Boehner?

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I've got to admit to have my ups and downs regarding the Speaker. While I am patently disappointed in the results of many negotiations, my pragmatism leads me to believe that what happened probably was as good as it could get. Not simply because of the Senate and prez, but also because most Republicans are still status quo type of politicians. Move little, move slowly, do little, seems to be the main thing for which they strive. And, there is something to be said for that. Though that is also how we get robbed and bankrupted. Still, it is and almost always has been the Republican way. Perhaps Civil War guilt (and rightly)?

However, as the Speaker, he has been a fantastic speaker. He has encouraged the young guns. He has let them have their say. He hasn't threatened, shoved, or more than sought agreements. Unlike the last dictatorship type Speaker, he is running an open, honest, aboveboard, clean show. Is it just a show? Honestly I don't think so. He could easily do exactly what Pelosi did, turn down even the allowance of votes on some things or amendments, or even debate. Even when my side is in power, that is not how I like to see things done.

I think the guy is getting a bad rap. If we want to throw him out, we best make sure we have a libertarian conservative to replace him. Both in his state seat and in the speakership. I don't mind if someone like Rand became the speaker, so long as he played fair with the whole conservative caucus. And, I am not a Libertarian. I am merely, now, more like a conservative libertarian. I think we could do a lot worse than Speaker Boehner. And I doubt if we could have done better in the negotiations. The other option was to not negotiate an inch and not to have a budget, creating even greater uncertainty. Politically, economically perhaps, that would have been suicide.

We are on a perilous path. But demanding we simply jump blindly, or simply end spending somehow, is not rational either. Without hope and faith there can be no charity. We have been hoping, for sanity, for a long time. But now we have to hope for a bit more time to get people in power who can make the correct calls. We don't have to like it but the options really would have been worse.

That's all I am saying. Be careful what you wish for. I think some of the naysayers simply want to see total destruction. I think some of those who despise what passes for the legislative process seem more autocratic than those they oppose. Believe what you wish, but believing does not make it true. So, here is the Speaker Boehner. But... cut the tears. That is terribly unbecoming. Then again, when you reach certain levers of power, perhaps it is your party and you really can cry if you want to? Bah!