Boehner told CBS his "voting record is as conservative as anybody here."
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In the past, Boehner has hit at conservative groups by name – including the Heritage Foundation and the Club for Growth in 2013 after they opposed a bipartisan budget deal from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"Frankly, I just think they've lost all credibility," he said at the time. "I don't care what they do."