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Breaking: Speaker Boehner to Resign Oct 30
Via the NYT:
WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner will resign from Congress and give up his House seat at the end of October, according to aides in his office. Mr. Boehner was under extreme pressure from the right wing of his conference over whether or not to defund Planned Parenthood in a bill to keep the government open.
Update 10:38 ET: Live stream here:
Image Credit: By Gage Skidmore (Flickr: John Boehner) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Published in Politics
If this is true, then Boehner outlasted the Democrats but not the conservative Republicans. Ironic.
As I said over in Matthew Gilley’s post, at least he didn’t get dragged down by his own scandal unlike the last…three? Four? It’s hard to keep count.
I’m less interested in the conservative spin than I am the Democrat spin, which I predict will be that Boehner was one of those wonderful Republicans the Democrats could work with, and his resignation is a sign that the Republican party is being taken over by extremists! (Which they’ve been saying since Reagan. Extremism is always descending on the Republican Party but forever landing on the Democrats.*)
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*Hey, I just used that construction a few minutes ago in a different thread!
Why resign from Congress rather than just step down from leadership?
“To spend more time with my family.”
Alternatively, he got a job offer with a lobbying firm.
Jonah talks about this. They blast someone while he is alive, and then when he is dead, he was great to work with.
Drew,
I’m less interested in spin than I am in the quality of his replacement. Boehner was Mr. Republican Washington DC insider. Unfortunately, Washingtion DC is a Democratic Industrial Town. The Democrats consider the government their enterprise and tax money cash flow. Boehner never quite caught on. It will take someone very tough and very competent to handle this.
Regards,
Jim
Most likely because his Congressional prestige depends on being Speaker; I doubt seriously anyone thinks this isn’t because he would lose the Speakership if he remained in the post although there are several I’m sure who disagree with the efficacy of the move.
If you want to win in politics you have to be seen as a winner and I’m confident he feels it’s better to hold a special election in his district and hand pick a successor rather than be ousted in a primary or replaced by a Democrat.
I’ve not been a fan of his speakership, but this will create as many or more problems than it solves.
To give the Republican governor a chance to appoint a Republican to replace him so that person can be an incumbent for the special election
As evidenced by the past feeble attempts to secure the gavel from him there do not appear to be many (any?) takers.
I already hate the new guy.
About time.
This is yuuuuge! I would have much rather seen McConnell go however. Most of the problems have been in the Senate.
Don’t be sexist. Maybe it’ll be a girl!
Standing ovation from the crowd when Marco Rubio tells them the news at the Value Voters Summit.
You are 2 for 2 on political predictions of late. Any inside line on his replacement?
Kevin McCarthy would seem the most likely wouldn’t he?
I’ve heard from more than just Sidney Blumenthal that Boehner has an alcohol problem. One friend even theorized that being a little tipsy is why he tears us at times. If he needs help, good for him for getting out.
My first reaction as well.
Initially, but Kevin now has Boehner’s baggage. It depends on which Rep. McCarthy emerges the previous conservative or the faithful lieutenant.
The person having an involuntary movement right now is Mitch McConnell.
Of late? Come on. Remember how I told you all that Romney would lose and you all called me a nabob? How quickly you all forget.
My genius lies in the fact that I don’t know anything about politics. First, the next speaker won’t be picked by people but by politicians. And I’m only an expert in people. Also, I couldn’t even name my own representative so I’d just be picking names out of hat.
A Pirates hat obviously.
While Boehner never fought as hard as I would like at least he wasn’t like McConnell that is always trying to figure out how to preemptively surrender e.g. Corker Bill, Cromnibus, offering ways to pass a bill while allowing Republicans to vote against it, etc.
The next Speaker is likely not Kevin McCarthy. There will be a speakership election and the conservative caucus will put up their own candidate (maybe Tom Price of Georgia).
Mike,
Agreed.
Regards,
Jim
Who is “you all”? Remember I inhabit a lonely outpost on the right that felt similarly.
I’m just shouting out my Boo Radley window.
I’m waiting to hear that this was part of a deal: Boehner would step down only if Senik did first. Senik took a bullet for us.
I take Erick Erickson with a grain of salt, but his article in IJ Review seems to indicate that Boehner was acting increasingly as a potentate and McCarthy is the conservatives’ choice because he’ll get them back at the table.
Who else could build the consensus needed for Speaker?
Well, Senik took out Walker first. Then stepped aside. Now Boehner. I’m having trouble piecing this all together but I smell something fishy.
And delicious… excuse me…