It was not so long ago that Speaker of the House was {grudgingly} leading the conservative charge to Shutdown the U.S. Government. These days not so much. These days the GOP Speaker is all about trying to 'save face.'
It was not so long ago that Speaker of the House was telling us with a straight deadpan-face, that Shutting down the U.S. Government -- was just what the American People wanted {didn't want} ...
“This isn’t some damned game,” said Speaker John A. Boehner, his voice rising in anger. “The American people don’t want their government shut down, and neither do I. All we’re asking for is to sit down and have a discussion, reopen the government and bring fairness to the American people under Obamacare.”
Four days into a crisis that has shuttered much of the federal government -- and 13 days before the nation faces an even more serious deadline to raise the statutory borrowing limit or risk defaulting on its debts -- Congress appeared no closer to a resolution. Mr. Boehner opened the meeting of his fractious conference by reading letters from students at a Catholic school in Washington about how they handle stressful situations.
“We are locked in an epic battle,” he said.
[nytimes.com -- 10/05/2013; by Jonathan Weisman & Ashley Parker]
[...] To watch John Boehner speak Sunday -- in a segment with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos -- was to watch him issue talking points from another dimension, where legislative hostage-taking is routine and the American public is eager to threaten the full faith and credit of the United States.
[Speaker Boehner: ]
“I don’t want the United States to default on its debt. But I’m not going to raise the debt limit without a serious conversation about dealing with problems that are driving the debt up. It would be irresponsible of me to do this.”
[...]
We know that the threat of default is enough to tank the nation’s economy. Talking like Boehner does in this interview is the political equivalent of playing with fire while standing next to oily rags and several barrels of gasoline. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
[Speaker Boehner: ]
“Every president in modern history has negotiated over a debt limit. Debt limits have been used to force big policy changes in Washington. And guess what, George? They’re going to be used again.”
[...]
[thedailybeast.com -- October 7, 2013; by Jamelle Bouie]
[...]
"When Sen. Cruz told Speaker Boehner to take up a crusade to defund Obamacare, the Speaker did it," said the No. 3 Senate Democrat [Chuck Schumer]. "When Sen. Cruz told the Speaker to delay Obamacare for a year, the Speaker did it. And when [Cruz] told the House pass piecemeal bills in a cynical attempt to pit important programs against each other, the Speaker is now trying to do that."
[...]
Then the Speaker moved to do what Cruz called on him to do weeks ago in the event of a shutdown -- a strategy that senior House Republican aides initially laughed off: bring up piecemeal bills to fund only the popular parts of government.
"Again, Senator Cruz is calling the shots here in the House of Representatives," an exasperated Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said Tuesday evening on the floor.
[...]
[talkingpointsmemo.com -- Oct 2, 2013; by by Sahil Kapur]
And Speaker John Boehner was
only too happy to go along with the Senator Cruz agenda. But that was
THEN,
... and this is NOW ... a time for the GOP to Face the Music ... the music of their own making.
Today the Speaker is parroting a slightly different tune. TODAY, Speaker Boehner is trying to find his way back -- to indeed what the American People actually want: A Government that actually works.
In an uncharacteristically forceful tone, House Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday lambasted the conservative advocacy groups that helped bring his party to power, saying their opposition to a bipartisan budget proposal amounted to an effort to manipulate Republicans and the American people "for their own goals."
[...]
Only weeks ago, Boehner sidestepped questions about the influence of the outside groups, who promote limited government and are mostly funded by rich conservative donors and business leaders. When asked in late October how they were affecting his members, Boehner answered simply: "Pass."
"They're using our members and they're using the American people for their own goals," Boehner said. "This is ridiculous. If you're for more deficit reduction, you're for this agreement."
The outburst was long in gestation, Republicans close to Boehner said, and stemmed in part from many of the groups' support for a strategy led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that triggered the government shutdown in October. Boehner and other GOP leaders believe, as polls show, that it damaged the party.
[...]
[latimes.com -- Dec 12, 2013; by Michael A. Memoli and Lisa Mascaro]
But Speaker Boehner wasn't done yet, in his startling {I never said that}
Reversal Tour ...
Speaker John A. Boehner for the second day in a row used a news conference to air grievances against the conservative outside groups who have sought to strong-arm House Republicans into moving further to the right.
“Frankly, I think they are misleading their followers,” the Ohio Republican told reporters on Thursday morning. “I think they’re pushing our members in places where they don’t want to be, and frankly I just think they’ve lost all credibility.
[...]
[rollcall.com -- Dec 12, 2013; by Emma Dumain]
House Speaker John Boehner is attempting to sideline the alliance of conservative advocacy groups that have hampered his efforts to lead Republicans in the House, chastising them for encouraging GOP lawmakers to take ill-advised policy decisions.
[...]
Mr. Boehner's attacks come as the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups have begun challenging tea-party tactics and candidates backed by those groups. They also represent a break from the recent past, "when he was acting more in fear of them," said Stan Collender, partner at public-affairs company Qorvis Communications. "He was showing them, look, 'I'm not afraid of you guys,' " he said.
[...]
Mr. Boehner's criticism capped months of friction with conservative advocacy groups such as Heritage Action, the political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, the limited-government group Club for Growth and FreedomWorks, which organizes tea-party organizations. Those and other groups frequently encourage House Republicans to stand up to GOP leadership, at times forcing the top House Republican to rely on Democrats to clear must-pass legislation.
[...]
[wsj.com -- Dec 12, 2013; by Kristina Peterson]
Speaker John Boehner is apparently saying "
No More," to the ultra-conservative front groups who would dismantle the Government brick by brick, and sell them off for parts -- if only given the chance {and the continuing cooperation of the GOP leadership}.
What has gotten into the Speaker? A healthy dose of Do the Right Thing Courage --
Or the more likely scenario, a weaselly recognition of the GOP Blame that is just waiting to be collected, in the 2014 Election Day numbers?
GOP, Boehner lose support after shutdown, poll shows
FOX5 San Diego; CNN -- Oct 21, 2013
[...]
According to the survey, 54% say it’s a bad thing that the GOP controls the House, up 11 points from last December, soon after the 2012 elections when the Republicans kept control of the chamber. Only 38% say it’s a good thing the GOP controls the House, a 13-point dive from the end of last year.
This is the first time since the Republicans won back control of the House in the 2010 elections that a majority say their control of the chamber is bad for the country.
[...]
Read em, and weep, Speaker Boehner. What other
face-saving play do you have?
Cruz Cohort -- meet Bus!
-- with Love, signed John.
Read em, and weep, Tea-GOP. Afterall, you've ALL earned it.
Big Time!