Over the course of my life there have been more than a few occasions where I have found myself wondering just how it was that someone was able to get their current job. Because it most certainly wasn’t because they knew how to do it better than anyone else. And it’s these days that I find myself wondering the very same thing about John Boehner. Because there are any number of other people in the House who would make a far better Speaker than Boehner. The man just does not possess the necessary skill set.
The latest thing that has me being more than just a little displeased with the guy is the fact that, on Wednesday, he chose to take a swipe at those conservative groups that "came out and opposed" the latest ‘bipartisan’ budget deal "before they ever saw it." It was while attending a Republican news conference that he whined, "They're using our members, and they're using the American people for their own goals. This is ridiculous." Adding, "Listen, if you're for more deficit reduction, you're for this agreement."
Now one of those "conservative group" at which Boehner seemed to direct his displeasure was The Heritage Foundation. Heritage said the budget deal "thoroughly disappoints," and the conservative group offers "three key facts on the sour deal": It busts through supposed spending caps; it taxes and spends; and it spends now and delays savings until later. It also noted that budget conferees failed to make substantive reforms to entitlement programs, which it describes as the real drivers of spending and debt.
Another such "conservative group" was Americans for Prosperity which said the deal reverses "hard-won bipartisan spending limits set by the sequester." It went on to say, "Spending levels were set by law at $967 billion. Exceeding those levels by $45 billion takes us in the wrong direction; further from fiscal responsibility, and further from the promise made to the American people." And another was FreedomWorks who urged a "no" vote on the bipartisan plan, saying it "is not acceptable to fiscal conservatives."
FreedomWorks went on to say, "The proposed plan would increase spending $63 billion above the budget caps set by Budget Control Act of 2011—the only actual spending control achieved by Congress under the Obama Administration. The deal claims to offset these costs by increasing various fees, and by making small reforms to government pensions. These new fees aren’t being used to shrink government or balance the budget; they’re simply a mask to help hide the breaching of the budget caps."
It was Paul Ryan, the RINO from Wisconsin, who led the Republican negotiations, and who said on Wednesday that the budget agreement "maintains 72 percent of the sequester in the next year and a half, and it preserves 92 percent of the sequester over the life of the sequester." And in sounding like he was only making excuses, he said Democrats wanted the sequester completely replaced, but "we didn't agree with that." He also emphasized the importance of finding "common ground" with Democrats.
Ryan went on say, "We know that this budget agreement doesn't come close to achieving what we want to achieve on our ultimate fiscal goals, but again, if we can get a step in the right direction, we're going to take that step and that's why we're doing this." However, this is such a small step, even a miniscule one, as to make it completely worthless. And regarding his comment about the importance of finding "common ground" with the Democrats, how about, for a change, they be made to find "common ground" with us?
So once again it is we who handed control of the House over to the Republicans back in 2010, and who then permitted them to hold onto it in 2012, who are the ones being knifed in the back. And I guess now they just expect us to do the same in 2014? But if I were them I wouldn’t be too quick to jump to that conclusion. Because if the outcome is going to be the same regardless of which party is in control, where’s the incentive for me to allow the Republicans to maintain their majority? It just doesn’t exist!
So here’s my question to Mr. Boehner: Just how badly do you wish to be permitted to keep your majority? And also, here’s a little word of advice for him: You might want to reevaluate your recent comments directed at those "conservative groups," because their criticism is well-deserved. And we the people are getting more than a little tired of being told to shut up and sit down, and that this is how things are going to be. I think it safe to say that Boehner is now on very thin ice, and his recent comments don’t help.
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