Breaking news.
It’s easier and more profitable to be a corporate flack without having to worry about that whole “serve in the House of Representative” nonsense.
Or he knew the upcoming government shutdown would finish his shit for good. A coward without the balls or strength of will to rein in his own party. DIAF, Boner.
Well, he looked like he was about to break down while the pope was speaking. I thought it was just him being him. Maybe it was a little more than that.
Just to be clear, he’s not just stepping down as speaker, he’s leaving Congress at the end of October. Huge news.
Even more turmoil incoming for House Republicans. I assume this means a government shutdown is all but assured.
Just fucking great.
I’d like to think there are other Catholic Republicans that were as moved as Boenher appears to have been.
Might be what the Republicans need. And who better to deliver a message to Catholic Representatives on both sides than the Pope himself.
Let the GOP orgy of self-destruction commence.
You spelled continue wrong.
I was half-expecting that he wouldn’t be even trying to be Speaker next time around, given how much opposition he’s faced in his own party. Had a hard time getting elected last time around to the leadership position. But I sure didn’t see the leaving Congress part coming! The fight to replace him as Speaker should be pretty interesting, given the infighting among the Republican factions.
Last time I went to a town hall meeting for my local representative, Justin Amash, I asked him what needed to be done to break the gridlock in Congress. He said “change the leadership in the House.” Now, I don’t believe that’s actually going to do much for gridlock, especially with elections coming up, but it’ll be interesting nonetheless to see the results of such a change.
Ha. The wonderful thing would be if he resigned out of conscience due to the Pope’s message. But I don’t think he (or most other politicians of any party) actually has a conscience. I think he’s resigning because more and more people in his party hold him in contempt. This timing lets him say I-told-you-so when the TPers burn down the House after his departure and they lose the presidential election yet again.
I wonder if the impending turmoil will just boost non-establishment Republican candidates like Trump, Carson, and Florina even more.
So… Who will take his position when he leaves?
I’m curious just how tea party crazy the house is going to get over this. I’m also curious whether Boehner will attempt to get a final funding extension for government through before he leaves, or if he’s just kicking the can down the road on this one.
Washington Post is reporting that the House has agreed to a clean CR, so no shut down.
They also report the current #2 Kevin McCarthy as the likely successor.
As bad a job as Boehner did I can’t imagine things will get better with new leadership.
Boehner finally said eff it, huh? Next stop for the House GOP: Crazytown?
Hah, that’s freaking perfect.
Crybaby McOrangeface went to my alma mater. I met him once at an alumni event in DC. He is thoroughly unimpressive, and I was shocked when he was voted speaker, even though he seemed to be a lateral move at best from that dingbat Pelosi. Can we finally get a Speaker, who is third in line for the presidency, that we can all respect? Would like to be proud of our legislature’s leadership within my lifetime. This crowd makes Newt Gingrich look like a gentleman and scholar. (Actually, I think he is a civil war scholar or something).
That seems highly unlikely, but one can hope!
If true, then it’s not a bad tactical move for the saner factions in the House; small sacrifice for a big win.
I’m not convinced that the non-sane gang will be pacified by Boehner falling on his sword, though. The smell of blood will probably just get them worked up.
A writeup of some of the stuff that went down: