Finneran: In Defense of John Boehner
Friday, October 02, 2015
John Boehner, Speaker of the House! The poor guy. He’s from Ohio, a sensible place with lots of nice people. He probably thought that Washington D.C. was on the level. Pity him. Now he knows better.
The big news out of the nation’s capital this week has been the resignation of John Boehner as Speaker of the House. Washington is now abuzz about its favorite game---who’s in, who’s out, who’s up, who’s down, as well as Speaker Boehner’s legacy.
Curiously, the Congressional Democrats have been largely silent. There has not been a barrage of toxic criticism coming from Democratic headquarters. Rather, there seems to be a satisfying bemusement at the turmoil which seems to have engulfed the House Republicans.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGet ready for a circus of intra-party accusations and showdowns, happily reported and gratuitously extended by a hostile and horrifically biased press.
To blame John Boehner for the sorry state of affairs in Washington and across the country is simply wrong. And to blame the Democrats in Congress for their unified opposition to the Republican Congressional majority is similarly wrong. Parties in opposition act in opposition. Republicans will act in fierce opposition to Democratic majorities. As will Democrats continue to act in similar opposition to Republican majorities. It’s like the Patriots vs. the Jets---they will always fight. Accept it as a universal truth and learn to deal with it.
Boehner’s struggle has been figuring out how to utilize his somewhat shaky House majority when a) his own membership is badly split over substance and tactics, b) he faces a Democratic President who suffers no risk of future political backlash, and c) the Senate Majority Leader, a fellow Republican, seems unable to corral 60 votes for anything other than motherhood and apple pie. That’s an impossible equation to solve if the goals include the repeal of Obamacare, the defunding of Planned Parenthood, or the defeat of the Iranian nuclear agreement.
Take Obamacare as an example of Boehner’s challenge. The Speaker has sufficient Republican votes to either repeal or substantially rewrite major parts of the law. So far so good as far as the House is concerned. But for those who insist upon a full repeal, certain hard facts arise—namely Senate disagreement with the House, sufficient in strength to prevent the rounding up of 60 votes. And lurking behind the Senate is the figure of President Obama, playing linebacker with gusto, brandishing his veto pen. A veto moves the needle even higher, requiring a two-thirds vote to overcome the President’s objection.
Thus the question---how is any of this Boehner’s fault? His majority acts in accordance with the will of the party, yet their actions founder elsewhere along the way.
If national polls are to be believed, Obamacare remains deeply unpopular, Planned Parenthood becomes increasingly controversial, and the Iranian nuclear deal is condemned by large majorities. Aren’t these the ingredients for a successful campaign for the presidency? Lopping off John Boehner’s head might satisfy some small-bore political frustration but it certainly does nothing to help the Republicans gain the White House.
And why is Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, largely immune from the fevers of the House? Can he not persuade a few blue collar moderate Senate Democrats that their future is secure enough to join their votes with his, at least on one or two meaningful issues?
Talk radio hosts scream for a purity which never exists. Their spittle is rancid, demanding a game that they cannot win. A shutdown of government---soldiers, sailors, airmen, pensioners, hospitals, patients, etc. etc.---does not gain one inch of political ground in the battle for the White House. In fact it loses substantial ground with the general voting public, a public with little tolerance for obsessed zealots. It’s as if the talk radio czars are determined to send a lifeboat to Hillary Clinton’s campaign!
Politics is a long game, not a short-term impulsive indulgence. House and Senate Republicans should concentrate on a) the presidential election and b) the election of at least 60 Republican Senators. Then and only then will they be in a position to undo what they see as the grave mistakes of the past eight years. Anything short of those two goals will leave them gnashing their teeth.
After historic gains in the House and Senate since President Obama’s elections, Republicans are in pretty good position to gain further ground. The President’s policies have created a fretful uneasiness in the land. Diligent political work for the next fourteen months could pay the Republicans an enormous dividend. Temper tantrums for the next few weeks will almost surely cost them the White House.
Are they crazy? Suicidal? Just plain stupid? Poor John Boehner…….he leads an asylum.
Tom Finneran is the former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, served as the head the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and was a longstanding radio voice in Boston radio.
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