Is John Boehner the Fredo Corleone of the House?

[DonViejo]

by Lloyd Grove Oct 9, 2013 11:38 AM EDT

Former Disney chairman Michael Eisner said if the government shutdown was ‘The Godfather,’ House Speaker John Boehner would be the spineless black sheep of the family. Lloyd Grove on the eyebrow-raising analogy.

Really? Is House Speaker John Boehner just like Fredo, the Corleone family’s weak-minded, spineless yet wildly ambitious black-sheep brother in The Godfather movies?

That was the argument advanced by former Disney chairman Michael Eisner, a generous donor to Democratic candidates, during Wednesday morning’sSquawk Box on CNBC.

<img title="131009-boehner-godfather-grove-tease" alt="John Boehner is Fredo" class="cq-dd-image" src="">

“You have a character like Fredo in The Godfather who’s too weak to go against his own minority, let’s say, and do the right thing,” said Eisner, chairman of Tornante, a media and entertainment investment company, assessing the government shutdown and debt ceiling battle. “I don’t think the president has a great bunch of opportunities because he doesn’t want to be the first president that actually, in advance, knowingly puts the country in default. At the same time, if he folds to this kind of threat, he is a weak man.”

Referring to the Republican speaker, Eisner added: “And [Obama is] dealing with a weak man who does not have the moral fiber to stand up to a minority in his party and say, ‘Hey, guys…We have to negotiate later. Let’s leave the threats off the table.”

full article
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/09/is-john-boehner-the-freddo-of-the-house.html

[CTyankee]

1. What is "the Hollywood version of politics"?

I have some friends in Los Angeles who are in the film and TV business. They are pretty serious about all of this. I'm not understanding what Eisner is saying...

[Historic NY]

2. Lets get him the row boat soon.

[AlinPA]

3. Boehner has been in the teabagger "family" all along and is now challenged because of his position

as speaker to do the 'family's" business. He is currently doing it well for the family but society now sees him as a weak man almost shaking the way Fredo did in front of his brother just before Mike had him rubbed him out. If Boehner does not follow through with default, he may go the way of Fredo in the movie.