Jeffrey Toobin is Right: Boehner Doesn't Deserve Too Much of Our Sympathy

Even I have felt for him a little because the guy was just so happy to get out of this job that he famously had said he needs like a hole in his head. He was visibly singing the day he announced his resignation. Then they pulled him back in.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/10/boehner-as-hostage-in-gop-house-civil.html?showComment=1444362464372#c3018610161302218571

So in a way you can't but sympathize: will he ever be free of this job? In an age where the GOP has turned totally anarchistic the worst job in the world is being in a leadership position within the party.

http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/10/anarchy-in-gop.html

Still, Toobin has a good column that shows why we shouldn't have too much sympathy for him. He really has been totally cowardly towards the Freedom Caucus and the more he's caved to them the worse they've gotten.

The Hastert Rule of course says nothing gets up for a vote that there isn't majority Republican support for-nothing can pass via Democratic votes. But as Toobin points out, the Boehner Rule was even worse. The BR is that nothing can come up for a vote that the Republican minority doesn't agree with.

Toobin is dead right. Boehner's legacy is rather shameful and without honor. He brought this on himself.

"The Pointless Cowardice of John Boehner."

"Boehner adopted an extreme version of the so-called Hastert rule, named for his predecessor as Speaker, Dennis Hastert, who is now under indictment for alleged financial crimes connected to blackmail payments (he has pleaded not guilty). The Hastert rule holds that the Speaker should never allow a vote on a bill unless it’s supported by a majority of the Republican caucus. But Boehner’s approach was to keep bills off the floor that were opposed by a minority of Republicans—the Tea Party caucus, which only numbers about fifty—effectively giving them a veto over the work of the House. Nothing came to the floor without their say-so, so that meant that nothing much came to the floor except for symbolic exercises like votes to repeal Obamacare or to defund Planned Parenthood."

http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-pointless-cowardice-of-john-boehner

Boehner understood that immigration reform was good for the party, but he caved and refused to allow a vote which would have passed with a bipartisan majority because the Tea Party minority was in scorched earth opposition.

"Boehner caved, refusing to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, and he suffered the fate of all those who give in to bullies; he was bullied some more. This year, the fight was over the highway bill, another piece of popular legislation that Boehner himself and a majority of the House (as well as the Senate and the President) supported—as well they might, given that maintenance of roads and bridges represents some of the basic work of government. But again the Tea Party intimidated Boehner into keeping the bill off the floor, depriving the Speaker of another major accomplishment."

This is why you have to give some credit to Mitch McConnell who is not so stupid as to let himself get roiled. McConnell is actually leading a Senate majority that at least has passed a few decent bills like the recent criminal law reform. He has been willing to find areas of bipartisan agreement rather than cater to Ted Cruz.

On the other hand, pointless cowardice is a good description of Boehner because just like all caving to bullies it always ends up being totally pointless. You gain nothing by it. What you are trying to avoid-them tormenting you, happens anyway. Indeed, when they see that you're weak it only makes them lose all respect for you. If bullying works, why not keep bullying?

Toobin rightly pans Boehner's boast that he avoided a debt ceiling default and government shutdown after 16 days in 2013.

"This, to paraphrase a famous Republican, reflects the soft bigotry of low expectations. Keeping the government open and paying its debts are the minimal undertakings of an elected body, not legislative triumphs. But Boehner could point to almost nothing else that happened on his watch, because the Tea Party would tolerate nothing else."

Yes! This was literally his only accomplishments. He could have really served his party by putting up immigration reform but knuckled under and got nothing in return but more grief.

"And what did Boehner’s cowardice in the face of the Tea Party stalwarts get him? They forced him out anyway. Boehner built his career around keeping his job, and he still failed. If Boehner had allowed the passage of immigration reform, it’s entirely possible that the Tea Party would have rebelled and evicted him—but at least he would have had a substantial accomplishment to his credit. Instead, Boehner tried nothing, accomplished nothing, and lost his job anyway. It’s the legacy he deserves."

Yes by no stretch of the imagination is there anything for Boehner to take pride in. I'm glad Toobin pointed this out.