BREAKING Boehner is an idiot.

[grantcart]

Nothing breaking about it all of course but its such a great OP title.

Watching CNBC was great fun.

Every single commentator (all conservatives) said that they were unable to bring in the votes to lower taxes for 99% of the people in one of the greatest political failures of recent times.

The President gave them rope and they made nooses for the entire caucus.

[BlueStreak]

1. He would have plenty of votes if ...

he worked with the Democrats.

Screw the teabaggers. There would be plenty of votes in the House to pass Obama's proposal. It only takes 15 Republican votes. If the Republican leadership were to step up, they would only need 11 more votes from Republicans.

[BlueStreak]

3. I won't miss the Rachael show tonight. Here it comes ...

Another edition of "Why is Boehner so bad at his job?"

[freshwest]

5. I think he cries all the time because they've got something on him and he's being threatened. JMHO.

[BlueStreak]

15. For the first time, I think Boehner's job is in real jeopardy

This was horrible, and it appears that Cantor undermined Boehner. The long knives are out now. I don't see how it gets better in time fr Boehner to win another term on Jan 3.

But Cantor seems to be the alternative. That forces a real showdown because there are a lot of people in the caucus who aren't as crazy as the teabaggers, but have not bene willing to stand up to the teabaggers. If they don't want their leader to be a world class teabagger, they will have to back Boehner. It will be interesting.

[freshwest]

17. Do you think Cantor will stand up to the baggers? He's pretty extreme, no?

Other than some crooked legislation and a few other stunts, I don't know much about him. I do believe he's a Koch puppet, like Scott Brown and will continue to try to destroy the government. It amazes - and at the same time - it frightens me that people elected these hateful people to office. They are real fascists, wanting to give it all to corporations and churches. I'd be relieved to see anything that will reduce their influence.

[BlueStreak]

18. Cantor would be worse

His ambition is 100 times greater than his brainpower. He is much closer to the teabaggers.

But really, I don't see how it could be any worse than Boehner on a practical basis. Boehner has managers to outmaneuver Obama on many occasions, which is remarkable considering:

-Obama is 55% popular, the House Republicans are 10% popular

-Democrats control the Senate (at least numerically, although McConnell has that body complete sabotaged.)

I do think a big, loud, bloody fight for the Speaker seat would be a good thing. I expect Boehner would ultimately prevail because there are enough non-teabaggers who would never vote for Cantor. And this might just be the factor that convinces the non-teabaggers and Boehner to split with the teabaggers and start withing with the Democrats.

There are over 100 Republicans in the House who aren't teabaggers. If they could find common ground with Democrats, they could pass any bill they wanted.

[BlueStreak]

16. I should point out it is "the Hastert rule" that prevents working with Democrats

Dennis Hastert had a rule that said the Speaker would not bring up any legislation that didn't have a majority vote from the Republican caucus.

This isn't a formal rule, but it has stuck and now it is a noose around Boehner's neck, albeit one that he seems to invite.

He could simply take the noose off and say "I think that is good business most of the time, but I won't be bound by it in every case.

Strict, dogmatic adherence to these inflexible rules (like the pledge to Norquist) is killing the ability to govern. A democracy just cannot work that way. Hastert has been gone 5 years and Norquist was never elected to any office. This place is being run by ghosts. That is not democracy.

[Kber]

2. How very embarrassing for them

[spanone]

4. common knowledge...news to fox.

[cbrer]

6. In a related story...

He's a fucking TOOL!

[nc4bo]

7. These people are absolutely illogical. The entire thing is getting really boring.

Can we please bring out the steamroller now?!

[BlueStreak]

14. With any luck, this gets us across "the cliff" without any more capitulation from Obama

Those morons can't think 2 steps ahead. It is a whole different dynamic after all the laws have expired.

He should drop this "grand bargain" nonsense. Our biggest problem is employment, not deficits.

[mindwalker_i]

8. Old news

[flamingdem]

9. What a nice..

.. xmas present in many ways.

[Jennicut]

11. This is my birthday present!

Who says having a birthday so close to Christmas means you get gypped? Boehner's failure and the GOP implosion is a pretty good b-day present.

[flamingdem]

12. woo hoo!

happy b'day

[Jennicut]

13. Thank you!

[Stuart G]

10. The idiot..is an idiot, was an idiot, will always be an idiot.....nt