Beltway Bozos of Swampland: Boehner's Pretty Awesome

[BeyondGeography]

Dear Alex and Zeke: The country is wasting precious time. This isn't working.

...It was the latest expression of the Boehner doctrine, a playbook for governing the ungovernable. Stripped of earmarking grease, reluctant to rule by fiat, and with a conference that fears only its right flank, Boehner has long since realized he must be bloodied first before he can steer the country to safety. The process, ugly and messy and infuriating, ultimately works. The strategy of accommodation has repeatedly brought Congress to the brink of a dangerous deadline, but never truly over the cliff.

Only once Boehner has placated his base can he step aside and allow Senate leaders to take over the work of governing. Within an hour of the news, Senate majority leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, resumed negotiations that had been held up for the House vote. Spokespeople for both men told reporters that the two leaders were optimistic that an agreement could be reached before the Oct. 17 debt-limit deadline.

...Despite the aborted coup that momentarily threatened Boehner’s re-election as Speaker in January, House hard-liners have described the past few months as Boehner’s finest. And why not? He gives them every opportunity to take the stands they need to secure re-election, while ultimately cushioning them from the consequences of economic catastrophe. Moreover, there are few credible candidates waiting in the wings — the threat posed by the ambitious majority leader Eric Cantor, which hung over the 2011 debt-ceiling negotiations, has receded — and even fewer who would actually want the job.

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/15/john-boehners-bad-night-clears-path-for-a-deal/#ixzz2hrzJycmO

[Cha]

1. K&R!

[cui bono]

2. Personally, I don't think it's working but I can see what this article is saying.

Boehner had to go to the mat on this, he had to give the Tea Partiers the ability to say they held out as long as they could, the fought the good fight, but ultimately they couldn't get it done, so that their constituents would still support them.

Why the more moderate Banana Republicans want the Tea Partiers to get reelected is beyond me, since they are nuts and are making a mockery of the GOP, but that's why he did this from what I gather and have heard.

So what the author is saying is just that Boehner did what he had to do to keep their people content with them. And he looks like an idiot doing it and has damaged the parties standing with more moderate Republicans, but they seem to want the radical morons more than them.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Of course, but it's inside baseball run amok

Never a thought to the opportunity costs we incur because of all this (Republican) acting out. And now, on to the next scene of the play.

[bemildred]

4. This is babble, empty babble. nt