Boehner Exposes His Own Weakness, Once Again
Speaker of the House John Boehner just gets weaker by the day, it seems. Today, he had to pull a bill from consideration because he did not have enough votes to pass it. The reason he didn't have enough votes to pass it is because he cannot do anything without the approval of a small faction of extremists within his own ranks. The Tea Party tail just wagged the Boehner dog, once again. Boehner, unsurprisingly, is attempting to blame it all on President Barack Obama. It beats the alternative of admitting his own weakness and incompetence, I guess.
The bill Boehner had to pull was supposed to be the Republican answer to the "border crisis." But House Republicans -- once again -- could not even manage to agree on how to solve a problem facing them. Democrats disagreed with the bill, and Nancy Pelosi held her caucus together against it. Boehner couldn't scrape up enough votes from within the Republican caucus, so rather than hold a vote he was going to lose, he just cancelled it. He reportedly is going to try again tomorrow morning, which is exceptional indeed because by doing so he is cutting the House's vacation short by one day. Meaning they won't enjoy the full five-and-a-half weeks they were planning on, because they'll have to work tomorrow morning.
You'll have to forgive my incredulity, because Boehner is exhibiting so deep a level of doublethink that it's hard to even parse all the contradictions inherent in it. Let's review: a few weeks back, the media declared a "border crisis." Children are streaming across the border! We must do something, now! The Republican response to this has been to call for better border protection -- which is asinine, since the kids are not actually evading the Border Patrol, but instead walking up to them and turning themselves in. So beefing up the Border Patrol will do precisely nothing to solve the problem. But whatever -- even Obama's request included more border protection, likely because he knew Republicans would demand it.
Congress, at this point, spent a few weeks dithering and not doing anything productive.
Now that their own vacation time is looming, the House was supposed to pass a bill spelling out their solution. So far, they haven't been able to, because Boehner doesn't have the votes. Even if the bill did pass, there isn't time to conference with the Senate before they all leave for sunnier shores for over a month. So it's guaranteed that nothing is going to happen until they return.
According to Boehner, this is all Obama's fault. The House can't pass their own bill, they refuse to pass the Senate immigration reform bill, and they absolutely will not conference with the Senate over any immigration bill (because they are scared what Senate Republicans might agree to). This is all, according to Boehner, Obama's fault, somehow. Because, according to him, Obama can "act on his own" to solve the problem by "enforcing the law." The only problem with this is that Obama is actually following the law passed unanimously -- that's unanimously -- by both houses of Congress and signed into effect by President Bush. If Obama were to suddenly start immediately deporting all the children who are turning themselves in, he would be breaking this law. But according to Boehner, that's what Obama should be doing -- "enforcing the law" by breaking this law.
Not unlike Alice falling down the rabbit hole, things get curiouser and curiouser the deeper you go. Because Boehner is essentially saying "the House of Representatives is completely unable to pass any bill on this matter" while attempting to shift blame to Obama, he is in fact telling Obama to go ahead and do precisely what he just voted to sue Obama for. Boehner wants Obama to act alone. If Obama does so, perhaps Boehner will add it to his lawsuit as a result.
The White House has been signaling that Obama is about to announce another change in deportation policy in August. So far, the rumor is that Obama will be somehow legalizing up to half of the undocumented immigrants living in the United States ("5 million" is the figure I've heard for how many people this could affect). If he makes this move, it is absolutely guaranteed to cause Republicans' heads to explode in anger.
So, once again, to review:
- The Senate passes a comprehensive immigration reform bill, with a bipartisan vote.
- Boehner refuses to allow the House to vote on this bill.
- Boehner is absolutely incapable of getting any immigration bill through his own caucus -- even one to deal with a current "crisis."
- Even if he did get a bill through the House, Boehner would refuse to conference with the Senate to work out legislation that could actually pass both houses.
- According to Boehner, the president should act on his own, because the House is so obviously incapable of action.
- When Obama does act on his own (in a few weeks), Boehner will denounce the action, and likely state that "changes such as these must be made by Congress."
- Boehner may just add this to the lawsuit he's planning on filing against the president.
As far as Boehner is concerned, the job of Barack Obama is to do all the things that House Republicans want him to do, but without the House actually acting. If Obama does anything they don't want him to do, Boehner will sue him because he is too chicken to impeach. The House will continue to do precisely nothing on immigration (or on a host of other important issues), because to do so would open them up to political criticism from their own base. Obama is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't; while the House refuses to act on just about anything, through nothing more than fear of their own base voters.
John Boehner is fast becoming one of the weakest speakers in all American history. Not only is he incompetent at dealing with the president and the Senate, but he can't even control his own party in the House he is supposed to be leading. His leadership is being held hostage by the Tea Partiers, in essence. Every time Republicans want to pass a bill to stick it to the president, they can't even manage to do so because of others in their ranks who are absolutely incensed because the bill doesn't stick it to Obama enough. That's a pretty pathetic way of "governing." Each and every time this happens, Boehner attempts to blame Obama in much the same way small children try to use the "He made me do it!" excuse.
Boehner's got one more day to act, before Republicans all return to their home districts to face the voters. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I have to suspect that at least a few of these town hall meetings aren't going to go precisely the way Republicans expect. I mean, it's one thing to pass a bill knowing that it'll never become law, but it's quite another to not even be able to hold your caucus together to do even that. Even Republican constituents, at some point, are going to recognize sheer incompetence when they see it. Right now, all they have to do is take a look at John Boehner to do so.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Boehner, unsurprisingly, is attempting to blame it all on President Barack Obama.
Obviously, that's the thing to do in DC..
Obama and the Democrats are always blaming everything on Republicans..
It beats the alternative of admitting his own weakness and incompetence, I guess.
EXACTLY... :D
According to Boehner, this is all Obama's fault. The House can't pass their own bill, they refuse to pass the Senate immigration reform bill,
And WHY can't they pass the Senate bill??
Because this country can't trust Obama to enforce the law as it is written..
Guess what?? That DOES make it "Obama's fault"...
If Obama were to suddenly start immediately deporting all the children who are turning themselves in, he would be breaking this law.
Actually, this is not factual..
For over 90% of the illegal juveniles coming into the country, the 2008 Sex Trafficking Law doesn't apply.
ALL of this melodrama could be avoided if Obama would simply enforce the laws as they are written..
The simple fact that Obama refuses to do so, that Obama would rather push the Dem Party agenda instead of what's right for the country...
THAT is why we are where we are...
Michale
One again, I am left to marvel at the wonders of the universe..
When Republicans are in charge and this country goes to hell, everything is ALL the Republican's fault..
When Democrats are in charge and this country goes to hell, everything is STILL the Republican's fault...
I wonder if ya'all can actually recognize and/or appreciate the total and complete illogic of ya'alls position... :D
Michale
There is an INVASION of little brown kids who speak Mexican and the GOP just wants to exploit the situation rather than do something about it. These poor children have been exploited enough. Something has to be done about these Republicans. I'm thinking re-education camps. I hope that is part of the executive order that BHO is cooking up. Send the Black Helicopters if they resist. That's what HilRod would do if this were on her watch.
There is an INVASION of little brown kids who speak Mexican and the GOP just wants to exploit the situation rather than do something about it.
You mean, as opposed to the Democrats who just want to exploit the "children"...
Further, these.....
http://patdollard.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ms-13.jpg
.... are NOT "children"....
These poor children have been exploited enough.
Yea... By Democrats...
I'm thinking re-education camps.
Ahhhh a true "liberal" speaks out.... :D
Michale
These poor children have been exploited enough.
Yea... By Democrats...
I mean, think about it logically. If you can...
If illegals were en masse voting Republican, would Democrats expend this kind of energy to get them into the United States??
Of course not..
Every action, every plank of the Democrat Party has ONE SINGLE GOAL...
To increase the number of people who vote Democrat.
PERIOD...
That is the ONLY agenda the Democrat Party has..
And, if it messes up the country, so what...
The Democrat Party just HAS to have their voters..
And they will get them by hook or by crook...
"These are the facts. And they are undisputed."
-Captain Smilin' Jack Ross, A FEW GOOD MEN
Michale
Michale
"John Boehner is fast becoming one of the weakest speakers in all American history."
OK, I'm intrigued. Who are his competition? Or his lack of competition? (Logic kind of breaks down when dealing with this topic). Seriously (well, semi-seriously), Wikipedia offers no me help! Wikipedia!!!!
Does this have something to do with Ohio? Ohio has produced a large crop of mediocre Presidents, some of whom were good at other things.
Does this have something to do with Ohio? Ohio has produced a large crop of mediocre Presidents, some of whom were good at other things.
OOOooooooo now ya dunnit!!!
David is gonna be piiissssseeedddddd!!! :D
hehehehehehehehehe
Michale
David is gonna be piiissssseeedddddd!!! :D
Hahahahahahah ...
Unfortunately, the point is hard to argue.
We do much better at astronauts/aviators (John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, the Wright brothers) and serial killers (Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Thomas Dillon, Edward Edwards, etc.)
Uh ... not really sure what this says about Ohio.
Speaker of the House John Boehner just gets weaker by the day, it seems.
CW, the quote of the day on this issue comes from a Republican ...
"Look, you can't say on the one hand that the president is overreaching by acting without legislative authority and direction and then refuse to give him legislative authority and direction in another area."
- Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
I really don't think there's anything I could add to this.
-David
EXCLUSIVE: 'A lot of people die out here' and 'all this blood...is on Obama's hands': Shocking images show corpses of illegal immigrants left to die after border crossings
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2712187/EXCLUSIVE-A-lot-people-die-blood-Obamas-hands-Shocking-images-corpses-illegal-immigrants-left-die-border-crossings.html
Now THERE's a point that's hard to argue..
We do much better at astronauts/aviators (John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, the Wright brothers) and serial killers (Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Thomas Dillon, Edward Edwards, etc.)
I knew the aviation/exploration..
Never knew the Serial Killer stat..
What a macabre statistic, eh??
Michale
"Look, you can't say on the one hand that the president is overreaching by acting without legislative authority and direction and then refuse to give him legislative authority and direction in another area."
- Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
I really don't think there's anything I could add to this.
Just because Congress won't bend to Obama's will doesn't mean Obama gets to do whatever the hell he wants...
If I walk into a car dealer and say, "I want a nice shiney Prius for $20" and the salesman tells me to F.O.A.D. doesn't mean I can just take the car...
We have a government of checks and balances.. Circumventing those checks and balances via Executive Orders is a very slippery slope...
If that argument sounds familiar it's because it's the EXACT argument ya'all made over Bush's Executive Orders....
Michale
Michale-
How do you rectify the picture you posted from post [4] with this picture from the article in post [9]?
You want to scare us with gang members but do you have any proof that there are more of the gang members in post [4] than normal looking teenagers from post [9]?
I'm more likely to believe the photos from an article about the subject in question than a random unattributed photo with no context...
I'm more likely to believe the photos from an article about the subject in question than a random unattributed photo with no context...
Yer more likely to believe whatever your agenda wants you to believe...
My point in posting the MS-13 pictures, of which the presence is HEAVILY documented is to counter ya'alls ideologically enslaved argument that these are all pixie-dust, my little pony, rainbow children.
They are not...
The families people who have been murdered by these "children" can attest to that fact..
If you want to make the case for the "children" at least have the intellectual honesty to address ALL the children... Not just the afore mentioned pixie dust, my little pony, rainbow brite children that serves ya'alls agenda..
Barring that, I'll continue to show the OTHER half of the "children" that are JUST as real and JUST as relevant...
Michale
Barring that, I'll continue to show the OTHER half of the "children" that are JUST as real and JUST as relevant...
Actually, even MORE relevant because they are a threat to the safety and security of AMERICANS..
Ya know.. AMERICANS.. The people that Obama and the Democrats should be MORE concerned about???
I am also constrained to point out the health threat that even those pixie dust, my little pony, rainbow brite children represent...
Do I have to list all the diseases and outbreaks that are happening wherever these "children" are being processed??
Why not send all these "children" to live in the White House??
Oh, can't do that. That would put a damper on Obama's Hollywood soirees and might crimp his golf outings...
Michale
Yer more likely to believe whatever your agenda wants you to believe...
Bla, bla ,bla... you posted to both pictures. One has an article with context. The other is just a picture with no relevant context what so ever. Seems to be the "agenda" belongs to you since you seem unable or unwilling to back it up.
If you want to make the case for the "children" at least have the intellectual honesty to address ALL the children...
Right back at you. Are you willing to do the same? Seems like you are OK with harm coming to the children in the article from post [9] to keep out the gang members from post [4]. Personally I would like to see some actual facts on the numbers from each group coming in and what their aim is before condemning the former to an unhealthy future, many even ending in death just to keep out the later who will likely get in to the country regardless of what Obama or congress does about it...
Looks like House Republicans are going to pass their legislation..
Now it's off to the Senate..
Oh wait.. Senate Democrats COULDN'T pass ANY legislation, so they went home....
Something, it's all the Republicans fault, right?? :D
Michale
https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/494919386185355264/photo/1
OUCH!!!
And the ref takes a point away!!! :D
Michale
Michale,
Bullshit. The majority of the children fall under the 2008 anti-trafficking statute. According to your own cite, 84%. There's nothing new about gang members smuggling into America. They are not "the other half of the children."
And there's no reason to blame Obama either. His deferred deportations have nothing to do with the increase in child immigrants.--And they are not illegals, they are asylum seekers, which makes their entry perfectly legal. And its why there are so many of them.
As always, you tell lie after lie. The problem isn't Obama refusing to enforce the law. The problem is Obama has to enforce the law. Which means that he can't just deport them, and that encourages them to immigrate.
Once again, you want to perpetuate false racist stereotypes.
Michale,
The Senate went home because they passed their legislation long ago. The reason the House can't pass anything is because they're terrified to conference.--But then, that would be reality. You're all about the lies that you just make up!
Bullshit. The majority of the children fall under the 2008 anti-trafficking statute. According to your own cite, 84%.
Bullshit..
Less than 10% fall under the 2008 Anti-Trafficking law...
And there's no reason to blame Obama either. His deferred deportations have nothing to do with the increase in child immigrants.
Yea... And Obama didn't lie about being able to keep health insurance plans either...
I realize in YOUR world, Obama is perfect and can walk on water...
But here in the REAL world, Obama fucked up...
It's that simple..
Michale
The Senate went home because they passed their legislation long ago.
Uhh.. There is new legislation?? Obama's 3.7 Billion dollar request..
The Senate couldn't past that because even Democrats wouldn't vote for it..
Try to keep up...
Michale
Once again, you want to perpetuate false racist stereotypes.
And, once again, a racist sees racism in everything..
Michale
Right back at you. Are you willing to do the same?
Absolutely...
If ya'all start addressing the issue without the "OH MY GOD THINK OF THE POOR LITTLE CHILDREN" bullshit propaganda then I'll be happy to reciprocate..
But as long as ya'all are intent on telling only a PART of the story that suits ya'alls partisan agenda, then I'll be posting the OTHER side of the story that has all the gang-bangers and drugs and murders and deaths...
Personally I would like to see some actual facts on the numbers from each group coming in and what their aim is before condemning the former to an unhealthy future, many even ending in death just to keep out the later who will likely get in to the country regardless of what Obama or congress does about it...
By all means, post those numbers and let's discuss them....
Michale
The gun fetish nuts like to say that, if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. It's hard to argue with that logic. We should only pass laws that criminals will obey and the little kids who make up The Invasion of the Future Democrats clearly won't obey laws, so we don't really need a vicious new one against them. The Orange One knows this, but is afraid to explain it to the seething bagger mob. Instead, he's trying to trick them after the clock has already run out. Weak.
The gun fetish nuts like to say that, if you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. It's hard to argue with that logic. We should only pass laws that criminals will obey and the little kids who make up The Invasion of the Future Democrats clearly won't obey laws, so we don't really need a vicious new one against them. The Orange One knows this, but is afraid to explain it to the seething bagger mob. Instead, he's trying to trick them after the clock has already run out. Weak.
"Dogs barking can't fly home without umbrella"
-Jumpin' Jack Flash
Hay JFC...
Do you come with a translation manual??? :D
Michale
Do you come with a translation manual??? :D
Thinking the same thing. I wonder if there is a JFC button on Google translate...
Michale [19],
So, your links are bullshit?!
At last! Something we can both agree on!
Over 52,000 children have immigrated in the last nine months, most from other than Mexico. About 10,000 are under the age of 12. Your fantasy of only 10% being covered by the 2008 anti-trafficking statute is yet another of your delusions denying reality in favor of your prejudice.
And requesting asylum isn't illegal entry. You don't need a visa. All you have to do is show up and present yourself to American officials. Which is exactly what the vast majority of these kids are doing.
They are not illegals. They are working the system, just as Republicans are so fond of doing. They're exploiting law passed unanimously by Democrats and Republicans alike, and signed by Bush. The consequences of which, once again, have fallen upon Obama. And they are taking advantage of the inefficient, underfunded and understaffed court system, created by Republican budget cuts.
As always, the blind prejudice, refusal to accept personal responsibility, and desperate need to shift all blame onto Obama of conservatives is showing.
John From Censornati,
Congratulations! We award bonus points if Michale is incapable of responding!
Welcome to the battle!
And, Michale [20],
This isn't "new legislation." Its an emergency immigration bill because the House has been incapable of passing an immigration bill. The Senate passed one long ago. They don't need to pass another.
If a House bill ever shows up that's what conference is for.
If Republicans wanted to address only the immediate immigration crisis they shouldn't have torpedoed the Senate bill intended to do so!
Do try to visit reality--at least occasionally, it just ain't like Mickhale's World.
Johnny is my main man
He's the keeper of the keys
He'll put your mind at ease
He's guaranteed to please
Back by popular demand
Warren Zevon
Here's a fun FACT:
Even if a child joins a hate group like the High School Republicans or the Boy Scouts of America, that child is still a child! The child's membership in these awful, indoctrinating groups doesn't alter the definition of "child" in an way.
"Facts are stupid things." - Ronnie Raygun