Get Nervous: The Fate of the Country Is in John Boehner’s Hands

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/get-nervous-fate-country-john-boehners-hands



Minding the caveat that fluid events are fluid and thus subject to flowing to unexpected places, it looks like Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell are a hair’s breadth from a deal to reopen the government and extend the debt limit for several months.

If they ink it today, they can probably pass it before Thursday, at which point the Treasury Department will run out of headroom under the debt limit and the country will be at the mercy of its lenders.

That raises a troubling question: What the hell happens in the House?

You may have noticed things over there aren’t exactly spinning like a top. And yet the fate of the country will soon be in the hands of its leaders. Is there any reason to believe the House won’t biff it?

Unfortunately, the only evidence we have to go on is that John Boehner has never explicitly invoked the Hastert Rule over the debt limit and government funding bills (like he has over, say, immigration reform), and he’s publicly foreclosed on allowing the country to default. Everything else is extrapolation.

[Berlum]

1. "Some stiff drinks will help us Republicons forget how shitty we're being to America." - Boehner

[JoDog]

2. Actually, Boehner may not be the one in charge of this in the House

Thanks to the 11th hour rule change on Sept. 30, only the House majority leader or someone he/she designates can introduce a Senate bill to the House.

This means Eric Cantor must give his blessing for any Senate bill to even be considered. For the last 2 weeks, it was not that Boehner did not think he had the votes for the Senate CR. Under the new rule, he could not even introduce the bill to the floor.

Because I cannot imagine any House Speaker ever voluntarily giving up such a basic power, I conclude that this was done without his knowledge while he was in budget talks or done with his knowledge but without his consent. What's more, it was done by members of his own caucus. It may be the clearest sign yet of the schism in the GOP. The Tea Partiers do not trust Boehner.

Boehner's actions the last weeks looked like those of a man with a knife to his back. Turns out, that knife already was stabbed through his throat.

[snappyturtle]

8. You are so right! I can't believe everyone keeps talking about

Boehner. I think we should be keeping a close eye on Cantor, the
want-to-be speaker....imho

Edit to add:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/house-republicans-rules-change_n_4095129.html

[DCBob]

3. I think Boehner will let them vote if a majority of the Senate Repubs bless the deal.

However, it will take both Ds and Rs to get it passed.

[AlinPA]

4. Will he ignore the sacred "Hastert Rule" that he has been usng an excuse?

[DCBob]

5. Yeah, I think so. Its not really that sacred anyway.

Even Hassert disowned it lately.

[Turbineguy]

6. If he pulls it through he will be

rich beyond dreams of avarice.

And the rest of us will not be bankrupted.

[Coyotl]

7. And the Republican Party. No scapegoating allowed.

#GOPshutdown

There is no way the Party gets off the hook. They enabled this monster.

[Erose999]

9. "the country is in Bohener's hands" - well that explains the shaking sensation I've been feeling

lately, haha.

[Blue Owl]

10. The Peter Principle is alive and well in the USA

n/t