Good Riddance!

From Thomas Sowell at Townhall:

The impending departure of Speaker of the House John Boehner gives the House Republicans a real opportunity to accomplish something. But an opportunity is not a guarantee. It is a little like a football team being first down and goal at the ten-yard line.

You have a good chance of scoring a touchdown from there -- if you can get your act together. But you could also find yourself having to settle for a field goal. Or for a missed field goal.

And of course you can also fumble the ball and have the other team grab it -- and run it all the way back across the field to score a touchdown against you. With Republicans, it would be chancy to make a bet as to which of these scenarios is most likely.

The next choice for Speaker will determine if it's a touchdown, field goal, missed field goal, or a fumble and touchdown for the other side.

Boehner's Shortcomings, Not the GOP Dysfunction, Were His Downfall

From Paul Mirengoff at The Powerline Blog:

But the MSM’s spin on Boehner ignores the possibility that his problems as Speaker may have been due in significant part to him not being very good at the job.

Boehner wanted to present himself as the adult in the room — a narrative the MSM was happy to echo because it portrays as children hardcore conservatives who are up for a fight. His condescending attitude was bound to alienate many new arrivals.

Boehner’s attitude would probably have been fine back in the day, when new members were expected to be seen but not heard. However, in the second decade of the 21st century, it was misguided and inappropriate.

Boehner seemed unable to recognize that the impatience and disillusionment of his adversaries in the caucus were less the product of immaturity than the understandable outgrowth of President Obama’s unprecedented usurpation of power.

Unfortunately, Boehner ran the House as if it were the 1950's. He's refused to adjust to the new reality of the 24 hour cable news cycle, the virulently partisan media, and a President who sees himself as a Dictator. You add in all the crying with the lack of any legislative victories. I'm amazed he has lasted this long.

Thoughts on Boehner's Resignation

From Ace of Spades HQ:

1. The Consensus Media, which is an agreement of left and right pundits who don't know much, had been pretty sure that Boehner's job was safe. No one should listen to them.
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2. There are some claims that Boehner did this to "spare the party" the trauma of booting him out of office. I don't believe that. I think the Freedom Caucus had the votes to book him out of office -- unless Democrats voted to support Boehner, which they would do. And then we would have a true political problem on our hands, an allegedly "Republican" speaker of the House owing his job entirely to Nancy Pelosi telling X number of Democrats to vote for Boehner.
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A Speaker owing his position to the opposite party? Completely compromised -- more so than he is now.

That would be the ultimate slap in the face insult to the voters who elected a Republican Majority to Stop the Dear Leader.

3. The current idea, favored by the same folks who thought that Boehner was such an Indispensable Man are now agitating to put his loyal (???) lieutenant Kevin McCarthy into the position. Kevin McCarthy is, if it's possible, a worse RINO than Boehner, and was by Boehner's side as he punished critics and dissidents for daring to represent their constituents' interests.
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Under no circumstances should the Freedom Caucus permit McCarthy, Scalise, or Cathy McMorris Rogers -- all the Boehner Warriors who have brought GOP morale to all-time lows -- to serve in any leadership position. A purge is a purge. To permit any of this crew to profit from their disasters would show the GOP to be what many of us strongly suspect it is -- basically, the Teachers Union for RINOs, an organization devoted to protecting its members jobs and not to serving its alleged constituents.

4. And on that point, note that if McCarthy, Scalise, and McMorris Rogers merely advance one step each in the leadership, then the only person to have paid any price here is Boehner; the rest of them will actually benefit from the Freedom Caucus forcing them out.

They should not benefit. We keep saying, of Obama, that failure ought to have consequences; how can this team be characterized as anything other than complete failures?

That would be like many Democrats in this Regime (actually all Democratic Administrations, but I digress) failing UPWARD!

Speaker Boehner To Resign

From Ace of Spades HQ:

"Boehner resigning at end of October" -- GOP representative texts me from conference meeting. Says he just announced it.

— Joel Gehrke (@Joelmentum) September 25, 2015

It appears he will be resigning from his seat in the House as well.

With Boehner Squeezed, Pelosi, Reid, Obama Unified on Shutdown Strategy

From Roll Call via H/T at Instapundit:

If they passed a normal budget, with separate spending bills for each department, instead of continuing resolutions, there wouldn’t be a credible threat of a shutdown. So why don’t they do that? . . .

Boy, that makes sense. No more omnibus bills, regular budgets, one piece at a time. Put the Dims on record voting on every piece of the budget. They will get calls and the Drive-By Media CAN'T smear the Republicans.