This seems like pretty big news to me (via):
Former aides to John Boehner and other high-level GOP operatives are increasingly convinced that the House Speaker will step aside after the 2014 midterm elections, according to interviews with a dozen Republican sources.
cleek
Speaker Gohmert!!!!!!
Zifnab
I can’t wait to meet the sucker that fills in as his replacement.
ranchandsyrup
OT but saw this on the twitters and it made me larf: The Clash’s new box set includes rare outtakes, B-sides & a letter apologizing to the world for inspiring Bono to start a band.
Doug Milhous J
@ranchandsyrup:
Awesome!
Suffen ACE
Why do we hate U2 now?
Doug Milhous J
@ranchandsyrup:
Link?
suzanne
….and in Republican Congressional offices across Washington, all one can hear are the dulcet tones of voices screaming in unison “ONETWOTHREENOTIT”.
dmsilev
Yond
CassiusCantor has a lean and hungry look.(of course the second half of that quote, ‘he thinks too much; such men are dangerous’, doesn’t really apply to Cantor very well)
ranchandsyrup
@Doug Milhous J: Just the twitteration from @punkhistory which is mostly spoofy but funny. No actual verification, yet.
beltane
This is a job that calls for the mental acuity of someone like Louie Gohmert.
kindness
Being Head Herdsman for herding cats has to suck as a job.
Warren Terra
The question is: true, or some people spreading the rumor so as to undermine him (naming no Cantors)?
cleek
@kindness:
it does come with a nice pay raise, though. $223K vs $174K
Zifnab
@kindness: It pays well, and you get to go on sweet corporate-funded junkets.
Roger Moore
@suzanne:
ITYM:
dmsilev
i assume that when the time comes, Boehner will announce that he wants to spend more time with his lobbyists?
Roger Moore
@dmsilev:
I think he wants to spend more time with his best friends, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Johnny Walker.
Steeplejack (tablet)
“Step aside”? Hell, the way things are going, he may get primaried from the right and not get reëlected. Kind of hard to be speaker of the House if you’re not actually in it.
NCSteve
@dmsilev: He thinks very little. Such men are even more dangerous.
Davis X. Machina
Cantor. “First Jewish Speaker!” is what he says to the shaving mirror each morning, I am sure….
Hunter Gathers
He’s just going to jump ship before he gets forced to walk the plank. This way, he gets to save face before going to spend the rest of his life with his 2 true loves – cheap whiskey and Marlboros.
Warren Terra
@Davis X. Machina: A shonda fur die goyim.
schrodinger's cat
Does that mean he will bring immigration reform for a vote?
Yatsuno
@Davis X. Machina: L’shana Tovah indeed. Oi.
Betty Cracker
Unsurprised to hear about Boehner’s impending exit. He’s just a simple, old-fashioned bagman who never expected to get eaten alive by ravening teajadis. I’d pity him if he didn’t so richly deserve that fate.
RandomMonster
@Suffen ACE: Some of us have always hated U2.
schrodinger's cat
@RandomMonster: Pretentious Bono is pretentious.
Chyron HR
@Davis X. Machina:
He’s a regular Benjamin Dismally.
cleek
The Clash should apologize for “Lost In The Supermarket”
askew
It’s a shit job and it’s well known that Boehner doesn’t like to work very hard. It will be horrifying if Cantor becomes the first Jewish speaker though.
Anoniminous
This assumes the GOP will have a majority in the next House.
At the moment I wouldn’t bet the ranch on it.
Amir Khalid
@Betty Cracker:
Besides, Speakering must have come, over the past few years, to feel too much like hard work — what with all the crazy people in his own party whom he’s had to try to work with for years. I’m a bit surprised he still wanted the job after 2012.
Keith P.
“I’ve achieved all I’ve ever wanted to accomplish – holding an oversized gavel and being applauded by my peers.”
kindness
@cleek: When I loaded up my ipod I made sure to include the 3 Clash records I have. Having said that, U2 has made more great music than the Clash did. Just an observation, mind you.
Ben Cisco
So he’s switching from getting pissed on to getting cash rained on him.
piratedan
I like to think of John The Orange as a dishonest man thrust into the limelight forcing him to mimic being a statesman. Ill fitting clothes indeed.
The Other Chuck
It’s going to be delicious fun watching the teahadi wing throw Cantor under the bus the moment he makes a compromise to keep a coalition together.
Actually, I’m rather hoping for Speaker Pelosi after 2014
scav
Knock Knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange ya glad you’re no longer Speaker?
Knock Knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange ya glad you’re finally home to greet Lobbyists?
Knock Knock!
Who’s there?
Bananas.
Bananas who?
Don’t you recognize your Party?
cleek
@kindness:
and one i agree with.
few bands, especially not The Clash, can top War + Unforgettable Fire + Joshua Tree.
Davis X. Machina
@Chyron HR: If only Nixon had lived to see it.
Yatsuno
@Anoniminous: Meh. When that translates into actual votes I’ll be happy to welcome back Madam Speaker with open arms. But right now the olds are soaking in their tea of bitterness.
Mike E
@Amir Khalid: You’re almost making me feel sorry for Boner…almost.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack (tablet): Not really, there’s no requirement to be a member to be speaker.
You do have to be living, however that eliminates zombie Saint Ronald.
The Dangerman
@cleek:
I can’t think of many bands from the early 80’s (or earlier) that are still relevant today (relevance = releasing new music and touring). The Stones. Tom Petty (though I can’t recall his last new work, but I guess that applies to the Stones, too).
U2 has well earned their place in music history.
raven
@The Dangerman: Mojo, three years ago.
Burnspbesq
@Suffen ACE:
We have always been at war with Eurasia, and we have always hated U2.
Shakezula
Orange Crush[ed].
Having disposed of all of the reasonable Republicans, the TeaHaddists now turn to chasing out the not sufficiently bugfuck crazy.
raven
So now walnuts voted yes!
fuckwit
@The Other Chuck: Please please please, this.
I think the Syria vote broke him finally, and he’s curled up in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably. He knows what’s going to happen: half his caucus will vote against it, half will vote for it. The party unity, the classic Rethug lockstep, is done with. He doesn’t have a caucus at all.
Meanwhile, Dems will either vote for or against depending on their local constituencies and how good a snow, er, sales job the CIA/JCoS/AIPAC does on them in that briefing, and suffer no consequences because of it. My guess is both caucuses will be pretty evenly split, and the thing will fail, and the neocons heads will explode. The difference is, though, that Democrats are used to being all over the place, they don’t value blind obedience the way the Rethugs do, so it’s not actually a mark against them. Hell, when Democrats actually DO act with any kind of unity or cohesion, it’s a big fucking deal, and nobody expects that.
Side order of freedom fries: Kerry’s warmongering is nauseating me, but I’m happy because he’s nauseating the teabaggers even worse! Every time he opens his fucking mouth, he loses a teabagger vote in favor of this thing, there’s no way they’re going to do what some French-looking guy who windsurfs says, even if he sounds like Bill Kristol’s butt boy.
Finally, yes please to Speaker Pelosi. We have so much work to do to repair the damage that the Rethugs have done to this country. We’ll need a long stretch of Democratic House, Senate, and President, to recover.
cleek
@fuckwit:
i vote No.
Haydnseek
@Suffen ACE: Because they simply aren’t very good. They’ve written the same fucking song 200 times, their ace guitar slinger has one riff, that he plays with one sound, but he’s been playing it for fucking decades so he must be great. U2 has done a wonderful job of making money. Good for them.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@BillinGlendaleCA:
I knew some wag would bring that up, but my statement stands: it is kind of hard to do, apparently, because no one has done it yet.
Anoniminous
@Yatsuno:
This is the kind of thing that has to happen for the House to flip. Looking at the 2010 exit polls if senior support for the GOP drops from a 21 point margin to 5 points plus the extreme gerrymandering the GOP is going to lose a lot of seats.
I’m not saying the House will flip. Too soon for that. I’m saying the necessary conditions for the House to flip are being established.
cleek
@The Dangerman:
i just happened to see Iron Maiden last night, and i gotta say they’re as relevant as ever. they get huge crowds everywhere they play, still put out new music, and still look like they’re having fun doing it.
but i guess since metal has always had to subsist in the shadows, their ‘relevance’ outside metal circles could be debatable.
Anoniminous
@Haydnseek:
It did once but then the production run ended, it was shot down over the Soviet Union and we have better photo-reconnaissance assets now.
Wait … what?
Burnspbesq
OT: however crazy you think Florida law is on the stand your ground defense, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
http://mobile.rawstory.com/therawstory/#!/entry/florida-man-cites-bush-doctrine-after-preemptive-killing-of-neighbors,522788a2da27f5d9d0170159
raven
@Haydnseek: They do a pretty good job of raising money and consciousness too!
shortstop
@cleek:
Kinda like chlamydia, cockroaches and poop fetishes. KIDDING!
Belafon
@cleek: Like I said in a comment earlier in the day: No true Scotsman.
Haydnseek
@Anoniminous: I was gonna make a Francis Gary Powers Reference, but decided against it when I realized that most Juicers are quite a bit younger than me. Thanks for putting it out there……..
The Dangerman
@cleek:
I just looked up Metallica and surprised they date to 81 (though they didn’t reach “relevance” for many years). Same with Anthrax. Didn’t know Iron Maiden was still releasing new stuff…
piratedan
@cleek: i’m sure that their bank balances are relevant and they play to adoring fans and sell their music, I would imagine that they could give a shit about the rest of the music industry
geg6
@kindness:
Empirically untrue.
flukebucket
@Burnspbesq: Were the neighbors wearing hoodies?
Gin & Tonic
@Burnspbesq: Mobile linky doesn’t work on desktops. Here’s an alternative for us fat-asses. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/04/florida-man-cites-bush-doctrine-after-pre-emptive-killing-of-neighbors-at-labor-day-cookout/
cleek
@Belafon:
oh, i’m not saying she’s a DINO. i’m saying she and i disagree on this and i’d prefer someone i do agree with.
we all have our own list of political priorities, and this one is kindof a big deal to me.
Haydnseek
@raven: Fair enough. Bono has walked the walk on a number of important issues, and is to be commended. That doesn’t change the fact that U2 is laughably overrated. Music is subjective, of course, and serious music fans can disagree.
cleek
@piratedan:
that’s probably all true. seems like the perfect situation, IMO. do your thing, get paid a fuckton to do it, and not have to worry about keeping up with fads.
sign me up!
burnspbesq
@flukebucket:
Article doesn’t say, but I’m sure they looked like a real credible threat, standing around unarmed in the back yard, barbecuing and shit.
I guess we’ll have to wait for T&H to show up with his superior legal mind and blinding insight into the human condition, and tell us why this is exactly the direction in which the law should be moving.
Anoniminous
@raven:
This is going to be an interesting vote. Either way they vote it’s a no-win situation for a House member. The GOP Whip has zero incentive to arm twist for an Aye. The Dem Whip is going to find it difficult as each member is going to be looking at the polling in their districts.
217 to pass and it’s going to be close.
ETA: @Haydnseek
You’re welcome.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Burnspbesq: My god is that insane.
Doug Milhous J
@Haydnseek:
I’m a skeptic of the stuff he does with Jeff Sachs too.
cleek
@burnspbesq / @Gin & Tonic:
holy fuck.
Anoniminous
@Burnspbesq:
Holy crap
Enhanced Voting Techniques
So apparently the GOP house is just going to scream Benghazi over and over again.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/kerry-blows-up-at-gop-congressman-for-harping
I wonder if they will also link the vote to defunding Obamacare?
Haydnseek
@Doug Milhous J: I had to Google Jeff Sachs. At first I thought you were referring to another musician. I’ll dig a little deeper.
burnspbesq
@burnspbesq:
ETA: just watched the video. Whoever the shooter was, he got off 30 shots in less than a minute, and there’s a pause that can only logically be interpreted as stopping to eject the first clip and put in a fresh one.
scav
@Burnspbesq: Florida Tourist Board drinking should be visible in the economic stats soon.
shortstop
Well, I sure don’t like to see people dying, especially for nothing, but as long as it happened, perhaps several unarmed pale people getting mowed down under SYG will help get a few more white Floridians interested in the problem.
Yatsuno
@burnspbesq: Wow. We need to expatriate Betty like yesterday.
shortstop
@Yatsuno: Many of us would be more than willing to offer her refuge. I admit that chicken housing presents a minor challenge for some of us. Yet we live to problem solve.
Ash Can
The news about Boehner is big (or at least would be, if it comes to pass), but not terribly surprising. Heck, I didn’t even expect him to last this long, given his backbenchers’ shenanigans. And I too am very much looking forward to a Speaker Cantor — or, far better, a Minority Leader Cantor — getting thrown under the bus by the raving lunatic House members, with said bus being backed up and re-running over him multiple times.
Davis X. Machina
@burnspbesq: That’s the usual time gap between an armed society and a polite society.
Roger Moore
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Desperate, yes. Insane, no. It looks as if their client committed first degree murder, so the lawyers are creating the best case they can put forward. I don’t think their argument that an imminent threat can be anything you’re seriously worried about happening in the future will fly in court, but citing President Bush’s use of it that way seems like as plausible an approach as any.
rikyrah
@Roger Moore:
for the win
Trollhattan
@cleek:
Yeah, wowzers. And re. the mugshot, “Why is this man smiling?”
Up next, Special Timmeh to tell us the dead neighbors were wielding the pavement in a threatening manner.
Trollhattan
Aw jeez, article kink on the same page as the Florida story.
“How many more times?”
Trollhattan
@Trollhattan:
Uh, “link” (derrrrrp)
Suffern ACE
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Probably. Also, they will threaten to impeach him for even asking them to pass something. I mean what a power grab. The President asking Congress to pass something he wants! Only diktators do that.
Chuck Butcher
@rikyrah
Jack used to be one of my bestest friends… the outcome of that was 25 years clean and sober…
That’d kill Orange:
Shakezula
@Gin & Tonic: The fact that the attorneys are attempting to invoke foreign policy as a defense suggests they’re a bit desperate. The fact that they’re in Florida means their attempt to broaden the definition of imminent threat is so crazy, it just might work.
Botsplainer
@Betty Cracker:
In a better world, he wouldn’t have been a bad Speaker. Brokering compromise, getting stuff done, doling out goodies. Wonder how many more votes to shut down Obamacare he’ll get to preside over prior to his exit?
burnspbesq
@Shakezula:
In any rational criminal justice system, defense counsel would get sanctioned for making this argument. In Florida, it’s a good faith argument for extension of existing law. Scary.
Patricia Kayden
“Sunset Orange”. BJ titles are the best!!
EconWatcher
@burnspbesq:
There is no equivalent of Rule 11 of the civil rules for making frivolous arguments in criminal cases, and for good reason:
I have been court-appointed counsel for criminal defendants. Sometimes they refuse to plead guilty no matter how overwhelming the evidence, maybe because the prosecution is being unreasonable, maybe because of insane sentencing guidelines, or maybe because they’re delusional. As the defense lawyer, you gotta just give it your best shot, even if you don’t have much to work with. In a civil case, it would be a good result if all attorneys just walked away from a party with a frivolous claim or defense, but in a criminal case, not so much.
Botsplainer
@burnspbesq:
First by the trial judge, in a hastily called in camera conference. The way it goes is that the judge calls lawyers on three way with prosecutor, and says “get your fucking ass down here, NOW!”
In the painful, short conference (the judge telling the lawyers to “shut the fuck up, you pig ignorant asshole” off the record if they try to interrupt him), it will be explained that the pleading will be withdrawn or that a sanction order will be entered mandating a fine of not less than $1000 and 20 hours ethics training.
Botsplainer
@EconWatcher:
In my state, Rule 11 still applies in criminal proceedings
Jewish Steel
I think of the dazzling variety of styles of music The Clash embraced from 77 to 84.* And then I think of that anthem that U2 did over and over. It’s a fine anthem, but please.
*and beyond if you reckon with Big Audio Dynamite and Joe Strummer’s solo stuff.
scav
@burnspbesq: Pre-emptive repossession. Wouldn’t Banks et al enjoy pushing that direction. “We could observe you are going to go bankrupt in future and we have the fiduciary obligation to our shareholders to protect / maximize their profit by taking your assets before that.” Likely would clear up all those mistaken addresses and missing paperwork cases too.
catclub
@burnspbesq: Yeah, wow.
How do you put 11 bullets in someone and not kill them?
Doug Milhous J
@Jewish Steel:
I dislike U2’s music especially, but I also have the same problem with them that I have with Coldplay (not quite as bad as U2 IMHO) and bunch of these others that try to be international: the lyrics are so unspecific as to be meaningless. Like the Clash’s politics or not, you knew where they stood on Nicaragua (or Afghanistan or Tibet) and you knew what they thought of our Galtian Overlords. It wasn’t all this “let’s join hands” bullshit. Fuck joining hands.
Botsplainer
@scav: \
Actually, a lot of older notes and mortgages retained just such a right, using weasel language about the discretion of the lender to deem an obligation insecure, and specifying their remedies in such cases. The courts generally wouldn’t go along with that, so you didn’t see it happen much, but they did try and push it.
ruemara
Hell of a lot of U2 haters out there. No matter, they’re still a great band and there’s a lot of musical style. Your taste may not be pleased but that’s just you.
RE: Boner. Could care less. I only want to never see another Republican Speaker of the House for at least 20 odd years.
Kass
I knew Boner was up to something; he seems to have stopped dyeing his hair…
cokane
That story has zero sources willing to go on the record. I would be highly skeptical.
Boehner’s obituary has been written several times before. There’s little for the party to gain by switching from Boehner to Cantor or some other mostly conservative guy.
SIA
@Chuck Butcher: Me too, mon ami. 33 last Jan.
Tone in DC
I don’t quite get the U2 hatred. Music is subjective, as someone else mentioned.
I know we have a lot of contrarians/snarling jackals/unreconstructed iconoclasts with authority issues on B-J, but this kind of vitriol should be saved for those who truly deserve it:
Oasis
Madonna
Lady Gaga (or whatever her name is)
Creed
REO Speedwagon (Kevin Cronin version)
The entire cast of American Idol, since its inception
Every boy band of the last 20 years
Jewish Steel
@Doug Milhous J: The Clash could also be quite sly, tongue in cheek. U2’s greatest weakness for me is their earnest humorlessness. Perhaps a result of that internationalism. That’s an unforgivable sin.
StringOnAStick
@Anoniminous:
Best news I’ve heard all day.
priscianus jr
The only thing I don’t understand is, what took him so long?
Gravenstone
@The Dangerman: Final Frontier from a couple years ago is an incredible album (assuming metal is to your taste). Give it a ride, you won’t be disappointed.
shortstop
Well, I wasn’t going to get involved, but…
@Jewish Steel:
This. Oh, sweet Jesus, this. Rattle and hum? No, plod and thunk.
(But the #2 sin is writing the same song 200 times, as Haydnseek pointed out above.)
JoyceH
So – the guy who entered politics for the schmoozing, boozing and free golf (come on, you know he did!) decides to quit when it starts feeling too much like work – and we’re supposed to be shocked?
Okay. Gasp. I’m shocked. (I’d faint, but I left my smelling salts in my other reticule.)
danimal
@ruemara: I’ll never understand the U2 hatred. The stupid dichotomy of Clash v. U2 is idiotic. You can like both, you know.
Also, too: You would think the BJ community would enjoy events like this: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/To-Obamas-delight-Bono-admits-he-sidestepped-a-hug-from-President-Bush-in-06-51103272.html
Tone in DC
That would be so nice.
SiubhanDuinne
@Roger Moore:
Ah. His Teachers.
Jebediah
@Jewish Steel:
A couple of those Mescaleros songs get my eyes leaking pretty good.
SiubhanDuinne
@Steeplejack (tablet):
Diereses make me weak behind the knees.
SiubhanDuinne
@Haydnseek: Oh, not this one. I remember Francis Gary Powers very well.
I was a senior in H.S. when his U-2 was shot down.
SiubhanDuinne
@Trollhattan:
Awful, but the typo may be Best EVAH.
Burnspbesq
@Botsplainer:
There’s also the small issue of the bankruptcy trustee’s ability to avoid preferential transfers under certain circumstances.
SiubhanDuinne
@Chuck Butcher:
@SIA:
Huge congratulations to you both. That’s fantastic.
Jebediah
@SiubhanDuinne:
Didn’t you mean kneeses?
Steeplejack
@SiubhanDuinne:
Heh, I didn’t have them for so long, and now I can’t deny myself.
In the ’70s I spent big bucks to get my very own IBM Selectric III, and I spent even more to get the “international” model that would do accents, cedillas, tildes, umlauts. Typographical heaven.
Now it’s all ridiculously easy to do with software, of course. And people seem to have less and less use for it. Get off my lawn, or something.
Shakezula
@burnspbesq: Not really. Barring defenses that are complete doody caca would violate some defendants’ right to counsel.
Hugely
@kindness: whoa whoa stop the clock… are you high right now?