You know who’s having a bad week? John Boehner. Oh, not because of anything he’s not doing to himself. Oh, no. He’s having a bad week because he’s a jackass and his own party is turning on him.
First there was that Plan B Fiscal Cliff debacle last week that he tried to ram down the GOP’s throats and like a gaggle of naysaying Skesis was rebuffed as they rallied and jointly decided Boehner was out of his mind and decided not to listen to anything he had to say.
Now comes word that he was expressly responsible for shutting down a vote on a federal relief bill for Hurricane Sandy victims. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie earlier today lambasted Boehner independently for the bill not being voted on late last night.
“There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner,” he said. “This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Natural disasters happen in red states and blue states and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did until last night. Last night, politics was placed before oaths to serve our citizens. For me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
This all comes on the heels of onetime best bud, (R-Va.)Eric Cantor’s, down vote of the Fiscal Cliff bill that did pass last night. Uh-oh. Seems like there’s trouble in this particular asshole bromance. Cantor reportedly placed a call to Christie at 11:20 p.m. to inform him that the speaker had decided not to schedule a vote on Sandy relief. Christie then called Boehner four times, and Boehner did not call him back.
After much conversation today from across the aisle, both sides blaming Boehner for the decision, word came late today that Boehner, backtracking, has promised to bring a vote on the relief package in two parts: a $9 billion flood insurance bill on Friday, and the rest of the $51 billion in federal aid by January 15.
Sheesh, you would think images of completely gutted homes and the anguished faces of the terribly affected who have still not recovered would be enough to have made this a priority. Not so. But good on those Republicans who stood up and said something today. Boehner has perhaps learned a valuable lesson in this last week — eventually people will get tired of your shit.
But maybe not tired enough. Sigh.
He’s still expected to be re-elected as Speaker on Thursday.
