When Pope Francis came to visit Congress, everyone knew something big was going to happen. Causing Speaker Boehner (R-OH) to have an epiphany and resign was not on anyone’s list.
But, there you have it – a Pope that works strange miracles.
To say that in the aftermath all Hell will break loose depends on whether your definition of Hell is complete inaction (it probably should be). By that standard Congress has been deep in the fire for a long time so we can’t blame Boehner for seeking a cool escape once he was touched by His Holiness. But is there a way out for the rest of us?
It’s enough to make Boehner cry. Wait, no it’s not.
It’s customary for Democrats to say wonderful things about Boehner in the aftermath of all this, largely because many Republicans are saying horrible things about him. The Values Voter Summit broke into a cheering standing ovation at the news, broken by a visibly upset Sen Rubio (R-FL). They hated Boehner because he represented everything they dislike about Washington, which is …
you know, I can’t figure out why they hated him so much. They blamed him for nothing getting done, apparently believing that if he was only willing to go nuclear all the time that somehow the Democrats and moderates would cave and all kinds of Tea Party legislation would go through to an inevitable veto.
It’s as if those who tend to venerate the Founding Fathers the most are the least likely to understand the work that they did setting up a system that requires consensus, built largely through compromise.
The only reason we can talk about the Founding Fathers as a group is they got over their petty differences.
As we’ve noted before, Boehner has been under pressure from this group for a long time, despite their status as the controllers of a mere 11% of the seats in the House. How they expect to leverage this into a veto-proof supermajority through force alone is a complete mystery. It was to Boehner, too, who has been around long enough to know that you get things done by working together.
It’s very clear that the strain wore on the Speaker, dissolving finally in an ecstatic wave of peace when Pope Francis asked him, “Pray for me.” The message of following your heart and finding the Holy Spirit within you did overwhelm at least one prominent American during the Papal visit.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
What comes next is anyone’s guess. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is the odds on favorite largely because he has told everyone in the caucus he will take a more forceful approach with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel (R-KY). In other words, they are still focusing on members of their own party as the problem and the bloodletting will continue. That won’t produce anything worthwhile in the next two years but it may make inter-party fighting far more public.
That is the key variable heading into an election year. Very public battles are likely to use up or dry up the Republicans’ main advantage – big piles of money.
We can’t be sure yet how much of this will be fought out in public so we can’t gauge the damage. If it hardens the voting constituencies this could have a big influence over the Presidential election as well, as it may be already. That’s what we have to watch for.
There is also the big question as to how Democrats need to place this, or for that matter how they can.
Feel the Bern? That flame has to last if he’s gonna do it.
To a large extent, standing back and letting Republicans hang themselves will be good. However, there appears to be a large opening for the Sanders wing of progressives in a tactical sense. A no-nonsense approach based on cleanliness and honesty will seem especially refreshing next to an inside game gone horribly wrong playing out in the other party. The more the Democrats can contrast themselves, the better.
As usual, the party that demands some faith in government has to show it is capable of running it, too.
There is a lot of time for this to play out so the details will become obvious over time. The next Speaker will have to stand up and make himself known, and how that will progress should become obvious. The reaction of the Republican establishment will be the next thing to watch, particularly Jeb Bush and McConnell. After a quarter or two, we’ll have some financial reports that show us where the money is going.
Boehner’s resignation was a long time coming and the process it sets off will take a long time to play out. It’s a better drama than anything on teevee, too. Make popcorn – lots of popcorn.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 
This is totally unreal. Doesn’t anyone in the party see what they are doing?
No, they really don’t. To a person, it seems. I was on facebook earlier and a few Republican friends were telling how good this is for the party.
The party of self destruction.
Pretty much.
Boehner was not some ‘moderate’ who kept his party in line, he was as bad as the rest of them. He may have been more practical but that’s about it. Good riddance as they show their real faces.
He was a moderate compared to the forces that are in the process of being unleashed. I think you’ll see what I mean. The real crazies are about to take control of things and it’s not going to be good.
Upon reflection, there is a gaping omission in this piece. It appears that conservative Republicans do not understand or do not care that they simply do not have the votes to get through absolutely anything that they want. They have no regard at all for the elaborate system which requires consensus that the Founding Fathers set up. They appear to believe that they should simply have their way no matter what.
Given our system it’s hard to imagine what Boehner or McConnell (the next on the list) were supposed to do to force their way. Set fire to the Reichstag? Yes, that’s an inflammatory position but you ultimately have to question their commitment to this Democratic Republic and the principles upon which it was founded.
They clearly believe that the ends justify the means, which is to say that they are the ones who follow the teachings of Saul Alinsky to the letter. Their tactics demonstrate this, too. But whereas Alinsky understood the system and was willing to work through it, empowering the powerless, this group starts from a position of power and greedily demands more.
We have to start calling them for what they are – fundamentally un-American. It is time for everyone who cares about this nation to call out these power-hungry monsters for who they are and return to our basic principles as a people.
We can get through these hard times and weather the winds of change. We’ve been through far worse. We got through the bad times in our history with the bedrock understanding at the core of our nation that there is strength in unity, and that unity is achieved through the process of building consensus.
If they are unwilling to be a part of that unity then they must be cast aside. We have spent many years avoiding that decision largely because the vast majority of good people of this nation understand our principles, usually at their unspoken core. But perhaps it is time to simply say, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” one more time.
Have we really arrived at that place? I hope not. But let’s start by being clear – “Our Constitution works,” in the words of another great Republican. It must be respected, and those who have not been granted full authority to do whatever they want by the citizens must learn to work within the system granted to us by great men long ago. Once we have called them out if they do not respond appropriately then they are, in fact, the enemies of our Democratic Republic.
The conservative “Republicans” who insist on getting their way on every issue are fundamentally un-American. It is that simple. If they do not change their ways they must be cut away for the good of this great nation.
yes, objectively it is long past time for sane people to stop being Republicans. But objective reality has a tenuous connection to political opinions. When I read my Republican facebook friends, I think they are bifurcating–the ones who really are sane, and getting more and more desperate, and the ones who really aren’t sane, and welcome a descent into the collective madness symbolized by Trump. There are too many scary parallels to the rise of Hitler.