– Boehner
Boehner’s Boo-Hoo: Is the standard of comportment for political leaders different for men and women? You bet. There was a prime example of the difference last week when Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) took to the floor during the debate on the war-funding bill to deliver a tearful (drunken?) non sequitor on 9/11, terrorism and the war in Iraq.
Watch the clip and ask yourself what would happen if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to lose control of her emotions while addressing the House (or anywhere). Corporate media would be in full meltdown. Pols and pundits would be raising “serious” questions about her ability to lead. Rightwing radio would be telegraphing an unspoken message loud and clear: Told ya. Women are too unstable to lead. It’s doubtful she would survive the scandal.
What’s caught on tape here is not Boehner’s macaca moment, but you could make a case that is equivalently as cringe-making as Howard Dean’s scream. Lucky for Boehner, Big Media is ignoring his performance. Lucky for him, he’s a guy.
Transcript follows:
The YouTube video above picks up Boehner’s speech before he begins to blubber. Lip-quivering begins about 19 seconds into the clip (and in the second paragraph of this rough transcript):
We’ve got a whole host of other issues that don’t deserve to be put on the backs of our men and women in the military. It’s a sneaky way to do business. I wish it was not in there, and on that portion of the bill, I will vote “no” tonight.
But I know there are differences in this chamber. Members on both sides of the aisle who feel differently [from me] about our mission in Iraq and our chances of success there. (Choking up.) I know when I came here — and every two years since I’ve been here — on the opening day we all stand here. We raise our right hands and swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. A lot of my colleagues have heard me make this statement — that I didn’t come here to be a congressman. I came here to do something. And I think at the top of our list is providing for the safety and security of the American people. That’s at the top of our list! After 3,000 of our fellow citizens died at the hands of these terrorists, when are we going to stand up and take ‘em on!? When are we going to defeat ‘em?! Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell ya — if we don’t do it now. If we don’t have the courage to defeat this enemy, we will long, long regret it. So thank you for the commitment to get the job done today.
As Boehner knows, we’re not in Iraq fighting “these terrorists” who killed 3,000 of “our fellow citizens” in September 2001. Our troops in Iraq are strapped down in the middle of a civil war between a pair of religious sects who are out to settle grievances going back to the death of Mohammed in 632 CE.
And it might be news to the U.S. troops who took on and defeated the Taliban, who really were sheltering “these terrorists,” that the House Republican leader believes the United States has yet to take on and defeat terrorists. Where is the outrage over the fact that the minority leader disparaged our troops just days before the Memorial Day holiday?
What an asinine and shameful performance. If a female leader had behaved this way, she would deserve to see her career ended — but so should a male leader, including especially Rep. Boehner.
Update: Keith Olbermann played the Boo-Hoo Boehner clip on two consecutive nights, and Bill Maher discussed it with Ben Affleck and P.J. O’Rourke on his HBO show Friday night. Affleck was funny, said something like, “Far be it from me to talk about bad acting.”
WE, the largest and most profitable oil cartel in the world, want to personally thank the gullible American public for letting the latest War Against Iraq Funding bill to pass, using our bought and paid for lackey’s in Congress.
This bill will allow us, Chevron; ExxonMobli; ConocoPhillips; Shell and others to continue to use YOUR tax money to steal Iraqi Oil.
In fact, we’re so happy that you suckers… oops, i mean “customers” are so blinded by the flag that we decided to reward you by dropping the price of gasoline nearly 10 cents a gallon from before the vote on last Thursday, until the bill was signed by our shill, GW Bush.
But we at “Big Oil” realize there’s a tough road ahead in stealing more oil fields, like Iran’s. But we know that all Bush and Cheney have to do is wave the flag some more and like trained puppies, a majority of you will jump at the chance to bring “democracy” to yet another oil-rich country.
Remember, we’re all in this together and we know you’ll give till it hurts. This we can be sure of, since we have a monopoly on oil.
Have a safe holiday weekend and support the troops by driving a LOT of miles this Memorial Day and BUYING a lot of OUR gasoline.
greg bacon
ava, mo
Cabana Boy was clearly drunk. I wonder how many hours of his day are wasted in the tanning booth and on the golf course?
What a powerful symbol of the utter lack of shame and diginity possessed by the Republicans. Crying on the graves of 9/11 domestic terror victims, knowing full well that 9/11 official conspiracy theory is a fragile house of lies that collapses a bit every day.
Sobbing when others will be dying for his lies- this is a man who’s life is not worth a soldier’s bootlaces, much less his life.
As a WW2 Combat navy veteran, I have seen grown men cry, and not long ago relating a story of shooting the enemy clinging to their ships debris, it finally got to me, I cried. But to start sobbing because of a war this Boehner, along with his cronies were so entused to start for no reason gave me the sense his sobs, were the result of guilt that so many of our troops are being killed. The bloods on his hands now.
Let’s see, pink tie, crying, so where in the hell is the gay preacher, or better yet, the DC Madame’s black book, as it could tell you a thing or two about these crud politicans and there hypocrisy! What a fecal sewage mess these idots have wrought havoc upon US and the world, and in the end, they’ll just walk away!
He is drunk… or medicated.
Okay, this guy is either wasted or he needs to be the next actor on All My Children because those crocodile tears are second to none!!!
When the damage that boehner and his republican “pals” have caused this country is fully realized there’s going to be tears all around. These people aren’t just inept and corrupt they’re creepy.
Oh, you libs. Here’s a Republican who finally proves that he’s in touch with his “inner woman,” (we’d expected he was from his impeccable grooming and George Hamilton tan) and you’re playing the Pelosi card.
At least he got emotional about kicking ass, as a real man should. If it had been Pelosi, she’d have been weeping over those wimps at Walter Reed who were dumb enough to stand in front of IED’s, and now think that “Support the Troops” actually means something beyond just shutting up and doing what the Cheerleader in Chief says.
Boehner, another republican
CHICKEN HAWK
I thought Boehner only cries when he has to pay his own greens fees.
So Conchobhar, when are you shipping out?
House Minority Leader John Boehner is nothing more than a banal bag of bat squeeze, and couldn’t lead a horse to water!
And furthermore, Iraq had nothing to do with 911 like Boehner and these cabal of shills would like us to believe.
LOLOL!
Someone should have lashed that rascal with a cat-o-9-tails until he genuinely cried actual tears of true anguish. His little pants wetting tantrum was not only fake, but pathetically incoherent. He’s one Repelephant who should never be allowed to go off his meds. WAHT A TOOL!