I heard Boehner wants Hot Tub Tom's old job. I think he would be a good one for making it a seamless change in "leadership"....
http://www.tobacco.org/Misc/scarcmojoalert.html"One day last summer Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, chairman of the House Republican Conference, decided to play Santa Claus. . . . Mr. Boehner took it upon himself to begin handing out money from tobacco lobbyists to certain of his colleagues on the House floor. He was not deterred by the fact that the House was in session, and that he was supposed to be attending to the nation's business. He was not constrained by any sense that passing money around the floor of the House of Representatives was a sacrilege. He had the checks and he dispensed them."--Columnist Bob Herbert, NEW YORK TIMES, May 10, 1996, p. A33.
--Herbert went on to say that according to the House Ethics Committee, Boehner's action was not illegal. Although it is against the law to solicit contributions while on Federal property, representatives and senators are free to accept and distribute donations that are voluntarily offered.--
http://lists.wayne.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9701&L=tamha&F=&S=&P=1421Strangest Coincidence of the Year
Last summer Rep. John Boehner (Ohio) chair of the House Republican Conference went down on the House floor with envelopes from generous tobacco companies and passed out the contributions. Two weeks later, the House voted to retain multi-million dollar subsidies for the tobacco industry. However, it turns out that these two events were not related. Reports the Seattle P-I, "Boehners office says it was a coincidence of timing, that handing out the checks and the later vote were not connected." Just a coincidence, like lightning and thunder or Madonna and sex. But Boehner has learned an important lesson. He says he will no longer "do it there on the House floor." Way to get the point, John. How about "Why don't we do it in the road?" next time.(SPI 6/10)