A day after issuing blistering criticism of Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) for adjourning the House of Representatives before taking up Hurricane Sandy relief legislation, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) on Thursday struck a decidedly more conciliatory tone in a pair of television appearances.
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” King called Boehner “a friend of mine.”
“I like John Boehner, and he’s been very good to me, but I felt I had to do it and I had to say it,” King said.
The fiery New York congressman also said that Wednesday’s meeting with Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) “went very well.”
“I knew it was going to be a good meeting when we walked in and John made an obscene reference to me and did it with a smile,” King said.
King was similarly placid on NBC’s “Today,” commending Boehner for putting the relief package on the legislative calendar. Shortly after the controversy erupted on Wednesday, a Boehner aide told TPM the relief legislation would be the “first priority in the new Congress,” ultimately scheduling a vote for this week.
“What’s done is done,” King told host Matt Lauer. “The fact is, when the money was on the line, the decision had to be made. John Boehner made the right decision. John Boehner agreed to put it all on the calendar.”
