House Republicans and most Senate Republicans DON'T have their eyes on the burning issues of the day, unless you define "burning issues" as their own re-election and their own power in Congress and on committees.
The Republican Party is the only political party on the planet that takes as their policy "don't communicate with the voters". Let's look at Boehner, about every 6 months, he's given a tremendous speech of generalities and conservative principles. The problem is that we see no sign that his speeches have any influence on his own actions as Speaker.
Boehner seems more concerned with two things; crushing the Tea Party 75% of his voting base and somehow getting "immigration laws" through the House with a minimum of political damage. Fortunately for conservatives, he hasn't found a way to bamboozle the base into buying into his immigration scheme.
Now, this is why the GOP has earned the moniker of "The Stupid Party"; attack, insult and suppress your own base in favor of "reaching across the aisle", which only means implementing even more federal socialism.
A majority of Republican US Senators donated from their own PACs to Thad Cochran's race in Mississippi. The strategy was to pull out the Democrat Race Playbook and use it against fellow Republican and against the Tea Party. They succeeded in winning the primary run-off with votes of Black Democrats, who will not be voting for Cochran in the General. We've heard all kinds of nonsense from the RINOs about this great "strategy" of reaching our to Blacks.
So a sign of "Boehner's integrity" (which is off topic, the discussion is about his effectiveness) is that Boehner has taken the huge and important step of suing Obama. Wow, fabulous and how brave.
Boehner refuses to use his constitutional authority of the power of the purse to punish Obama's lawlessness. You know, he only leads 1/2 of 1/3 of blah, blah, blah. Boehner's been incompetent in his use Congress's other constitutional powers. We're almost to 2 years on Holder's Contempt of Congress vote. What's happened to Holder and DOJ in the two years? Nothing, they're as out of control and lawless as ever. What happened to Fast & Furious, where the Obama Administration supplied Mexican Drug Cartels (possibly only the Sinaloa Cartel) with thousands of guns. These guns were then used to murder hundreds of Mexicans and at least 2 American Federal Agents. Nothing has happened to those responsible. And Obama supplying the worst of the worst with weapons, including Islamic terrorist groups in Libya and Syria and probably also leading to the Benghazi deaths of our Ambassador and 3 others, easily this could have been over 30 American deaths. American luck and terrorist incompetence saved the 30 Americans. And we're well over a year after the start of the IRS political targeting scandal. The lawsuit will take years, Congressional investigations are taking years with no results. Where's the sense of urgency in Boehner. He holds off on subpoena power for months, he doesn't push the investigations to get off the dime. He ignores that the FBI is actually conducting no criminal investigation of the IRS. What is Boehner doing other than polishing his integrity badge and preparing worthless a lawsuit to hand over his power to the 3rd Branch of government, liberal judges. If this isn't stupid, what is?
What has Boehner actually done as Speaker? His big success was the sequester deal, where he accepted Obama's idea, which cut the deficit to only, only $500 billion. He's now tossed that plan overboard.
Using his constitutional powers, what has Boehner actually accomplished. I've seen this question about Hillary's accomplishments asked of her supporters to hilarious results. Why not ask Boehner supporters, what Boehner has accomplished in 3 1/2 years as Speaker. The only one I see, is his re-election as Speaker by holding his majority that was given to him, not earned, supplied to him by the Tea Party.
Now, a final question, what is more pathetic, John Boehner as Speaker or the House GOP, which has elected him twice to Speaker?
Boehner has been the best representation of
a cigar store Injun, in my entire life!
He has been as useful as mammary glands on
Ferdinand The Bull!
He needs to be dethroned at midnight, and
Trey Gowdy needs to be enthroned, yesterday.
Doris is doing a lot of wahh-wahhing over one little ad on a blog.
The GOPe is scared.
Your analysis is better than the original story. Reading the article, all I can think is, “Is this the best they can do to defend Boehner?” I mean after four years as Speaker they can’t point to any action that motivates support? From what I have read, the lawsuit is really just an attempt to distract uninformed Republican voters from Boehner’s dismal record. If Boehner actually had any integrity, like this article points out, I don’t think he would be in the predicament he is in. People would instinctively know where he stands on issues, and support him, but as you pointed out, he only stands for reelection. I know these, “we must stand together and vote rino,” stories will become more frequent, and more shrill as we approach November, but it is revealing they can’t produce a valid rallying point to stand on.
Sounds like Doris has got her script to read from.
“But this is hardly the time to suggest that John Boehner is an incompetent leader”
As far as I can recall, it’s been suggested as long as he had been Speaker.