Establishment GOP Representative John Boehner finally answered the call to step down from his post as Speaker of the House on Friday, September 25, 2015. Since the first signs of his betrayal of those who put him in Congress, and continued to do so again and again, it has been apparent that he needed to go. The broken promises of repealing Obamacare was one thing, but the abuse of his position toward those who dared to oppose him was quite another.
When the GOP took over the House, his mission, dictated by the voters, was quite clear: take the necessary steps toward reversing the negative course Obama put the country on so we can get our country back on track. He failed to do that. He didn’t even have the guts to stand up to Obama and it cost the country dearly.
His lack of support for his fellow congressmen and congresswomen who were only trying to do the right thing was clearly evident. Even if a bill brought before the House might not get the votes in the Senate to pass, much less get signed by the president, it’s important to at least try. That in itself achieves a few things. It sends a message to the president that the majority party is serious about changing things. It also sends a message to the people that it’s committed to making true progress despite the hurdles they face. Some in congress may think it’s a waste of time, but given the time already wasted, it’s really productive in allowing one party to gauge the opposition’s reaction, which can be very useful.
When the GOP took total control of both houses of congress in 2014, some Republican House Representatives thought it would be a good idea to replace John Boehner as Speaker of the House. After all, he was not getting anything positive done. His speakership went to a vote. That didn’t go over well as some Representatives were too intimidated and fell in line with the establishment, thus retaining Boehner as Speaker. Many of those who had the courage to vote against him were then retaliated against, some losing their positions on various committees. This was very telling as to the character Boehner had.
In 2010, when he became Speaker of the House, the nation saw what a blubbering, emotional wreck Boehner was as he sobbed pathetically in front of cameras and news crews that were doing profiles on him. Throughout his tenure as speaker, ironically, we saw a pushover as he gave in to Obama and the Democrats time and time again, never really fighting for his party or standing up to the whims and illegal executive orders Obama issued. While Republicans controlled the House, as Speaker he controlled the purse strings but never used it to the party’s advantage. Instead he relinquished total power to Obama and the Democrats, often fearful of the perception Democrats and the country would have of him should his decisions backfire. He should have been more afraid of the backlash he would experience from those who voted him into office.
The timidity with which he approached Obama showed the lack of courage a leader needs. His disdain against his fellow congressmen and congresswomen in his own party showed the ruthlessness and true nature of his character. While some people bid farewell to the House Speaker with pleasantries and well wishes, John Boehner may well be remembered as a cowardly crybaby who sold out his own party and the American people.
