September 25, 2015

"Speaker John A. Boehner, under intense pressure from conservatives in his party, will resign one of the most powerful positions in government and give up his House seat at the end of October..."

"... throwing Congress into chaos as it tries to avert a government shutdown. Mr. Boehner made the announcement in an emotional meeting with his fellow Republicans on Friday morning...."

IN THE COMMENTS: David Begley said:
From altar boy and Jesuit college to meeting the Jesuit Pope in the House. Crying allowed. 
Yes, that was my first thought: The Pope made that happen.

AND: There I was yesterday mocking the so-called "breaking news" of the Pope's meeting with John Boehner as "the height of banality."

ADDED: I'm watching Newt Gingrich on FoxNews, asked why is this happening now: "John had been thinking about doing it... probably a month later. But I think the emotional impact of the Pope coming, John's a very devout Catholic, this is something he'd always wanted to see happen. Yesterday, in many ways, is the high point of his speakership, and in that sense, I think, it kind of makes sense to say: I want to go out with something that he will treasure the rest of his life."

ALSO IN THE COMMENTS: MadisonMan said...
I thank him for his service -- it can't be an easy job -- and I thank him for leaving. I'm not sorry to see him go. It's too bad he was re-elected so many times.

I wonder what the real story is. He's ignored the Conservatives base for so long...what's different now? 
And Bobby said:
I'm wondering the same thing. A colleague (rating: B3) has suggested that Boehner and the conservatives cut a deal on the Planned Parenthood funding to avert the government shutdown -- i.e., the conservatives will let Boehner fund the government, and he will be forced out so they have their own victory to celebrate. Theory is the Planned Parenthood battle has gotten so large that the conservatives now need to get something tangible for losing that battle, and shooting Boehner out of the saddle is a very convenient win for them.

158 comments:

David Begley said...

From altar boy and Jesuit college to meeting the Jesuit Pope in the House. Crying allowed.

Big Mike said...

He lacked vision, and he didn't get it. He just didn't get it.

Once written, twice... said...

Ha, ha, ha! The hillbilly Republican congress is coming apart! Love it!

Mark said...

Now if only McConnel would be caught in a "wide stance" ....

Deirdre Mundy said...

I'm going with the idea that during his "Private Meeting" with the pope he realized that national politics and Washington DC are barriers to salvation, and that he has a better shot at serving God and loving neighbor by retiring.

YoungHegelian said...

This is all being explained as a result of pressure from the conservatives. I doubt it. He could resign as Speaker, still stay in Congress, & the pressure would disappear.

Combine this announcement with his tears during the Pope's speech, and I think we're looking at health reasons with either him or his wife as the real reason for his sudden resignation.

Alexander said...

Was it actually emotional? Or did it just seem that way because Boehner was there?

Michael said...

Like the way the open minded lefty scum think of hillbillies. So so progressive

Michael said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Larry J said...

Michael said...
Like the way the open minded lefty scum think of hillbillies. So so progressive.


Yes, they love to proclaim how they're the party of the "little people" and then call them hillbillies and trailer trash.

As for Boehner, good riddance. I have little doubt he'll pick up a 7-figure lobbying gig in no time. We need someone with the balls to fight.

campy said...

Meet the new patsy, same as the old patsy.

Tank said...

Boehner is the Godfather of the Trump phenomenon.

mccullough said...

25 years in Congress is surely too long. Take Nancy Pelosi and all the other long timers with you. You've fucked us over enough

tim in vermont said...

I wonder how many people change their vote from Republican to Democrat because a Democrat called them a Hillbilly?

rhhardin said...

Maybe he noticed that people hate his guts.

rhhardin said...

Shutting down the government over planned parenthood funding is idiotic. Go for Obamacare.

Tank said...

rhhardin said...

Maybe he noticed that people hate his guts.


This made me LOL, even though I doubt it's true.

tim in vermont said...

I wonder how many Democratics secretly wish they could unseat their entrenched and ossified leadership?

None I bet... Just look at the empty seats at Sanders rallies and the crowds Hillary is drawing!

rhhardin said...

Did anybody show up for the emotional meeting, is the question.

tim in vermont said...

It is endlessly amusing to watch Democrats line up behind the choice of the billionaires and laugh at a party that responds to its base.

Rick said...

Good, maybe the Reps can get someone decent.

Once written, twice... said...
Ha, ha, ha! The hillbilly Republican congress


It's not surprising people raised on a constant diet of hate internalize and repeat it. It's a little surprising they don't discover such expressions are inappropriate when they move on into the wider world. But I guess that says something about the leftist circles such people run in.

MadisonMan said...

I thank him for his service -- it can't be an easy job -- and I thank him for leaving. I'm not sorry to see him go. It's too bad he was re-elected so many times.

I wonder what the real story is. He's ignored the Conservatives base for so long...what's different now?

Scott said...

"I wonder how many Democratics secretly wish they could unseat their entrenched and ossified leadership?"

The primary task of ossified leadership is to eliminate the people who would chip away at them. So there probably are no Democrats who wish they could unseat their leadership, because they are all gone already.

Boehner was insufficiently ossified.

TosaGuy said...

See that martini in my avatar? I prefer to be referred to as a Hillwilliam, thank you.

garage mahal said...

Boehner wept hearing the Pope's speech, realizing he was wasting his life. Can't blame him. Being the leader of that nuthouse has to take its toll.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's not too late for John Boehner to take a vow of poverty and to study ethology.

Known Unknown said...

He has a compelling life story. Sadly, that didn't seem to help him become the leader he needed to be.

tim in vermont said...

The fact that he announced it to the New York Times rather than his local paper tells you all you needed to know.

tim in vermont said...

garage, don't you have some rape survivors to bash somewhere? That is your gig, isn't it?

Hagar said...

The Speakers job is to keep order in the House; not to lead the charge.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Deirdre said:
"I'm going with the idea that during his "Private Meeting" with the pope he realized that national politics and Washington DC are barriers to salvation, and that he has a better shot at serving God and loving neighbor by retiring."

No way - he is gonna go chase the big bucks as a lobbyist - I bet he never leaves the Imperial City until the day he dies.

Gahrie said...

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Unfortunately he'll simply move across the street and become a lobbyist.

Hagar said...

and particularly not a "Pickett's Charge."

lgv said...

Ditto MadisonMan. Well said.

Blogger tim in vermont said...
I wonder how many Democratics secretly wish they could unseat their entrenched and ossified leadership?

I'm sure they all do, but it's more about power than philosophy. Congress is driven by power and influence. The sooner you can oust the most senior members, the sooner you become a senior member. Boehner lost a lot of support when he retaliated against those who disagreed with him. Those whose support was marginal felt he had gone too far.

Once written, twice... said...

Shut up you ignorant hillbillies!

And please continue to tear apart the Republican Party.

Hillary will be appointing the next four to six justices to the Supreme Court! I hope your mother fucking heads are spinning once your small brains understand that is the new reality!

Hahahahaha!

garage mahal said...

Now Republicans can elect a real conservative and really get nothing done. Listen to the Tea Party. They are frightened about sex. Shut everything down!

Bobby said...

MadisonMan,

I'm wondering the same thing. A colleague (rating: B3) has suggested that Boehner and the conservatives cut a deal on the Planned Parenthood funding to avert the government shutdown -- i.e., the conservatives will let Boehner fund the government, and he will be forced out so they have their own victory to celebrate. Theory is the Planned Parenthood battle has gotten so large that the conservatives now need to get something tangible for losing that battle, and shooting Boehner out of the saddle is a very convenient win for them.

Kyzer SoSay said...

Wow, the ignorance is strong with this one. Hillary becoming president looks farfetched at best. Sorry to bust yer bubble, such as it is.

tim in vermont said...

If the fact that Bill Clinton raped somebody, left them with a bloody lip to be discovered by a friend in a hotel room, you are "frightened about sex."

Anything else you would like to contribute garage? You are the one with the intimate details of the sex lives of Clinton's accusers. You seem to enjoy airing and sharing those.

And BTW, the American people sent this congress to stop Obama. Obama won't compromise, so nothing gets done. Your argument is with the American people, garage.

rehajm said...

Boehner's a good man and I thought this looked like a weak move by house Republicans. Listening now to the volume of leftie talking heads and the volume of their rhetoric that sounds like panic I'm having to rethink that position.

MadisonMan said...

@Bobby, a plausible theory and if it averts the Govt shutdown, then I think that's a double plus good thing.

In the Govt Shutdown no Government employees are allowed to work -- but then they all get paid, in the end, for the time they would have been working. It's foolishness -- giving Government workers a long paid vacation because yahoos in DC are arguing. (sigh)

Gotta wonder what the Pope's words to him meant; wonder if he had already mostly decided and the Pope said Go For It! -- in a manner of speaking. The timing suggests that.

I wonder who the new Speaker will be. A young woman would be an awesome counterpoint to all the old female politicians out there (Not Naming Names ;) )

tim in vermont said...

56/42 with 2% undecided. That's Hillary's unfavorable, favorable.

I am sure she will cruise to the White House with numbers like that.

TRISTRAM said...

garage mahal said...
Now Republicans can elect a real conservative and really get nothing done. Listen to the Tea Party. They are frightened about sex. Shut everything down!

Didn't know Andrew Cuomo, Jerry Brown, etc were Republicans. Good to know, because they are the ones I here trying to regulate (as in, it is a felony if you don't follow this government developed checklist) sex. Well, if you are a man.

Gahrie said...

Listen to the Tea Party. They are frightened about sex.

Garage, you ignorant slut.

The Tea Party has nothing to do about sex. The Tea Party is about bringing fiscal responsibility to the government, reducing the size of government and lowering taxes.

Scott said...

Posted: Don't Feed the Trolls.

Todd said...

garage mahal said...
Now Republicans can elect a real conservative and really get nothing done. Listen to the Tea Party. They are frightened about sex. Shut everything down!

9/25/15, 9:46 AM


Garage, you really must work very hard at being this ignorant on an on-going bases. The shame of it all is that it is really not that hard to understand.

Not all republicans are conservative, not all conservatives are tea party types, and not all tea party types are republicans.

Tea party types want a fiscally conservative, smaller government and that is pretty much it. Maybe the "fiscally conservative" is what is continuing to confuse you. That phrase means they don't want the government doing or spending what they are not required by the Constitution to do/spend. They don't care much at all what you do in your bedroom as long as you do it with other consenting adults. End of story. Your continued wrong-headed insults against the tea party is just sad.

Paco Wové said...

"you really must work very hard at being this ignorant"

Look, he's just a stupid, angry bigot. It comes naturally to him.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Traditionally, the sitting President is considered to head his party. If Trump is elected will this still hold?

Not OT because I agree that Boehner is resigning because the party bosses have decided the base needs a sacrifice.

I don't think it will be sufficient.

http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_normansaxon.htm

CStanley said...

Gotta wonder what the Pope's words to him meant; wonder if he had already mostly decided and the Pope said Go For It! -- in a manner of speaking. The timing suggests that.

I agree- it seems much too quick for him to have leapt to this decision overnight. He had to have been at least contemplating it. And his emotional response yesterday may have either been that he was reaching his decision in real time, or had already made it and was thinking that this was a high point for him personally to go out on.

Although it's more likely that he'll cash in somehow, I hope Diedre's right.

Michael K said...

"It is endlessly amusing to watch Democrats line up behind the choice of the billionaires and laugh at a party that responds to its base."

It is an it is also amusing, although not really funny, to watch the world being destroyed by Obama and Kerry and Hillary while Democrats giggle about Boehner resigning.

The Washington Post reports the situation in Syria has “forced” president Obama to meet with Vladimir Putin — something Obama was previously loathe to do. ”President Obama has not met one-on-one with President Vladimir Putin for more than 15 months but agreed Thursday to sit down with the Russian leader in New York on Monday as part of a broader effort to resolve the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.” The White House strove to give the impression that Putin was asking a favor of Obama.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that the meeting came at Putin’s request and that at the top of the agenda for Obama will be Ukraine, where, he said, Russian separatist troops remain in “clear violation of the territorial integrity of that sovereign nation.” …

Earnest said that when the two leaders talk about Syria, Obama would encourage Russia to join coalition efforts to combat the Islamic State but warn that “doubling down on the Assad regime is a losing bet.” He added that “a face-to-face sit-down seems appropriate at this juncture.”

Willing or not, Obama’s been dragged to New York to meet a man he would rather not.


Yes, quite amusing.

cubanbob said...

Once written, twice... said...

Shut up you ignorant hillbillies!

And please continue to tear apart the Republican Party.

Hillary will be appointing the next four to six justices to the Supreme Court! I hope your mother fucking heads are spinning once your small brains understand that is the new reality!

Hahahahaha!
9/25/15, 9:43 AM "

You so funny!! Hahaha! Yes indeed, Hillary! will be teaching CON law to her fellow inmates while she does her outreach service at The Big House. Maybe Bill will come over for a conjugal visit.

MadisonMan said...

Cathy Rodgers represents Spokane -- she's 46 (20+ years younger than Pelosi or Hillary) -- and is the Chair of the House Republican Conference -- 3rd-ranking Republican in the House.

I think the optics of her v. Pelosi or v. Clinton would be good.

MadisonMan said...

Bobby gets a tag!! Congratulations and Welcome to the club!!

garage mahal said...

Planned Parenthood haters are sexually frustrated people who can't stand the idea of women having sex when they aren't getting any themselves. That is the truth whether you want to believe it or not. Same with abortion.

Once written, twice... said...

Yesterday the Pope told him "dude, you're in the wrong party. I'm a Democrat!"

jacksonjay said...


Maybe Bill will come over for a conjugal visit.


Normal onboard with the Cuban, but no! Now the image is stuck in my pea brain!

tim in vermont said...

Sure garage, that's what it is.

garage mahal said...

"Tea Party is just fiscally conservatives". Bwahaha. And outraged about rainbow - colored Doritos.

cubanbob said...

Other than a few gratuitous stunts like shutting down the national parks why does any private sector taxpayer give a crap if the government "shuts down"? The longer it stays "shut down", the better. Eventually when the taxpayers notice the sky hasn't fallen the realization that yes the government can be rolled back and life will go on even better than before.

bleh said...

I always like Boehner. Seems like a genuinely decent guy. Politics would be better if leaders on both sides were more like him.

(I feel similarly about Joe Biden.)

Maybe I have a soft spot for blue collar Catholics?

Dr.D said...

My only regret about seeing him go is, why could he not resign immediately, like today? The end of October is weeks away, and he will do a lot more damage in the mean time with nothing at all to lose.

Good riddance, Mr. Trash!

Howard said...

Now the teabagging chickenhawk nutballs can party like it's 1999

jacksonjay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Howard said...

This move that will release the mouth-foaming underbelly of the repugs into prime time will make Hitlery a shoe-in. Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher just got their rating prayers answered.

tim in vermont said...

Now Clinton biographer David Maraniss says it’s becoming obvious that while Bill is an “authentic phony,” the hapless Hillary is just a “phony phony."

Rusty said...

Can't happen soon enough.

cubanbob said...

garage mahal said...

Planned Parenthood haters are sexually frustrated people who can't stand the idea of women having sex when they aren't getting any themselves. That is the truth whether you want to believe it or not. Same with abortion.

9/25/15, 10:14 AM"

As per usual you are the fool. No, PP haters don't want to be someone's cuckold. Maybe you like wearing the horns but the rest of us, actual real private sector taxpayers don't.

Rusty said...

tim in vermont said...
Sure garage, that's what it is.

SHhhh.
Sit back and watch.
It's like having a monkey,
that can type.

tim in vermont said...

How have the Democrats been doing in elections since they rammed through Obamacare?

They have one guy who could really bring out the vote. Now they are putting all their chips on a phony who is 15 points upside down in favorablity with 2% undecided to work on.

OMG, the Repubs are going to get slaughtered!

MadisonMan said...

can party like it's 1999

That song always makes me feel old. I remember when it came out. thinking wow, 1999 is so far away and now it's so far back in the Rear View Mirror.

(sigh)

tim in vermont said...

The conservative joke is "Party like it's 1799!"

Todd said...

garage mahal said...
"Tea Party is just fiscally conservatives". Bwahaha. And outraged about rainbow - colored Doritos.

9/25/15, 10:21 AM


Not sure what you are getting at there but the only tea party item I could find concerning those Doritos is this link which appears rather neutral on the subject...

http://www.teaparty.org/frito-gay-rainbow-doritos-made-lgbt-support-119820/


Also, I know you know but I will repeat it anyway, there is no "tea party" group. It is a grass-roots organization made up of distinct "chapters" that have no official relationship with each other. Just as no individual person speaks for all of humanity, no individual person speaks for the "tea party". It doesn't work like that. Unlike say D.W-S speaking for the Democrats.

Sebastian said...

Good riddance.

But people make too much of JB's personal failings. Sure, he was a shallow, emoting, clueless leader. It would be nice to get an attractive, articulate, ruthless one for a change. But contrary to notions that he and his buddies screwed "the base," the House GOP has many people like him, representing moderate districts. And contrary to notions that the GOP has moved far right, beholden to the Tea Party and all, the center of gravity in the national party isn't as far right as more geographically concentrated House Dems have moved left. It's naive for conservatives to have high expectations of the GOP congressional delegation.

Anonymous said...

Like Larry J, AJ Lynch, and Gahrie said.

Boenher's just reached that point in his career when it's time to move on to more remunerative ways of "not getting it".

Bob Ellison said...

Rusty, but those monkeys won in 2012.

cubanbob said...

Howard said...

This move that will release the mouth-foaming underbelly of the repugs into prime time will make Hitlery a shoe-in. Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher just got their rating prayers answered.

9/25/15, 10:26 AM"

Hate to burst your delusions but Maher and Colbert already have the ratings they are going to get and as for Hillary! I'm sure she will find some convicted judge to administer her the oath of office at the ceremony held at The Big House.

CarlF said...

If the high point of your speakership is meeting the Pope, you are in the wrong profession.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Sure Boehner and Biden seem like decent guys but keep in mind Biden has been there for 45 years and helped create the humongous mess that is our current fed govt and Biden has never voted for anything even a tad conservative- he is a far left liberal loon.

And Boehner has been helping create that mess for at least 20 years I bet.

AllenS said...

How does the Pope view Planned Parenthood? Not to mention the selling of fetus parts.

grimson said...

It is hard to see how, short-term, this will have any impact on the current DC dynamic, which is being controlled by "problems" in the Senate. (It would be much, much better if it were Mitch McConnell resigning.) Long-term, this might help Republicans if they select a real leader and communicator who understands that Speaker of the House is not an administrative position. It is a position of power and influence--they should not vote in another Dennis Hastert or John Boehner.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

It's naive for conservatives to have high expectations of the GOP congressional delegation.

The GOP is supposed to be a "big tent" party. Big tent parties have to provide "something" to the different constituents that support them. Conservatives are of the opinion that their concerns are being ignored by the party because the donor class doesn't agree with them and they are mostly being used for votes while being told that its just impossible accomplish any of their goals.

The reason they feel like that is because it is true. So they stop voting. The people that run the party weren't really worried about that because the Republican Party was winning elections in most of the country in the last three election cycles, so screw the conservatives.

But now they have what amounts to a third party insurgency in the Republican primary.

We live in interesting times.

Tyrone Slothrop said...

Them Hillbillies are Mountain Williams Now

Rick said...

Does the troll brigade come out every Friday or is today special?

Howard said...

Tyrone wins the thread

garage mahal said...

Tyrone
Saw your message the other day. I'll honor the bet.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Seriously, when is the last time a complete outsider to Washington won the presidency? Lincoln perhaps? And look at how that turned out.

Bob Ellison said...

Jimmy Carter won the presidency. So did Barack Obama.

Gahrie said...

Lincoln perhaps

Lincoln had been a Congressman prior to being elected president.

cubanbob said...

Ron Winkleheimer said...
Well put but I doubt as of now the RNC is really getting the message.
Imagine if Trump actually wins the nomination, it just might be the impetus for TEA Party people and conservatives to really turn out and vote for fiscally conservative members of Congress in the next election with a spine. Think of the possibilities, a moderate Democrat in disguise, Trump and a real conservative Congress. Things might actually improve.

Anonymous said...

Bestest news for a loooongest time.

Quaestor said...

How does the Pope view Planned Parenthood? Not to mention the selling of fetus parts.

Good point. Pope Francis must have political advisor or two in his entourage, so he mostly likely has a least a cursory understanding of the Planned Parenthood scandal. Given the Church's teaching on abortion it's unthinkable Boehner was not sternly lectured on his evident opposition to the de-fund camp.

Quaestor said...

Seriously, when is the last time a complete outsider to Washington won the presidency? Lincoln perhaps? And look at how that turned out.

Am I mistaken to read a sarcastic tone between the lines?

Birkel said...

Neither Boehner nor McConnell appear to believe in anything but their own power, prestige and wealth. Harry Reid, while believing in those things for himself, is also a truly committed Leftist willing to break the institution he left ads in order to achieve his political ends.

The advantage always goes to the truly committed, over time.

Sebastian said...

"it just might be the impetus for TEA Party people and conservatives to really turn out and vote for fiscally conservative members of Congress in the next election with a spine. Think of the possibilities, a moderate Democrat in disguise, Trump and a real conservative Congress. Things might actually improve"

Might. Then again, might not. I'd be as happy as the next person, but it's unlikely.

The problem is not the RNC or the "donor class." In many states and districts, there are just not enough conservative voters.

The GOP has more people like John Boehner than like Ted Cruz. Quite a few live in Ohio. Which, as it happens, voted for O twice.

It's not even clear what "fiscally conservative" would mean. Which "tea party" figures have proposed cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security? What success have they had in persuading any significant segment of voters?

JAORE said...

I understand John B is resigning to spend more time searching for his manhood.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

"The problem is not the RNC or the "donor class." In many states and districts, there are just not enough conservative voters."

Perhaps, but if the Republican party isn't going to throw the conservatives a bone now and then why should they support it?

To me it looks like the people that run the Republican party have decided that they don't need conservatives in their coalition so they are abandoning them.

Quaestor said...

If abortion is a matter of privacy, how it can also be a line-item in the Federal budget?

Roughcoat said...

My two cents:

1. It seems likely that Boehner has been contemplating this move for a long time. I doubt that he suddenly decided to resign because of what was said in his meeting with the pope. In fact I doubt that his conversation with the pope had anything at all to do with his resignation. This is the "romantic" explanation.

2. He'll get a job as a lobbyist.

3. He was ineffectual as speaker. He ignored the GOP's conservative base. He enabled Obama and the Democrats. He squandered the GOP's Senate majority. He wouldn't fight. He was the George W. McClellan of the Republican Party.

Unknown said...

The way its played nowadays, compromise is not happening. "We won" has set the standard so lets just have up or down votes.

machine said...

"...there are just not enough conservative voters."

finally something non-fantastical pops up.

Jason said...

Boehner leaving is not the Republican party coming apart. Boehner leaving is the Republican Party coming together.

machine said...

and Hello Shutdown!

which will result in even less.

Gahrie said...

To me it looks like the people that run the Republican party have decided that they don't need conservatives in their coalition so they are abandoning them.

No..what the establishment Republicans decided was that Conservatives had no where else to go, so it was safe to ignore them, much like the democrats ignore Black people, knowing that will get their votes anyway.

The problem is, Conservatives are no longer willing to take the abuse.

eric said...

Welcome our newest lobbyist making millions of dollars to Washington D.C.

Gahrie said...

Which "tea party" figures have proposed cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security?

Cutting..damn few. That would be cutting your own throat.

Reforming on the other hand...quite a few.

Birkel said...

machine,
Describe why you believe a shutdown is good for Leftists such as yourself.

Use previous election results if you want anybody to take you seriously.

Etienne said...

The only way you can be Speaker, is to carry a big bat. If the Speaker doesn't have a dossier on each member, with outfielders doing the dirty work, and is not willing to use the power of the office, then he/she needs to go back to the peanut gallery.

Anyone who steps up to the plate, better be swinging, even if you don't hit every ball.

The President walked him every time he came to bat. He was a loser, never made it to second base.

He waited for the umpires call ever time. He couldn't be bothered to stretch and hammer the ball into right field. To do something, anything, for the team.

His own team let him sit by himself at the end of the bench far away from the water fountain.

Oh well, off to the baseball game - my niece is suiting up and we're off to enjoy the weather.

Roughcoat said...

The only time a man should cry in public is when he watches "Old Yeller" or "The Yearling." And that's only when he's a kid.

pm317 said...

Maybe he confessed about his mistress to pope.

Birkel said...

Roughcoat,
Funerals and weddings?

Roughcoat said...

Birkel -

No.

Only girls cry at weddings. Girls and nancy-boys.

No crying at funerals either. It's the man's job to be strong and stoic, a rock--the shoulder for girls to cry on.

Roughcoat said...

Okay, an exception: when a man puts his old beloved dog down ... he can cry in public. Otherwise: nuh-uh.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Smilin' Jack said...

From altar boy and Jesuit college to meeting the Jesuit Pope in the House. Crying allowed.
Yes, that was my first thought: The Pope made that happen.


Hee...yeah, see Francis and die.

Roughcoat said...

Although I must admit, watching Pizza Rat struggling manfully to bring that pizza slice home to his no-doubt starving brood of little rat-lets did make me misty-eyed. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. *sniff*

Birkel said...

Roughcoat,
I think if one buries a child, all bets are off.

Roughcoat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Roughcoat said...


Oh good grief.

Birkel, are you familiar with the "Joe Btfsplk" character from Lil' Abner?

Birkel said...

Chill, Roughcoat. I got the shtick.

Just bull shitting.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I think I might have wept a bit while watching Finding Nemo (2003) but I was undoubtedly intoxicated.

Christopher said...

I suspect we have another example of stealth editing at the NYT. Althouse's excerpt says Boehner's resignation throws the House into "chaos" as they try to avoid a government shutdown, but the current version of the story doesn't have that and reads, like everything else I'm seeing in DC, like this: Mr. Boehner’s announcement lessened the chance of a government shutdown next week, because Republican leaders will push for a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating and the speaker will no longer be deterred by those who threatened his job.

I don't mind the NYT calming down but most reputable blogs, like this one, have better editing ethics than the NYT, WaPo, etc.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Real sure I got choked up watching the "feed the birds" sequence in Mary Poppins.

Again, drunk.

mikee said...

A new #3 in line for the presidency is going to be elected by the House Republicans. Or maybe a group of the Repubs and the Dems, if the conservatives get too frisky and get too many votes.

Hey, remember the old boss? Meet the new boss. Can you even tell the difference?

Wake me up when Hillary wins the presidency, I want to make popcorn for that sideshow of horrors.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Bawled like a baby watching the remake of Lassie.

Cried during The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963).

Major waterworks when the cat dies in that Amanda July thing, The Future (2011).

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Hmmmmmmmm. I think maybe I'm beginning to detect a pattern.

Roughcoat said...

Yep. You can cry over animals.

Dead kids? Meh.

JPS said...

President Obama will miss him more than I will. He's gotten comfortable with having Boehner play John Kerry to the President's Javad Zarif. Remember this classic exchange?

Boehner: "I put $800 billion [in tax revenue] on the table. What do I get for that?"

Pres. O: "You get nothing. I get that for free."

[And at this point I hear the voice of Andrew McCarthy in Weekend at Bernie's: "Is this guy a tough negotiator, or what?"]

tim in vermont said...

And Obama seizes the opportunity to release the "20th Hijacker"!

Not a Muslim, noooo...!

MadisonMan said...

I was reduced to blubbering tears by the end of Toy Story 3.

garage mahal said...

Republicans should vote one more time to repeal ObamaCare just for old times' sake

Brando said...

I don't see anything changing as a result of this--maybe with some changes in the Senate. I agree this probably means no shutdown, as Boehner now has nothing to fear from cutting a deal with the Democrats. Which is just as well, as the shutdown would have hurt the Republicans and accomplished nothing.

Birkel said...

Brando,
Based on what evidence would a shutdown hurt Republicans?

Michael said...

garage mahal said...

"Planned Parenthood haters are sexually frustrated people who can't stand the idea of women having sex when they aren't getting any themselves. That is the truth whether you want to believe it or not. Same with abortion."

This is LOL crazy Perhaps you could hold classes w/ prog women instructing them on the use of birth control and its relationship to having sex. Loonyfuckingtunes.

machine said...

a shutdown is not good for anyone..."sarcasm"

Dave D said...

What's the difference between Planned Parenthood and abortion? They are synonymous, well, except for the baby parts thingie.

garage mahal said...

Planned Parenthood doesn't perform abortions or sell body parts. But if we say it over and over it will become true!

Bobby said...

Garage,

"Planned Parenthood doesn't perform abortions or sell body parts. But if we say it over and over it will become true!"

Planned Parenthood claim to have performed 327,653 abortions last year. Did you perhaps mean to write something like Planned Parenthood doesn't use federal funds to perform abortions?

Rusty said...

Bob Ellison said...
Rusty, but those monkeys won in 2012.


There are a lot of monkeys.

Todd said...

Bobby said...
Garage,

"Planned Parenthood doesn't perform abortions or sell body parts. But if we say it over and over it will become true!"

Planned Parenthood claim to have performed 327,653 abortions last year. Did you perhaps mean to write something like Planned Parenthood doesn't use federal funds to perform abortions?

9/25/15, 3:05 PM


Bobby, it is late in the week. Garage is tired and worn out. At this point he is just phoning it in...

Eleanor said...

The last political outsider to be elected POTUS was Dwight Eisenhower. That might be ancient history for some, but not for all of us. The world did not fall apart because he had never run for political office before. What he did have was executive experience.

richard mcenroe said...

Funny how The Donald never had an unkind word for Boehner.

Probably because he was the best thing that could have happened for the Democrats after 2014...

Michael K said...

"what the establishment Republicans decided was that Conservatives had no where else to go, so it was safe to ignore them, much like the democrats ignore Black people, knowing that will get their votes anyway."

Bingo !

The fact is that it is not just "Conservatives" in the religious right or the Pat Buchanan mode. There are lots of libertarian Republicans like me and we are left in the cold while the insiders are doing deals.

Lydia said...

Boehner is 65 years old, the age when the grim reaper starts to look mighty close.

Plus, remember the bartender guy in the country club in Ohio who was plotting to kill him with poisoned drinks?

Maybe he finally simply said, enough is enough.

Kirk Parker said...

pm317 @ 12:15pm,

Why do you use the singular?

Lydia,

" 65 years old, the age when the grim reaper starts to look mighty close."

The hell you say!

hombre said...

"Based on what evidence would a shutdown hurt Republicans?"

The last shutdown. The media fed on Republicans.

Just because the negatives didn't outweigh the voters" disenchantment with Democrats, doesn't mean there weren't negatives.

OGWiseman said...

Boehner didn't ignore the GOP base, he just couldn't do what they want. Legislative control does not a mandate make. If the new Speaker comes in and shuts down the government over the base's demands, it's gonna be an unmitigated disaster for the GOP. Boehner didn't do it because he knew that, not because he hates the GOP base.

Skeptical Voter said...

Adios Muchacho. Don't let the door slap ya in the backside on the way out the door to Ohio--or to some golf course in Florida.

Can't say I'm sorry to see old weepy go.

Birkel said...

hombre,
So I am to believe that 'the media' (which would be bashing Republicans anyway) were able to sway people (but not enough) against Republicans because of media's own polls, when the votes (the ultimate poll) did not show those negatives?

That is the sort of bull shit I refuse to buy.

First, where can it be shown the MSM would not have bashed Republicans but for the shutdown?
Riddle me that answer and we can move down the train of illogical assumptions implicit in your oft-repeated (by the self same MSM) claim.

Michael said...

OGWiseman:

And yet the last time the GOP shut the government about ten months later it gained seats in the House. A lot of seats.

There is no question that the MSM has a field day with pictures of the little children clutching the closed gates of the National Zoo, closed at the hands of the evil kid-hating GOP. But people forget that pretty quickly. They won't vote for a lying and perhaps senile old woman versus a young vibrant candidate because the latter's party shut the zoo a year or so in the past.

Michael said...

Plus a "government shutdown" is anything but. Plus back pay. A joke that most now get.

BN said...

The sociogenetic reason for crying is to manipulate others' emotions. Natural fit for politicking, just don't overdo it. Boener wasted his gift on useless things like pope visits. Now Clinton, that guy was a master. And he also could easily resist the tears of women he abused. What a man!

gadfly said...

There is no such thing as a government shutdown. In the end and in all cases, furloughed government bureaucrats masquerading as employees (particularly those expected to inconveniently delay services to the public) are paid for their time off - and everyone else attends to normal functions (plus pissing off the public) as deemed necessary by the ruling class for the national defense.

Ronald Reagan didn't miss a beat when his government was administratively shut down six times.

pm317 said...

@Kirk Parker, there is more than one? If there is one there are others, right?

Phil 314 said...

At present the Democratic Party is more discipline than the Republican Party.

It's as if their small government worldview leads them to wonder "now what?" when they get elected.

Achilles said...

Boehner was bought and paid for. He wanted to keep the DC gravy train flowing. A lot of republicans in the congress do. The democrat base doesn't mind if GE gets a few billions as long as they get a few thousands. They don't mind the gravy flowing out as long as they can get stoned and stay in bed 5 days a week.

But the dem's are losing the blue collar part of their coalition. The republicans are losing the small government part of their coalition. In the end the majority of Americans who don't want to live in a country where people who work watch the government take their money and give it to people that don't work or to giant corporations to buy votes/support are going to find an answer. Right now it is Trump. Boehner just sees the writing on the wall. The grifters are going to get run out of Washington DC one way or another. He is just disappearing before it starts.

The DC graft machine is going down. Most of the country doesn't want it. And if it comes down to it are you going to be on the side of the lazy grifters or the side of the people who want to work? Guess who is going to win.

PianoLessons said...

The career politician that should have been term-limited (as they all should be) Boehner actually explained - in his own words - why millions of GOP voters are glad he's leaving.

He said "My job as Speaker is to protect the institution of the House".

Uhm....hello .....the People? Anyone? The People?

Paco Wové said...

"Boenher's just reached that point in his career when it's time to move on to more remunerative ways of "not getting it"."

Ka-ching!

hombre said...

@Birkel: The damage is to the Republican brand. If Republicans are associated with shutdowns with unpleasant consequences it may well hurt them at the ballot box in the long run.

I know some people have difficulty considering multiple possibilities, particularly long term possibilities, but give it a shot.