Holy F*cking Shit: Speaker Boehner Resigns!!!!
I wondered if this would happen after the Papal Visit. He seemed to be crying more than usual. So I thought something was up. He will resign at the end of October.
The delayed resignation tells me he plans to pass a clean budget with Democrats in the House and the Democrats and 8 Republican Senators who defected on the Planned Parenthood vote there on Wednesday, and fuck the consequences, since he is resigning.
I suspect you’ll miss him once he gone. At minimum he seemed like a regular person and a fairly decent man. Next speaker will likely be a fire-breathing crypto-fascist maniac.
Now we could only hope Nancy Pelosi does the same. It’s time for some of these career politicians, on both sides, to RETIRE!
The nation will miss his pragmatism in not wanting to engage in disaster politics. His caucus wants to, however. So now, we are all doomed. It is a near certainty that the government will shut down once whatever short term deal Boehner has gotten expires, and then the debt ceiling will be breached, ushering in the next Great Depression.
I suppose the good thing about that is Jason can wake up from his depressing doldrums and realize no Republican will be our next President under this scenario.
I hate that I’m about to say this, but this is bad news all around. Boehner was the “sane” one while he had the Speakership. (note the quotes around sane). This tells me that we’re going to get a new speaker further to the right who will stop at nothing until 38* more attempts to repeal Obamacare and 92* more attempts to defund Planned Parenthood are made, and the government is shut down 3* times.
To quote Han Solo: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this”
*figures are approximate
He’s probably the most reasonable guy they have. I hope it destroys them
Nancy Pelosi is one hell of a party leader. She has kept a congressional party that always fights with itself in line and united for 13 years. She is spectacular. She has most likely been the immediate cause of the resignation of the Speaker’s resignation, but forcing him to use Democrats to pass a CR.
She stays.
I agree, Brian. A bad moon is rising.
Well… he is calling the bluff of all the NUTS who used him as a pinata when they knew full well that their crazy-ass shit had no chance. Okay “Freedom” caucus… you want to blow shit up? Go ahead… blow shit up.
my hope is that they crash and burn spectacularly and fast, so the damage is all done before the election. not so soon that everyone forgets and vots GOP (because, america) but not so late that it happens after everyone has already made up their minds (because, america).
So we think Boehner is falling on a grenade for the good of the country? using the scant few sane R’s and the D caucus to salvage a few more months of America? I must say, if that is his plan, I might come up to a near neutral level of respect for the guy.
Yeah, this move will give the crazy free rein. That said, the crazies couldn’t have the power they do without Boehner and other “moderate” Republicans. These guys were Dr. Frankenstein. They created the monster that turned against them.
I’m actually okay with this (but Ben makes a good point about timing!). The mantra “not conservative enough” is about to be put to the test. Bring it!
You could see that he was clearly moved by the Pope’s address. He and Dick Vermeil should have a cry-off.
I, too, take it that he’s exhausted from trying to herd the crazies. Maybe John Carney can reach across the aisle and help find some common ground…gutting social security, for example.
Speaker Pelosi! Hear me out.
If the Boehner gets 60 votes for a clean resolution, maybe they can stick together (for the good of the country) to vote for Nancy to be the next speaker? The longest of long shots, but the NUTSO Freedom caucus is honor bound to NOT get its shit together and nothing says the speaker has to be from the majority party.
…I don’t know about Speaker Pelosi again. But if given the choice between her and Kevin McCarthy, Speaker Pelosi it is.
Speaker CRUZ!!!
Another long shot scenario. If the crazy caucus can stick together, and convince House Republicans their future in politics depends on it, they can elect Cruz. Nothing says you have to be a member of the house to be speaker.
Late entry into the presidential race? He’s a hell of a lot more sane than the others running at this point.
Re: Late entry into the presidential race? He’s a hell of a lot more sane than the others running at this point.
No way in hell. If Boehner couldn’t manage his own caucus as Speaker, why would he want to deal with them from the White House?
Re: Maybe John Carney can reach across the aisle and help find some common ground…gutting social security, for example.
Actually, as hinted by Jason and Brian, maybe this is Carney’s chance to make bipartisanship work by bringing together the D’s and whatever passes for a moderate R these days to give us a Speaker with the balls to stand up to the RWNJ teabaggers.
Thinking Boehner is a an acceptable choice for, well… anything, is a prime example of the overton window.
Going to be interesting. Will the lunatics now run the asylum and will they now give free rein to those hell bent on “tearing down” the government? I doubt it, they do not have the numbers and will quickly reach the enough is enough point, especially when radical and destructive bills reach the senate. Failing that the people who write the big checks to the party will have their say at some point, and it will not be “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!”. After all, this is business and there’s no profit in what the far right wants.
Watching him lately, and the increasing crying — I hope I am wrong, but I would not be surprised to hear of a serious health issue. He’s not my cup of tea, but I hate for anyone to have a health crisis. Sure hope I am wrong…
@Jason: Speaker Cruz? While most of these mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging maniacs don’t give two shits about the Constitution and all, I’m not sure even they could figure out a way to get a senator elected Speaker of the House!
That being said, I welcome the apocalypse… The sooner we hit rock-bottom in this era of hyper-partisan destruction, maybe the sooner we can start an ascent to responsible governing (I’m an optimist)… It’s sorta the same rationale that shapes my hope for racially-inclusive America, which will occur as more and more of the old, decrepit, dyed-in-the-wool racists hurry the fuck up and die.
Every time a liberal says “We’re gonna miss John Boehner” a tea-partier gets his horns.
Boehner was the greatest enabler of the crazy, proxying the craziness in a way that could sway some support towards the loons. That mask is coming off and the lunatics will be bared for all to see.
I think he saw his caucus sitting on their hands while the leader of his faith talked about helping people and preserving our planet…. and the Grinch’s heart grew just enough to make him realize he wanted out. I think he becomes a monk and lives out his days in a soup kitchen.
Since he’s already announced his resignation, perhaps Boehner will let the immigration bill that passed the Senate come up for a vote. That would be quite the legacy. There appear to be enough votes for the bill to pass if it hits the floor. There just wasn’t a majority of yes votes in his caucus, and Boehner did not wish to bring up a bill w/o the support of a majority of his caucus. Boehner has the power to do this w/o the acquiescence of his caucus. Will he?
It is always possible that Boehner could form a coalition government with the Democrats in the House. But with him resigning totally from Congress, it won’t happen now.
This is what I think of when contemplating the crazier, psychotic element seizing control of House leadership: https://youtu.be/YSmm2uERUR4
Prop Joe –
“Although the Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a Member of the House, all Speakers have been Members.”
I checked prior to proposing Cruz.
“American politics is at such a low point that not wanting to shut down the federal government is seen as some sort of moderate position,” – Mirkson at Salon
Quote of the day.
I wonder if we are witnessing the beginning of a three (or maybe even four) party system in this country.
Why doesn’t everyone just want to become a Democrat??
This is a great explainer of Boehner’s resignation.
And while Nancy Pelosi may not be Speaker, it seems like it is time to get her front and center to fire the bullet(s) that Boehner’s resignation has chambered for the wingnuts.