Where incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) struck what was almost a conciliatory tone after his party’s sweeping victories on Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) appeared ready for battle while issuing stern warnings to President Barack Obama not to overstep his bounds.
McConnell pledged to fix the Senate and acknowledged that there were “significant areas for potential agreement” with the White House. But Boehner was feisty and confrontational at his Thursday press conference.
Republicans picked up 14 seats in the House, expanding their majority to a historic 246-seat majority, their largest majority in more than half a century. The incoming freshman class includes substantial additions to the party’s right wing, including David Brat of Virginia, a tea party candidate who knocked off Boehner’s majority leader, Eric Cantor, in the GOP primary.
With that as the backdrop, Boehner sounded like he was in no mood to compromise.
“Finding common ground is going to be hard work, but it will be harder if the President isn’t willing to work with us. Yesterday we heard him say he may double down on his go it alone approach,” he said. “I have a told the President before he needs to put politics aside and rebuild trust and rebuilding trust not only with the American people but with the American people’s representatives here in the United States Congress.”
On inflammatory issues such as immigration reform and Obamacare, Boehner didn’t sound interested in compromise. As he and McConnell outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the first order of business will be to take a vote to repeal Obamacare — even if Obama said the day before that it was a non-starter.
“Listen, my job is to listen to the American people. The American people have made it clear they’re not for Obamacare,” he said. “My job is not to get along with the president just to get along with him — although we actually have a nice relationship.”
“The fact is my job is listen to my members and listen to the American people,” he continued, “and make their priorities our priorities.”
On Obama’s promised immigration executive actions, which already look like they’ll be the first battle between the Obama White House and the new Republican Congress, Boehner didn’t mince words.
“If the President acts on his own, he will poison the well,” Boehner said. “If you play with matches, you can risk burning yourself. The American people made it clear on Election Day: They want to get things done and they don’t want the president acting on a unilateral basis. “
“If the President continues to go down the path of taking action on his own,” he concluded, “he’s inviting big trouble.”
Correction: The headline has been changed to accurately reflect Boehner’s quote that it is not “my job” to be friendly with Obama.
“Finding common ground is going to be hard work, but it will be harder if the President isn’t willing to work with us…”
“Finding common ground is going to be hard work, but it will be harder if the President doesn’t accept his whipping like a good n–CLANG.”
FIFY.
Screw you, jackass! If that were your job you wouldn’t oppose the twice elected president on every damn thing he tries to do. An exponentially larger majority of the American people voted for Obama than voted for any Republican in Congress and yet that didn’t stop you.
I have had enough of being lectured by this marble-mouthed half-witted asswipe about what “the American People” think and want and about his “common sense” solutions, all of which seem to involve tax cuts for rich people or fucking everyone else.
It’s like he sincerely believes that “The American People” is synonymous with “Old White People.”
Boehner can kiss my pink ass.
Since you seem to be confused about what your job responsibilities are, it is passing legislation to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
So get to it Boehner. Quit acting like a spoiled brat.