House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) downplayed the influence of the Tea Party, which suffered a few losses but will see most of its House members return in the 113th Congress.
“This has been the most misreported story of my two years’ tenure. We don’t have a Tea Party caucus to speak of in the House,” Boehner told ABC News in an interview. “All of us who were elected in 2010 were supported by the Tea Party.”
In fact, the Tea Party Caucus was founded in the House in July 2010 by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who narrowly won re-election Tuesday.
Of the 55 caucus members who ran for re-election, at least 51 will return.
“These are ordinary Americans who’ve taken a more active role in their government,” Boehner continued. “They want solutions, but we’ve all come a long way over the last two years. I think we all understand each other a lot better.”
Boehner told Diane Sawyer “raising tax rates is unacceptable” but “Obamacare is the law of the land.”
When asked if vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan is now the new leader of the GOP, Boehner demurred, “Oh, I wouldn’t think so.”
“Paul Ryan’s a policy wonk,” he said. “He’s involved in the cause of trying to bring us pro-growth economic agendas for America and making sure that we’re doing this in a fiscally responsible way. I’m glad that Paul Ryan’s coming back to the Congress. I would expect he would continue as chairman of the Budget Committee.”
Once he realized Mitt Romney would lose on election, Boehner went to bed and “slept like a baby.”
“I may not like the five cards that have been dealt to me, but those are the cards I’ve got in my hand, and my job on behalf of the American people is to find a way to vote with my Democrat colleagues and a Democrat president to solve America’s problems,” he said. “If there was one mandate that came out of the election, it was find a way to work together to address our problems.”
Here is why I will not be supporting Mr. Boehner on amnesty, which he now apparently is ready to work on–in today’s America, if a child brings a butter knife to school, all heck breaks loose. But if ten million people thumb their noses at the rules and say the rest of the nation will adapt to serve their more comunal, more-government-oriented culture, woe be to the man that criticizes it. Nuts to that.
Communal, not comunal. Apologies.
“If there was one mandate that came out of the election, it was find a way to work together to address our problems.”
It takes two to tango. When have Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama indicated a willingness to ‘work together’ with Republicans?
This president told members of Congress: “I won”.
He said Republicans want ‘dirtier air, dirtier water’.
Where has there been any indication that he is willing to compromise on ANYTHING?
So Boehner thinks a 51-member TP caucus out of 240 Rebublicans isn’t a caucus ‘to speak of’? I’m no mathematician, but when I subtract 51 from 240, I get 189, and that’s not enough to pass any bill. Mr. Boehner, I would respectfully suggest that you might consider rethinking whether you’ll ‘speak of’ the TP caucus.
And you tell us Obamacare is the law of the land? I would also suggest you go without sleeping ‘like a baby’ until it isn’t.
Um, guys, if you read what he said, basically he said “We are all Tea Party!”
He said that so he could ignore them. Perhaps unfair, but then, the proof is usually in the pudding, and there is something of a history with the GOP, yes?
I have no answers. I do have objections. I wish Mr. Boehner well in solving the seemingly irresolvable conundrums his party now faces. I’m not sure he can. Perhaps next time they get a 1994-style Republican Revolution, they will put it to better use. But as they will. Not my party.
Libertatem Resurguit
You are right Josh, he also said raising taxes is unacceptable. I don’t see the problem…
The Speaker of the House is the second most powerful political position in our Constitutional Federal Government. Please explain to me how anything Mr. Boehner has said this week is remotely reflective of the message Repbulican voters sent with their ballots?
Repbulicans retained control of the House of Representatives. The GOP lost Senate seats in MA, ME and IN. Please tell me how preserving Scott Brown, Olympia Snowe and Richard Lugar in the Senate helps conservatives or Republicans in general? If we had held those two seats, Harry Reid would still control the Senate. In fact, these three liberal Republicans would be more likely to cross the aisle to lend cover to Democratic policies.
Harry Reid wants to nuke the filibuster rules to allow him free exercise of majority control of the “world’s greatest deliberative body.” Let him move forward with that and the Speaker of the House should move forward with his majority agenda as well.
President Obama did not win a mandate for unfettered Executive rule. Republican executives govern 30 States and the GOP retains signficant representation at the State level reflective of its majority in the House.
THE SPEAKER NEEDS TO STEP UP AND REPRESENT CONSERVATIVES. He is the leader of the MAJORITY in the House of Representatives. If he cannot represent the policy preferences of the conservative majority he needs to get out of the way. Boehner is pathetic. The fact that he is Speaker is as telling of the condition of our political leadership as the re-election of President Obama.
[Boehner] “He is the leader of the MAJORITY in the House of Representatives.”
I’m sure you must have just made a common typo. Boehner is actuall the Speaker of the House of Representations — not the leader of the majority. The House Majority Leader is Eric Cantor. **wink**
Vote out Boehner. At least hollow out his support base in the House, even though it gives us a Dem majority or worse. If the country is going off the cliff, let it go, and rebuild from the ashes. A slow motion off the cliff is worse than a fast careen. You will be dead in either case.
Republicans don’t need a second, inferior, Democratic Party to entrench Boehner and his minions in power and riches. Boehner is not fighting for the American people, he is fighting for his own power and influence.
4. “189, and that’s not enough to pass any bill”
Ah, but it is, with the Dems.
Teapartyers should give notice that they will vote out any Teapartyers who supported Boehner. Teapartyers should not sell out to Democrat-lites.
Any one heard of Scott Brown, a Teaparty supported creature who disses the Teaparty? Oh, anyone remember that Alaskan guy who won the Republican primary with Palin’s help, then dissed Palin?
US House Republican seats (2014)will be contested by Democrats, but it should remain in Republican hands. US Senate may have 28 seats up for grabs by Republicans…worthy of organizing for this important event.
Both House and Senate (if RNC head, Priebus, is replaced) will be sucessful if RNC in Washington DC doesn’t gerrymander this opportunity. Once and for all We The People can steer our beloved USA in a “center-right” direction (away from current “center – far left” course the country is on).
John Bohener was heard to say a “Tea Party Caucus” won’t be created (read:allowed) in US House!!! Question: Why NOT???HUH???
Allowed the “Democratic Socialists of America” to have their own caucus (a far left, commie/socialist 82-member organization), why not a “Center-right Tea Party Caucus – TPC?????” HUH???
Remember, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty…Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction…that these liberties are a gift of God?” Author: Thomas Jefferson.
Back to basics. Our Founding Fathers gave us a path, why deviate from their sage advice??? Pray. Amen. Teavangelicals, Tea Partiers Unite!!!
The Socialist of America and the Democratic Socialist of American both claim the same congressional membership in the U.S. House of Representative and Senate.
However, it is the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus that each of them are claiming. The Congressional Progressive Caucus was founded in 1991 by Bernie Sanders-the openly socialist then Congressman from Vermont, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the radical Washington DC based “think tank” Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).
Members were and continue to be linked to DSA and/or the Communist Party USA, IPS or other radical organizations.
From the beginning the CPC has embraced more than 70-80 members of Congress the Senate. Notr certain what the count is after the recent election.
O just told Boehner and the rest of the country, “My way or the highway.” He won’t compromise, has no intention whatsoever of doing so. Everything he does from here on out will be reminiscent of Charlie Brown trying to kick a football. Boehner plays Charlie Brown in this film.
For the past 2 years I’ve been saying that, although I’d vote for John Lindsay if he were running as a Republican, I would still vote Democrat against Boehner. He is nothing, a void. How such a complete 0 could be the leader of any party is beyond me.