I guess my principled Burkean position on John Boehner as Speaker is orange you glad it’s not Eric Cantor. I’m also swayed by the arguments that no one will make a serious effort to take him down. But this is striking:
Fully 52 percent of Republican voters disapprove of the way Boehner handled the negotiations, a 15-percentage point jump from December when the talks were ongoing. Among the most conservative Republican and independent voters, disapproval of Boehner spiked from 36 to 61 percent.
And this is pretty fucking far from WOLVERINES, right?
“I need this job like I need a hole in the head.”
I don’t know what the 27 percenters’ rejection of Boehner means, but I think it means something.
Mystical Chick
+1 for thinly veiled Prince reference! :)
amk
And yet the same thugs re-elected him without a whimper.
SFAW
@amk:
“Psychos! You can’t live with ’em, you can’t
retain your position as Speaker of the Houselive without ’em.”Derp
Jesus, that whole article reads like Fredo screeching about how he’s SMAAHT and wants RESPEKTTTT. Face it Boehner, the Kenyan Ursurper plays this game better than you could ever dream. You get in a room with him and the first thing you do is pull your pants down.
Ash Can
Actually, I’d rather have Speaker Cantor. That way, his insufferable dickishness, and that of his Tea Party faction, would be on full display for all to see, and he’d be the lightning rod for all the blowback. Plus, numerous people would be jumping all over him to do some actual work. It’d be great.
c u n d gulag
@Ash Can:
I’m with you on this.
The Orange-American is one of the last vestiges of those semi-reasonable, at least not totally moronic, Old-School Corrupt Republicans, who always were ready to make a deal if the price was right to them.
Cantor’s Cockamamie Conservative Congressional Clown Crew consists of Vandal’s, Anarchists, Nihilists, and political Terrorists.
And, after you listen to Cantor for awhile, you find Boehner seems reasonable in comparison.
BRING ON THE HOUSE VANDALS! ! !
Let them show the country their true colors – RED-necked, WHITE-faced, and without a hint of blue.
walt
Boehner is both Jesus and Judas in the right-wing passion play of the moment. He’s both “serious negotiator” and a pathetic victim of the ruthless Kenyan socialist. He delivers his lines like a bleary-eyed drunk at closing time, wanting both to save the festivity if only to fend off the inevitable hangover. You don’t want to 86 this fixture because no one really knows if there’s even a drinking game possible without him.
Schlemizel
@c u n d gulag:
I believe Can’tor knows exactly what he is doing. He knows they have to have relatively sane face in public and that will be John of Orange. This frees Eric to do as much damage as possible without having to try to make deals. He can remain the hero of the wingnut brigades, bring down the government from within and let Boner take all the arrows.
Its like being the second string QB – everyone loves you because you have not failed them.
What I don’t get is why Boner plays along. Are the perks of SOtH that good?
Sly
OBAMABOEHNER IS WORSE THANBUSHOBAMA HE SOLED US OUT.Mark S.
This country will never make any progress until every Republican (and their myriad enablers in the press) is dead. Our long term deficit problems are entirely due to our idiotic health care system. That the Speaker of the House is completely ignorant of this fact is completely depressing.
Punchy
36 to 61% is jaw-dropping. Im guessing its b/c Rush told his minions that Boehner would win, and 64% agreed line-sinker-hooker. Then Boehner lost, but 39% of Rushies refuse to actually believe it.
Mike E
OT, Morning Edition just had on a frothy Danielle Pletka (sp?) from AEI who must’ve been channelling Noonerz…she took an artful crap on both Hagel & Brennan for the running of the mouth about teh Jooz & geyz, and about gee-hah’d, respectively.
What, was McMegan not available?
Chris
It means they’re cycling through True Conservative Fuhrers as quickly as they did throug their Not Romneys. It means that the dissonance between satisfying the True Conservative base and governing AT ALL is so great that it’s impossible for any major Republican politician to try to perform his duties without giving the True Conservative base a big sad and causing them to reject him as a RINO traitor. If Cantor had pulled off his little coup, it would only have been a matter of time before he too found himself in the position Boehner is now in.
Punchy
@Mystical Chick: a close 2nd woulda been ‘Johnny Jack Bitch”
David Brooks
It’s not the role of leaders to follow every majoritarian impulse of the masses. Leading means comprise, and it means sometimes dragging people, kicking and screaming, through the shackle like apparatus of the state that has been constructed around their natural equilibrium.
Shalimar
It means the next Speaker, Cantor*, will be leading a party united in it’s sole goal of punishing everyone who votes for Democrats. No more pretense of negotiating or compromise until Social Security, Medicare, public education, etc. are all destroyed.
*Republicans will keep the House in 2014 no matter what they do, because it’s an off-year election and they have tilted the rules in their favor by gerrymandering. Sad and pathetic, but most likely true.
Napoleon
@Mike E:
When that first ran earlier this morning that was where I flipped off NPR.
c u n d gulag
@Schlemizel:
I suppose as Speaker, one of the perks is that ‘WE THE PEOPLE,’ the taxpayers, pay for the top-shelf booze in his liquor cabinet.
And ice-cubes made from the tears of poor and sick children and seniors.
Shalimar
@Chris: I think Cantor will solve that dilemma by not trying to govern. The True Conservative base is the party now. Those like Boehner who at least attempt to govern the country have been retiring or getting beat in primaries for years; there aren’t many of them left in office. The True Conservative base probably isn’t the majority of those who vote Republican, but it is at least 90% of those motivated enough to run for office as Republicans. They won’t have a compromiser left after Boehner is gone.
redshirt
@Schlemizel: I disagree. I believe Cantor had a coup plan in mind, but the stupid Teabaggers messed it up, because they’re stupid Teabaggers. The plan was something along the lines of forcing several votes, and then have Boner remove himself because he can’t get the vote, then Cantor humbly and dutifully taking the crown.
Again, the stupidity of the Teabaggers will be our saving grace.
SFAW
@Mike E:
Her “contribution” might be summed up as “Obama! We hates it! And everything it does!” She then structured her “arguments” around that thesis, and just used word salad to make it sound like she knows anything.
One (slightly paraphrased) example: “EVERYBODY EVERYWHERE know EXACTLY what ‘jihad’ is, so Chuck Hagel saying otherwise is just appeasement of terrists!”
The only thing preventing me launching a string of profanities at her idiocy was having my son in the car with me.
Mike E
@Napoleon: Both ways, I’m sure ;-)
SFAW
@c u n d gulag:
Not to pick nits, but wouldn’t a lush want to stock up on rotgut? Getting smashed on 21-year-old Scotch would be such a waste.
Chris
@Shalimar:
In that case, Cantor will become the scapegoat when the “no governing” comes back to bite the GOP in the ass. One way or another, shit will work out not the way they planned it, and someone will have to be blamed.
SFAW
@redshirt:
But only if they implode BEFORE destroying the country. Right now, I think it’s a horse race relative to that.
redshirt
@SFAW: I would argue we’ve already been saved – all the dominoes were in a line circa 2004 for long term Republican dominance, and the incompetence of both the Neocons and the Teabaggers cost them the Congress in 2006 and then the Presidency in 2008, and the rest shall be, FSM willing, glorious history.
c u n d gulag
@SFAW:
Hey, Boehner’s 2nd in line, if anything bad happens to President Obama.
I think he thinks he deserves the very best!
So, why settle for “Ol’ Muzzlebuster,” the only Scotch made in styrofoam barrels lined with garbage bags, when the taxpayers are paying for the finest single-malts, known to man?
Schlemizel
And therein lies the problem of the country that will insure we have at least another generation of suffering before we even stand a chance of cleaning up the mess.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mike E: I heard her earlier. Didn’t catch her name in the intro and honestly thought I was listening to Jennifer Rubin.
Bulworth
I think your position on John the Orange is more Oakshattanian.
jake the snake
@Sly:
This. Boehner betrayed them by actually trying to make a deal.
They believe “Those who govern least govern best” and by
taking to the logical extreme think that those who govern not at all govern even better
SFAW
@c u n d gulag:
I think we’re in agreement on that.
I was, selfishly, thinking about the waste of some nice single-malt on a palate deadened by more than a few drams.
Mike E
@SiubhanDuinne: I’m sure that was how it was sold by the producers when they were pitching guests in the booking meeting: “She’s like Rubin, but won’t play hard to get!”
MattF
I’d rather have a weak Speaker who, under extreme pressure, will turn to the Senate for legislation and, FSM forbid, Nancy Pelosi for votes. I don’t see Cantor doing either of those things, evah.
ETA: And, if I think that’s a good thing, then your average Republican will think it’s a bad thing, QED, et cetera.
SFAW
@SiubhanDuinne:
What, the lack of a verbal BJ of Rmoney didn’t give it away?
Although Pletka is probably the intellectual equal of J-the-Rube, so I guess I can understand your confusion.
Forum Transmitted Disease
@Shalimar: It was very important to teach Obama a lesson about his lack of sufficient liberalism by not showing up to vote. Why can’t you understand that?
Bernard Finel
The 27 percenters don’t just reject Boehner. They reject everything. They are nihilists and will only support those who share their desire to pull the temple down on their own heads.
Roger Moore
@SFAW:
Depends on how much money he has. If you’ve got the cash, why not get sloshed on the good stuff? That way you can savor it, at least until the alcohol numbs your senses to the point you can’t tell the difference anymore.
Chris
@SFAW:
I so wish this was snark.
@Bernard Finel:
Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, dude, at least it doesn’t force me to break out a Big Lebowski quote every time Congress does or doesn’t do something.
SFAW
@Roger Moore:
I have no problem with him savoring it – as long as his third-in-line (or is it second?) never becomes a reality – it was the post-numb use of it that offends my delicate sensibilities.
Roger Moore
@redshirt:
You make it sound as if the incompetence was a fluke or coincidence, which is far from correct. The big thing to remember is that Republican incompetence goes hand-in-hand with their policies. A party that prioritizes rigid adherence to unchanging ideology over all other concerns will always wind up with a competence problem. Sticking with the same electoral strategy that worked for them 40 years ago and the same policies that worked 30 years ago was always going to wind up causing UNLIMITED REPUBLICAN CRASH!
SFAW
@Chris:
You and me both, kid.
Joel
Could have done a Cracker reference, here, too.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Schlemizel: I suspect the Actual Orange Satan may have some real fears that the party would be exposed and thus truly marginalized should their actual character be revealed by a Cantor speakership. So he’s sort of taking one for the team, as it were. I could be giving him totally too much credit, but he’s an old (tired) hand at this shit.
Cantor of course, loves being able to vandalize the government under cover of the AOS. I would sort of prefer him as Speaker, so there’d be no question what these treasonous fucks actually want.
AA+ Bonds
Nice
AA+ Bonds
It is difficult for Republicans to pull off conspiracies against their own because even when they are trying for conspiracies against others, no one of them can keep his fat car salesman mouth from kissing and telling.
redshirt
@Roger Moore: Oh, I think it’s even bigger than this. Their very ideology will doom them – we’ve seen tons of examples of this. The 2012 election was a master class in Wingnuts believing their own lies.
Deny education, deny science, deny logic, swim in hate, fear, ignorance, greed, and so on, and soon enough you’ve got no redeeming qualities or abilities, other than Hate.
They homeschool to avoid the dreaded liberal influence – think these kids will be able to compete in the future? They have their own law schools now – think these lawyers will match up with Ivy grads?
There’s only so long you can be the “No-Nothing” Party before it bites you in the ass. I posit the biting started back in 2005, and not only continues, but escalates to this day.
Seriously. They just fucked up their palace coup in the House cuz they’re stupid. FSM be praised.
AA+ Bonds
@redshirt:
Depends on whether you mean nationally (already has) or in the majority of arbitrary/gerrymandered legislative districts from state to state (may never).
As far as state governments go, for instance, there’s plenty of places where that ideology is the only thing keeping Republicans in power. Otherwise they would just be the people who don’t want to fund education.
The Bush Administration demonstrated the answer to this: it doesn’t matter who can compete; it matters who appoints.
redshirt
@AA+ Bonds: For now. They’ll get burned there too, eventually – witness the Northeast Republicans and Sandy relief. On a local level, there are now many more once loyal Republicans willing to question their local leadership.
As Republican run states continue to turn to shit holes, as corruption scandals strike republican officials over and over again, eventually it will either sink in, or the Republicans will change.
SFAW
@redshirt:
With the ongoing attempt(s), by the Rethugs, to destroy the public education system in this country, it would take only about a generation for their Marching Moronitude to become the norm, not the outlier.
And, to borrow a phrase from Chris @ 39: I so wish this was snark.
AA+ Bonds
@redshirt:
Disaster relief has always gotten a pass from regional Republicans, just like farm bills. Hell, Fox News was out front criticizing the lack of a Sandy bill along with the President. I don’t see it as any challenge to continued use of their ideology. Should it be? Yes, of course, but I don’t think it will be.
As far as corruption goes, North Carolinians, for instance, would have a few bitter chuckles over how far the Republicans would have to go to appear worse than the state Democrats. New Jersey is in better shape overall for the Democrats but you can see this at work there too.
My guess is that the major change on the horizon is the reintroduction of pork-barrel negotiation in force among Republicans, by some other name or means. Its elimination was intended to enforce ideological control but it has instead wrecked party discipline and authoritarian ideology, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Republican politicians very much believe in hierarchy and there is no Daddy in charge right now, because there’s no pork to offer.
xian
@Mark S.: show the man a fucking pie chart already
xian
@Shalimar: also defeatist
how about this? In the next two years Obama will engineer a series of showdowns that sharply heighten the distinctions between a governing party and a party of imbeciles and then, just like the sainted Bill Clinton, will actually gain seats in the House in his 6th year, winning by 8% or more and putting Nancy SMASH back into the catbird seat?
Unpossible? Not if we work toward it.
xian
@Napoleon: it’s kind of hilarious seeing right-wingers get all het up (pun intended) about gay rights.
xian
@redshirt: what the marxists used to call “internal contradictions”
I truly believe that reality gets the final vote.
WaterGirl
@xian:
I am in complete agreement. And I’m reminded of the old Lotto slogan – you can’t win if you don’t play.
If we say it’s hopeless before we even get started, then it will become a self-fulfilling prophesy.