Occasionally, the far-right Republican base voices strong concerns about House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) being insufficiently radical. His comments on Fox News last night aren't going to help.
For those who can't watch clips online, Fox News' Greta Van Susstren noted that Paul Ryan's record isn't exactly that of a fiscal hawk (a point Rachel explained last night in some detail). Asked how the right-wing vice presidential nominee can "explain" his votes in Congress, Boehner said of Ryan:
"I mean, I think that he's a practical conservative. He's got a very conservative voting record, but he's not a knuckle-dragger, all right? He understood that TARP, while none of us wanted to do it, if we were going to save -- save our economy, save the world economy, it had to happen. I wish we didn't have to do it, either, but he understood that."
So, by that estimation, does Boehner believe Republican critics of the Wall Street bailout should be characterized as "knuckle-draggers"?
As this relates to Paul Ryan, the guy clearly has to hope voters don't give his record a close look. He voted to pass two massive tax breaks, two wars, Medicare expansion, and a Wall Street bailout and added every penny of the costs to the national debt. If Boehner wants to describe this as evidence of a "practical conservative," good luck to him.
But for the Speaker to suggest that members of his own caucus are "knuckle-draggers" if they disagree is just asking for trouble.
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"....but he's not a knuckle-dragger, all right?"
Actually I think that was a "shout out" to the "tea-potty" crowd that's been backing Bonehead into the corner. Bonehead may well be "bad at his job", but the GOTP in the House have given him pure hell since they've been in office! At some point even he not only has to admit it, but surely he's frustrated not to mention humiliated by them.
Frankly, I think it's kinda funny - the GOTP is coming unhinged right before our eyes! VOTE OUT THE GOTP IN NOVEMBER!
Boehner will walk back those comments by mid day.
Or he will be primaried in short order
Romney needs the middle, so he needs Boehner to paint Ryan as a grown up non ideological practical person. He relishes the task.
That rascal Boehner. He is such a dabbler in the passive aggressive.
Think about it. Who does Boehner want out of the way? Who does he tell Romney would be by far the best VP pick? Who does Boehner tell his establishment pals like Noonan and George Will that they must push?
And what must the Romney campaign do with Ryan to win the middle? Make Ryan appear to be a moderate. The problem for Ryan is that his aura of extremism is the source of his legitimacy amongst the leaderless T Partiers rabble.
Heh heh. Exactly why Boehner relishes this serving up of healthy dollops of that evil word "compromise" and ladeling it generously over poor Paul Ryan's head.
Whether Boehner is motivated by guile, revenge or cowardice is not the key point. It goes along with the strategy to go with the flow of the 2010 knuckledraggers and use his diminishing power to channel the energy rather than attempt to crush the TParty revolt through parliamentary intimidation.
Boehner has hung onto power and now has his naive rival headed for a major personal disaster. If Ryan is Machiavellian, he will be able to retain his mantle of the pure of conservative heart and pin the 2012 disaster on Romney.
Either way, Ryan's star will be tarnished and his relationship with the radical right will be more complicated. In future leadership challenges, Boehner will be able to point out that Ryan simply isn't a very effective or experienced moderate.
TARP save the economy? Wait...haven't they been saying that it didn't work and it get us into this mess? So when they voted for it, it was to save the economy, but when President Obama execute the same TARP they voted for, it was to ruin the economy.
Bartender, bring me another one of those Kamikaze...I need to digest this further.
What percentage of the TPers are true believers, vs opportunists using the momentum? What is the going price to sell your conscience or soul today? If Mr. Boehner gets pushed out over a moment of honesty, let the rest of the vultures be sent back home to cry in solitude.
When you are a professional, perpetual liar, sometimes the truth actually slips out! Walkback in 3.2.1...
Wow, Boehner is going on a bender tonight! (Just like last night and the night before that..) He better pick up more Svedka on the way home!
oops
The reason so few Congressmen and Senators have been able to make the jump to the Oval Office, is that they all have lengthy voting RECORDS. ("I voted for it, before I voted against it!")
Except for Iraq, Obama voted for all those things too. He's a pretty practical conservative when you come right down to it.
So, I guess we can expect that the President will have your vote for his reelection... awesome.
;-)
Considering the de-evolution of humankind on account of some of our less advanced Republican friends, Boehner calling them "knuckle draggers" may not be too far off of a description.
Really sucks towing the "party line" doesn't it, John?
Here's someone who is:
a) going to lose the speakership if the Democrats retake the House; or
b) going to lose the speakership to Cantor or some other GOTP favorite if the Republicans keep hold of the House, due to Boehner's lack of "purity".
So I see a guy who is saying "I'm screwed either way, so what the f**k do I care?"