It's often hard to understand how House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) sees the world, but his whining at the Ripon Society this week seemed especially odd.
For those who can't watch clips online, this quote, which comes at the 9:56 mark, seemed the most newsworthy:
"[G]iven what we heard yesterday about the president's vision for his second term, it's pretty clear to me and should be clear to all of you that he knows he can't do any of that as long as the House is controlled by Republicans. So we're expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party. And let me tell you, I do believe that is their goal -- to just shove us in the dustbin of history."
There's quite a bit to this. Boehner noted, for example, that President Obama can't achieve "any" of his policy goals so long as House Republicans maintain their majority (and since they've already rigged the congressional-district lines, they don't intend to cede that majority any time soon). This may have seemed like a throw-away line, but it's significant -- the policies the president addressed in his inaugural address enjoy strong public support, but as far as Boehner is concerned, less than a month into the new Congress and days into Obama's second term, the president's agenda is already a non-starter.
But it's the dramatic rhetoric about "annihilation" that raises eyebrows. As Boehner sees it, the even-keeled, technocratic Democrat, who's spent four years pursuing a fairly moderate agenda, endorsing Republican ideas, appointing Republicans to his cabinet, and expressing a willingness to compromise on practically everything, this guy has launched the audacious goal of "annihilating the Republican Party."
And how do we know this to be true? Because the often-confused House Speaker says so.
There is, however, a better, less fanciful, way of looking at the political landscape.
There are two competing political parties -- the president is the top elected official in one, Boehner is the top elected official in the other. The two leaders would like to lead the nation in different directions, but have an obligation to try to find some common ground.
Does Obama hope to defeat Republicans? Obviously, yes. Does he intend to "annihilate" the GOP? Well, no, not really. As best as I can tell, the president would be quite pleased, actually, if the radicalized Republican Party was brought back to the American mainstream, and stood ready to work constructively with other policymakers (i.e., Democrats) on finding solutions to public policy challenges.
If the party is unprepared to do serious work on serious issues, maybe it belongs in "the dustbin of history"?
Regardless, it appears the president's focus is on identifying challenges and solving them in a principled way. Republicans stand in the way of his success, which is why Obama is looking for ways to go around and/or through them, but that's a far cry from "annihilation."
Of course, arguably the most entertaining aspect of Boehner's complaint is the irony. As we discussed the other day, Republicans spent Obama's first term on a scorched-earth campaign, hoping to destroy his presidency and nearly everything he proposed. GOP leaders met privately exactly four years ago this to plot their comeback, focusing on obstructing the president wherever possible, and refusing to compromise with Obama on literally anything, even when he embraced Republican ideas.
Mitch McConnell famously boasted that his top goal -- above the economy, above national security, above everything -- was making sure Obama was "a one-term president." He and GOP colleagues then executed that plot without hesitation or shame.
And yet, this week, Boehner is whining that the president wants to annihilate them?
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of course he does, aren't they his political adversaries?
BWA BWA BWA call me a BWAmbulance!
I wish you'd understand what democracy is all about.
"political adversaries" in our representative democracy doesn't mean enemies in a war-front.It's rather unfortunate that,the statement of Mr.speaker really indicates in clear terms how conservatives view politics and policy.
In a battle of constructive ideas,you can't be a worthy participant,if all you do is trying to grab power just for the sake of grabbing.
"It takes a lot of brass to accuse the other guy of what you are doing." - Bill Clinton
From his lips to God's ear. And this time they don't get to keep the horses for spring planting and they have to "stack arms."
Boehner knows that the annihilation of the Republican Party is not going to happen, but it makes a good headline for FoxNews and the 80% of the media owned by .1%ers. The Republican Party has been annihilated already by the Kochs Coalition, but most Republicans don't realize it. The Karl Rove "wedge and win" strategy is designed to get pro-Kochs candidates elected as Republicans. They have elected a majority in the House and in 25 state legislators. If any institution is under threat, it is the institution of democratic government. Remember the Grover Norquist no tax increase pledge is designed to "shrink government so that it can be drowned in a bathtub." Who are the champions of annihilation?
If one took a survey of first graders, I suspect it would show an overwhelming desire for ice cream and cake every morning for breakfast. Does that mean it's good for them? Of course not.
The party of free stuff isn't far removed from a bunch of first graders. They don't know what's good for them.
As Mark says, it's just projection. And as another person posting on another thread yesterday said, "John, you say that like it's a bad thing."
Sh!tter is still livid that people he wants dead aren't dead yet.
Oh, and by the way, the Rethuglican Party richly deserves to be put on the garbage heap of history by whatever means are necessary to do so. The political struggle in the US is an us or them situation and it is those on the right (e.g., Sh!tter) who have made it so.
Honkey, your statement was stupid even by your standards.
No, Honkey, your line is "Sir! Thank you sir! May I have another, sir!"
Gee, I'm honored by all this attention!
I would love to stay here and keep our most recent troll busy, but I have this thing called a life, and it now requires my attention elsewhere. I suppose he may actually get me banned, but I don't give a damn any more. If the powers that be here are actually willing to allow him and other like him to do anything they want, then it is no loss whatsoever if I can't post here. Y'all should think about that. Do you really want to participate in a site that treats trolls better than they treat you?
I'm not banned yet. Gee, they must be shirking their duty, huh, or awfully slow. Maybe they are on a journey. Maybe they are sleeping.
(Note to self: the surest sign that Entropy is truly irked is when the snark goes all biblical.)
Whitey is more like to get banned himself. He is so obviously trying to be provoking. If I were a mod, it would be his account I'd nuke.
And, lo, he's banned (4.17). My high school guidance counselor suggested I become a prophet, but did I listen? No.
So we're expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party. And let me tell you, I do believe that is their goal -- to just shove us in the dustbin of history."
Taxes on the middle class: Down.
Debt Ceiling: Raised.
Hastart Rule: Dead.
The administration isn't focused on you - They're ignoring you.
Your teeny tiny temper tantrums aren't helping your cause. You're becoming irrelevant all by yourselves.
Yeah, Boehner's Republican brand is doing a fine job all by itself when it comes to its annihilation!
If I didn't know any better, I'd pin Boehner's woeful comments on a paranoid, coked out addict! Maybe the Republican addiction to crisis and obstruction will accelerate their demise as we continue our intervention! -Kevo
Ignorance is BLISS, you appear very blissfull!
Sounds like a great idea
If only Obama was trying to annihilate the Republican party. Because that is exactly what he should be doing. The Republican party is a cancer and needs to be crushed. Does anybody need any more proof than to look at what is going on in Virginia, at the ongoing voter suppression of recent years, at the Romney campaign of nothing but lies, of the Ryan budget, at the global warming denial, at the absolutist positions on taxes, guns, etc., at the birthers, ...?
Seriously. KILL IT!
Which beats the hell out of being a brainless witless ignorant ninnehammer right-wing nut, WHITEy.
It does appear that you do
@ disgusted.......Well I do side with the Republicans even though I am an independent. They appear to be America's last chance to maintain our constitution and the freedoms it gives us.
Now you say the GOP should be killed? It appears that you are the one that should be under mental examination. Since I side with the GOP you should make the attempt to force your thoughts on me....You would lose big time I guarantee. Try to get a life! And some counseling you sound too much like the Muslim in office that hates all Americans
vageorge: What "freedoms" are you referring to, the "freedom" to gerrymander? The "freedom" to deny marriage to consenting adults? The "freedom" to deny women repreductive rights? From what I can see you value the "freedom" to deny the POTUS the right to declare his own religion.
Hey Whitey: Go fornicate yourself, assuming your wee-wee is big enough for the job, you worthless piece of something I scrape off my shoe.
You know, it's not the trolls that make these forums insufferable, it's the idiots who feed them. Stop letting clowns like Whitey and Vageorge bait you into giving them the attention they want. And if you really lack the will power to resist them, just click the exclamation point at the bottom-left of their posts and put them on ignore.
Obama does not want to annihilate the Republicans because they are the cause of Dems winning seats in Congress. So long as Republicans continue to oppose and obstruct everything, Obama and Dems look good in the eyes of the voters and that is a good omen for 2014. It makes no difference what the Republicans tell their base because they are losing the independent voters. And they don't necessarily watch or trust Fox News for "information" on current issues.
Shade Tail --
Exactly. Some of our best posters believe that trolls add to the discussion. I don't see it that way. Like you, I glide past posts responding to the known trolls, having "ignored" the trolls themselves. So even sensible arguments from sensible people are wasted responding to mental dwarfs distinguished only by their obnoxious prose. Pearls before swine, etc.
Helena, the basic problem with the trolls that are popping up here and there is that they seem to think that their opinions should be taken seriously. They very rarely have anything in the way of evidence to back them up, and when they do present evidence, it normally is a distortion with significant parts left out. They don't do nuance and they don't have the ability to hold more than half a thought in their working memory at a time.
My ex's father was proud of how well she could "manage information." It was his euphemism for lying, but he insisted that it was ok to be deceitful by omitting and twisting facts as long as you didn't actually make a blatant false statement. Needless to say, the whole family are right wing republicans and orthodox catholics besides. This knack seems to be a defining character of the right wing, although many of them are too inept at "managing information" to avoid outright lying.
Our right-wing trolls love to pretend that their verbal vomit is somehow a "point of view" or "differing opinion" when it is painfully obvious that they are here for totally malicious purposes. Their arrogance knows no bounds. They are devoid of conscience and incapable of shame.
Not all trolls are worth responding too IMHO, but some are too juicy to resist, and some on first glance appear to be somewhat reasonable.
Thou shalt not suffer a troll to spew verbal vomit!
Whitey Jones banned, flameout. Multiple Cherry Popper also banned. First rule:
...
Try to. Second part of that rule:
...
Ivan Ivanovich Renko, vageorge, TCinLA, you're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
If shoving Republicans into the dustbin of history isn't the goal of the Democratic party, the Democratic party needs to find its way to the dustbin of history. That Boehner is making this statement is a recognition that Democrats might pull it off. This whine should be viewed as a call to Republicans for self examination.
I usually agree with you, Ron, but this time I have to quibble. There is an element of the Republican party that needs to be called out and shamed. Those are the folks who are gerrymandering, filibustering, running on one platform and then executing another and perpetuating lies to frighten voters into siding with them.
But that's not the entire party. We actually do need a reasonable group on the other side to promote counterbalancing proposals and perhaps constructive criticism of the progressive agenda. The challenge is healthy. The trouble is mostly in the methods we've seen since the rise of the Tea Party in 2010.
The Republican Party is, by any reasonable definition, fascist. Whenever it gains any measure of power at the state or federal level, it's primary concern is using that power to ensure that the Democrats cannot win future elections. Right now, they are engaged in abusive gerrymandering for the express purpose of ensuring that the 2000 election happens EVERY CYCLE so that the Democrat can never win now matter how many more votes he gets than the Republican. It is an institution utterly committed to the destruction of American democracy.
Doesn't anyone get the idea that it isn't Obama that is consigning the repub party to the dustbin of history, but they themselves are doing it all alone with no help from anyone. Bin Laden took advantage of that tendency to self-inflict damage by pulling off 9/11 and then just sitting back and watching the neocons destroy our country with absolutely no need for anymore terrorist attacks. Cheney/Bush achieved bin Laden's goals far beyond his wettest dreams, and now the repubs are doing the same thing to themselves by shooting themselves not just in the foot, but in the scalp, too, and everywhere in between.
Alan...,
You are absolutely right. The Rethuglican Party serves no legitimate purpose and must be treated accordingly.
Lol! It's getting incoherent!
I cant help but wonder if he actually believes this or not . I think much of the right honestly sees Obama as some kind of Khrushchev banging his shoe on the table and saying "We will bury you". The disconnect comes when they fail to realize that it is not Obama that will "shove them into the dustbin of history" but their own actions. The unfortunate facts for the Republican Party is that they have embraced policies that can be shown historically again and again not to work and social positions that are outdated and out of touch at best or genuinely frighting, dangerous and destructive at worst.
The fact that they see their political losses not as caused by their internal ideological problems but as being inflicted on them from the outside points to the development of a martyr complex and a rapidly deepening paranoia. That becomes truly scary when you consider how close to the edge some of their base is already and that there is nothing worse than a nut with a cause, a gun and nothing to lose.
It's not Republicans doing the damage to themselves, it's Obama.
During Bush, it was Pelosi and Reed.
Before that it was Clinton.
Always, the finger of blame pointing, pointing...
No, WHITEy, everything isn't Bush's fault-- but everything IS the Republican's fault, and you can take that to the (too big to fail) bank.
That is because Bush was an Epic Failure (on a level that cannot be overstated) that was followed by a Republican controlled house that artificially depressed job growth, denied stimulus funds, and disavowed with their own ideas all in the interests of waging a political war against Obama which they lost.
Now imagine where we would be if we had actually managed to get anything done over the last four years...
Whitey above needs more coffee; the ninny tit for tat back and forth up above is childish, and does not answer the question. W never answered for WMD, and two off budget wars, and that is why the questions come up. You can't tell me that the republicants in the last election shot their feet off; Romney was a buffoon, all of the tea party crazies cost them 4 senate seats, Alan West went nuts, and they worry about O blaming W for everything. That makes no sense; Whitey and Coffee need to grow up and act like reasonable adults, and Boner needs to shut the hell up, and stop fundraising off of nonsense....
hey Whiteboy, I want to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule fornicating your sheep, to come over here and demonstrate for us how willfully ignorant you are, but why would that surprise us? White American male, born a loser, been a loser, will never be anything but a loser, and full of bitterness at that revelation, so of course you'd be a wingnut moron. Too bad we didn't treat your traitor ancestors 150 years ago the way Rome treated Carthage (a comment likely way above your uneducated IQ to understand).
Hey, Honkey, go back to your own neighborhood.
Bam? The former porn star? He's here?
Just once, I would like to hear a Republican say something that wasn't 90% projection (the other 10% being paranoia).
That doesn't even make sense. Don't you have a Fox News show to go watch, WHITEy?
This is what happens when people don't have any facts on their side. Incoherence and spittle.
In his defense, you ARE a horrible excuse for a human being.
Like I said before, WHITEy, you go right ahead. Unfortunately for you, whoever you report me to will also have to read YOUR illogical, mindless, back-breakingly stupid comments. Do you really want to bring your foolishness to the attention of even more people?
Honkey probably gets a thrill out of "reporting" people, if you get my drift.
Oh, no, you enjoy exposing yourself!
As if I cared!
Any site that puts up with the likes of you is no great loss.
Hi, how's things? Can't imagine what is taking them so long.
If the Republicans had the good sense God gave a rock, they would look around at all the women they have in both the House and the Senate and start seriously encouraging, grooming, promoting and placing a half dozen or so to be viable Presidential candidates in 2016.
As I see it right now, they don't have a single viable male candidate in their arsenal.
And, I suspect the "intent to annihilate" they are seeing is a reflection of their own futile and completely unsuccessful attempts to "annihilate" Obama and any other "upstart" Democrats.
But since the Republicans don't seem to possess ANY good sense, I expect to simply see continued whining, complaining, backstabbing, bullying, baseless threats, empty gestures and deliberate and often dangerous obstruction.
The problem with "grooming" Teathuglicant female candidates is they are just as dumb and avaricious as their male colleagues -- or, if not, are entirely complicit in the toxic "go along to get along" culture of the Teathuglicants.
I've never seen a more disingenuous politician in modern times quite as ridiculous as the Speaker of the House.
Another "Hell no, we can't!" speech with crocodile tears... what a fool.
He wasn't being "emotional", was he?
Over-acting is not the same as emotional conviction, and is rarely convincing when basing your opinions on future predictions of gloom & doom.
The GOP is doing a fine job of annihilating itself. It doesn't need Obama's help.
The President just needs to stand aside and let the republican party "anihilate" itself. When a party is so far out of touch with main stream America they need no help in destroying themselves.
You know I think that is what he has been doing. Give some people enough rope and they will 'hang themselves' or in the case of the GOP, show American's who are paying attention just how vile the GOP is.
It's called projection.
For myself, I look forward to the day they dwindle to a small regional party of minor consequence.
The great part about that?
They're doing it to themselves.
Per Mr. Benen's earlier post today:
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/24/16677359-if-you-cant-win-elections-rig-them?lite
It's pretty silly to be doing any self congratulating or breathing any sighs of relief. While Boehner the prick may be whining ad nauseum about the meany Obama, his cohorts in certain states have every intention of annihilating democracy and making President Obama the last Dem president for the foreseeable future.
For all the disgust and scorn heaped upon the f'ing r's, they know what they want and they will go to any lengths to achieve their reprehensible goals. Dems, and the whole United States of America, better watch their collective ass, because the r's are not thwarted nor are they out of truly un-American ideas/plans to yank the reins to their side come hell or high water.
They are playing to win. Dems are not, regardless of perceived recent successes.
That's true, and also exactly the problem. Dems are trying to govern, while the Republican Party plays games trying to "win" power that they quickly abuse anyway.
That's Conservatism right there, in a nutshell.
Like most "conservatives," WHITEy, your ignorance is nigh-on boundless. When YOUR party's ONLY goal is to "make him a one-term President," and you FAIL, MISERABLY-- well, you keep on hanging onto that white-man's butthurt. We "left wing loons" are enjoying the show.
Go right ahead, WHITEy. It doesn't change the fact that you are ignorant, short-sighted, foolish, and like most of your southern white male bretheren, a born in the bone racist.
I was born in the South. I grew up in the South. I've known plenty of white men like you, WHITEy; so you just go right ahead. It doesn't change one. single. thing.
Um, Whitey...I am a middle aged white woman and Obama hasn't promised me any amnesty or tax savings. And I voted for him (again). Strangely enough, I think that we should all be paying more taxes, too. But I also think that everyone should have health care, because it's the right thing to do and because it will save the country money.
And I could swear I haven't heard about everything being Bush's fault for at least a day or 2 now. Btw, Fast & Furious *was* a Bush program.
Blah, blah blah, WHITEy. You're either mistaken or simply lying about F&F, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. THIS time. If for no other reason than your very next line, "...excusing the illegals?"
There are no "illegal" human beings. Not that you, you southron neo-confederate ninnehammer, would accept that anyone who isn't white is still human. And that's the sticking point for you and others like you-- you folks loved Social Security, Medicare, the GI Bill and all the other bits of "socialism" the federal government has administered... right up to the moment black people started also taking advantage of them. THEN it was all "welfare queens driving Cadillacs" and "young bucks buying T-bones with food stamps..."
OF COURSE you will never agree to ANYTHING where anyone other than white people (and particularly straight, white, protestant Christian men) gain ANYTHING. Just like you and others like you cannot accept that there are black and brown people who are smarter and better educated than you are (with your high school diploma, yay!). That's why you hate this President, and by extension you have nothing but loathing for anyone who doesn't look. like. YOU.
Thank you for one thing, though-- I so enjoyed all the long faces I saw on November 7; and I'm enjoying your flailing here and now, LOSER.
Honkey makes it clear that he is the blood enemy of everyone to the left of Attila the Hun and then whines when people treat him accordingly.
Keep those little fingers busy, Honkey!
Tell Dear Abby about it!
Obama's going to shove the GOP into the dustbin of history? They don't need Obama for that. They're doing that all by themselves.
Why would he bother when they do such an outstanding job all their own?
There's an odd echo in here. Oh what was that? Never mind.
Putting the republican party in any dustbin would be considered polluting the dustbin.
Boehner knows something about annihilation; he gets annihilated regularly at cocktail hour.
He will shove them into the dustbin of history when they are done with their self-imposed crumbling. If ever there was a party that insisted on a self-fulfilling prophecy, it is today's GOP. I'm amazed at how on one hand, the GOP has claimed that Obama is lazy and stupid, and on the other hand, they claim that Obama has been planning and plotting the GOP annihilation since birth (in Kenya). Ok, which is it? Dumb, lazy and out-of-touch? Or mad genius setting up the GOP fall by design?
C'mon, Honkey, tell us how he has natural rhythm.
What a joke you are...I quit identifying as a liberal years ago.
Maybe Honkey needs an ESL course.
You reported that you need an ESL course? Good!
Memo to Whitey D.
Get over it; live with it and do something constructive instead of name calling.
You guys lost fair and square. For us centralists you right wing lonnies are no better than your so-called left wing loonies!
So, since you didn't vote, WHITEy, you really got no room to bitch, now do you?
It only takes one click to ignore him.
No whitey, maybe it's we just get tired of the same right wing talking lies, hate and names. Maybe if you tried to have an honest discussion, you'd find a more open dialog. But we would count on that happening any time soon. You've proven you have no desire to discuss anything that doesn't meet your opinion. And not voting for the President of either party does mean you have NO right to complain about that office. You chose not to have a voice in the election of the office, so quit complaining about it. You had your chance and blew it.
Jane, how truly you speak. I followed your advice and it is so tranquil not having to deal with the rants of a alcohol/lead/petroleum damaged brain.
The Honkey radiates raw malice.
Aren't you proud of yourself! Gosh all golly gee!
Republicans are obsolte
Memo to Whitey Jones
You right loonies are no better. Stop whining about the left loonies. Do something constructive like some charity work.
Honkey probably wrote in his own name for President.
Report this!
This media article is typical of the bias news media. The ethics and responsibility of reporting is now history. Nearly every article I read is politically one sided and of total Democrat party favoritism. The news media rarely publishes a fair non bias article.
At one time reporters were held to a moral standard. Not now as they only print what ever view they want whether it contains the truth or not. Like the tragic shooting in Conn. The media pushed the hype that the children were gunned down with an assault rifle. Truth is there was an assault rifle but it had been left in the car. The shootings were done with hand guns. But the media thought that the assault rifle story would get more press. Which it did giving obama an excuse to try and disarm American citizens. The media lied to help obama take down our Constitution! In the UK they have had a gun ban for quite a while. Their violent crime rate is 3.6 times the rate in the USA. (safer here in America) Australia has a gun ban and their rate is soaring. Jimmy Carter had an in depth study performed to strengthen his idea of a gun ban. The study came back with the conclusion that gun bans did not work and actually caused crime rates to rise. Think about it. If you were a bad guy would you choose to break into a house with a gun or one without?
Well, you live in the right place, then, vageorge. Virginia is working so you needn't content with free elections in your state, perhaps after that they'll do away with free media too.
Then you will be happy, and you will be told nothing that offends your delicate sensibilities.
vageorge: thats quite a conspiracy theory there, and it must involve Newtown parents. Those of us here on earth tend to doubt the parents of a child murdered that way would fully cooperate with such a scam...
Bud, normally the right wing just distorts reality to suit their talking points. In your case, however, some of your comments about violent crime in the UK and Australia are flat out lies.
It is a waste of time to try to "argue" with or "debate" those on the right because they are totally dishonest.
I would settle for crippling their obstruction, so they can work together. 'Annihilate' is Boner's theater of the absurd, and there is no leader of the republicants. They have stuck the fork in themselves, and nobody made them do it. They have no ideas, no framework, no solutions, just obstruction. They are rudderless in the wind, and down to 28 percent in Cali. They will die off as an active party, but they will do it to themselves, and you can't blame anyone else. Rushbo is the head of the republicants, and their members will have to live with it.......
A really uneducated comment bordering on total stupidity.
Do you really want a single party system ? Germany had one when Hitler came to power. Stalin created one. Do you really want a dictatorship? Then there would be no limits on the government. I don't believe you have given this much thought as obama will turn America into an Islamic state if he can. You should research they way people are treated under Islamic rule. Then decide
WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE BASE THIS ON???????????
Sorry...
Whitey, yes, we do need two parties. You are absolutely right.
Did you appreciate the work this last Congress did? Can you list what they've accomplished, if indeed you are from Alabama?
When I lived in AL, there were no jobs (thanks, job creators), the gas was outragous (thanks Drill, baby, Drill), and Sessions, that fine upstanding white male Republican, what has he done for you lately...blame Obama?
The Honkey and Georgey Porgey certainly look like sock puppets.
It's Report-O-Matic, order now, and you get two!