In the not too distant past, the worst reputation to have in Washington was as someone who didn’t negotiate in good faith, couldn’t deliver what he promised, and wasn’t a man of his word. Times have changed, of course. Someone like that can now be speaker of the House.

To be clear, John Boehner isn’t a lying, cheating, scoundrel. He’s merely an incredibly weak speaker with little sway over his own caucus. Here’s the latest example of Boehner’s weak-kneed leadership.

David Kurtz

David Kurtz is Managing Editor and Washington Bureau Chief of Talking Points Memo where he oversees the news operations of TPM and its sister sites.