Jim Newell has a good piece at the Baffler on Boehner:
National Journal’s Alberta explains that these members are “increasingly irritated with what they see as a cautious approach taken by their leadership.” Got it. They don’t think John Boehner is doing enough to advance conservative goals.
But that “caution” is not because John Boehner is a uniquely weak person. That is not because all the GOP needs to do to change Washington is to replace him with some other, hypothetical, Magical Conservative who will take a harder line. If anything, Boehner’s weakness as a House speaker stems from the fact that he has allowed conservatives to get away with so much—like, say, gunning for a government shutdown and causing several intimate brush-ups with debt default—without wielding the traditional power of the leadership to penalize such errant behavior.
There are two major reasons that the most conservative wing of the House Republican majority isn’t getting its way. One, the GOP only controls one wing of Congress, while Democrats control the other wing and the presidency. Two, their grand ideas, like various iterations of Paul Ryan’s budget, are simply not popular among the American public. In fact, one might say that the GOP’s limited control of the organs of American power and the unpopularity of their policy proposals are closely correlated phenomena.
It also has a reminder of the weak, stupid and pointless plot to oust him last time.
Just bookmark Jim’s post and refer back to it the next thousand times the DC media begins speculation about Boehner being “ousted”. Not gonna happen. Boehner is the Speaker you get when the conglomerate teanderthal/corporate toady turd is the party you have.
c u n d gulag
Boner ain’t goin’ nowhere!
Who else would want the job of trying to herd rabid, evil, stupid, ignorant, hate and fear filled, psychotic and sadistic “Christian” 2 year-olds!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
shelly
annnnd, it’s the top headline on NewsMax.
ruemara
If only they could all be shot into the sun.
TOP123
@c u n d gulag: Newt! ???
Actually, Donald Trump would make a remarkably appropriate Speaker for the current GOP Congress.
TOP123
@c u n d gulag: Newt!
Actually, Donald Trump would make a remarkably appropriate Speaker for the current GOP Congress.
TOP123
Sorry, phone and this site having a spat. Requesting deletion or edit seems to make it worse…
Villago Delenda Est
@TOP123: Forget it, Top. It’s Word Press.
I love that the slime of Noisemax think that somehow Boner’s going to be ousted by the teahadi slime.
Well, slime has to dream, I guess.
c u n d gulag
@Villago Delenda Est:
Except for pink-slime, which gets eaten – and the thought of that still gives me nightmares!
Suffern ACE
@c u n d gulag: oh, baloney. Pink slime is amazing.
Villago Delenda Est
@Suffern ACE: I see what you did there.
Baud
Hopefully, not Speaker past 2014 or 2016 at most.
Amir Khalid
Am i right in guessing that John Böhner only has the job of Speaker because no one else is fool enough to want it? It sure seems that way to me.
CaseyL
@Amir Khalid: No one wants it as much as he does, anyway.
shelly
What happened to all the feverish speculation that Cantor was gunning for his job?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Sort of ironic that thanks to the GOP’s hard right Nancy Pelosi is effectively the Speaker of the House. Part of Mr Boehner’s Congressional Disfuction is his own party’s unwillingness to agree on anything among themselves.
Amir Khalid
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
This might be just a spelling mistake, or it might be a lovely typo.
WereBear
I’d donate.
Higgs Boson's Mate
@Amir Khalid:
Boehner is the Speaker because despite Democrats’ sensitivity, smarts, and great ideas the fucking Republican party seems to have a lock on the component of Congress that can propose and pass legislation.
How smart are we?
Higgs Boson's Mate
@Amir Khalid:
Boehner is the Speaker because despite Democrats’ sensitivity, smarts, and great ideas the fucking Republican party seems to have a lock on the component of Congress that can propose and pass legislation.
How smart are we?
trollhattan
@ruemara:
Why do you hate the sun?
low-tech cyclist
@Amir Khalid:
That’s been my thinking for awhile, too. Suppose, say, Eric Cantor or Paul Ryan becomes Speaker? Whoever’s in the position will inevitably wind up with his name on some compromises with the Dems, and no matter how trivial those compromises are, that will destroy that person’s conservative cred.
Far better, from their POV, to let Agent Orange remain speaker and have to take responsibility for any compromises, while they can pose as unsullied, true-blue wingnuts.
JGabriel
Jim Newell (via mistermix @ top):
If they could learn from history, they wouldn’t be planning Boehner’s ouster.
Hell, if they could learn at all, they wouldn’t be conservatives.
RepubAnon
I think the “Oust Boehner” is doing what they do best – seize control of the news cycle and push their idea that Congress isn’t conservative enough. Ever notice how Mr. Boehner gets 99% of what he wants in negotiations – and is still publicly condemned as a sell-out?
Personally, I think we’re being played as suckers – the reason they don’t boot Boehner out is because the powers that be are getting everything that they want, while maintaining a media image of offering to compromise with the Democrats. Why? Because even though the Republicans got everything the Tea Party asked for at the start of the negotiations (and more), they didn’t get everything the Tea Party asked for after the Democrats capitulated.