Stephen Colbert - "Lucifer In The Flesh" - Guest Former Speaker Boehner Unloads On Sen. Ted Cruz

[Rhiannon12866]

Former Speaker John Boehner makes his first visit to A Late Show to talk about the challenges of being Speaker of the House, and to share how he really feels about Texas Senator Ted Cruz. You can pick up his new book, "On The House: A Washington Memoir," now. Keep watching for part two of Stephen's interview with the former Speaker.




Speed Round: Fmr. Speaker Boehner Dishes On Mitch "Stealth Vader" McConnell And Other Pols

In part two of his interview, Former Speaker John Boehner indulges Stephen by offering his unvarnished thoughts on political figures from both sides of the aisle.

[BigmanPigman]

1. Boehnerr said Clinton was the best politician

he's ever met.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I wasn't surprised to hear that, I once had the privilege to hear President Clinton speak in person

He came to my (leans Republican) district to campaign for the Democratic congressional candidate. Half of the population had to have turned out to hear a president speak in person - and he was truly inspiring. And the Democratic candidate won - for the first time in decades - which was no surprise.

[Escurumbele]

3. This crap that both sides are the same is a lie which republicans like to use as a defense and it

may convince the ignorant, but it is a completely false rhetoric.

The other lie he said is the "diversity in thinking" from the republicans, they are Lemmings, they all march to the same tune and they repeat the lines of the day verbatim. I have seen interviews of many republicans on the same day, and I could almost recite, word by word, their answers. They are given a script in the morning to memorize and then they hit the media circuit repeating like parrots those lines.

As Democrats we all know that one thing that gets us fumed many times is the fact that Democrats are, many times, too independent in their thinking and do not stick together 100% when we feel they should. Boehner is lying, but I would not expect anything else from a republican.

The one thing I will agree with him 100% is his description of Ted Cruz.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. And I liked his description of President Clinton

I once had the opportunity to hear him speak in person and he really is a brilliant speaker. It was standing-room-only when he came to my traditionally Republican district to campaign for the Democratic candidate. I attribute her win - the first Dem we've had in decades - to the support she got from both Clintons, advice from Hillary, but President Clinton's inspiring speech had to have made the difference.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. The Republicans have been using the ALEC playbook literally for decades.

Now they are so lazy they have distilled it down to crappie sloganeering. Infuriating.

Welcome to DU, Escurumbele.

[trusty elf]

5. Speaking of "unloading" on Crud....

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Yikes! Now that is a especially good one!

Not that you didn't have plenty to work with! And the gog is an especially nice touch...

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. HaaHAA, good one, Elf!

😄👍

[nuxvomica]

6. Listing effective speakers, no mention of Paul Ryan

He mentioned Gingrich and Pelosi but somehow Ryan didn't come to mind.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. Didn't he "quit" because he couldn't deal with Trump??

Someone should remind his protegée Elise Stefanik.

[KG]

11. excuse me but, piss on john boehner anyway.

sorrynotsorry

[magicguido]

12. Boner actually voted for trump

[Warpy]

13. Missed a golden opportunity, Steve

When Boehner exposed his massive bias by saying GOPs were independent thinkers, it should have been pointed out they voted as a monolith against the ACA and many other things Obama tried to get done in his first 2 years.

A few GOPs crossed party lines in the last 4 years, but that's only because the lines were so egregious.