Boehner Is The Problem

Practically from the beginning of this government shutdown, now in its third week, I have been reading that there is a majority in the House of Representatives who would vote to pass a clean Continuing Resolution, if only John Boehner would allow it to be brought to a vote.

Boehner claimed on one of the Sunday talk shows a week ago that the reason he hasn't brought it up is that the votes are not there. Democrats have been saying ever since, "prove it."

Boehner has allowed this shutdown to drag on because he would need Democratic votes in addition to the votes of responsible Republicans, to pass a clean funding bill. He would rather drive over the cliff than ask Democrats for a little help.

The bat shit crazy wing of the Republican party that takes orders from a talking microwave, or whatever, is not going anywhere for now. Unfortunately they are being enabled, and the shutdown prolonged, by Speaker Boehner, who is allowing himself and other potentially reasonable Republicans to be led by these crazies. Boehner can complain about the stubbornness of Obama and the Democrats all he wants; the shutdown would probably end immediately if he would just call a vote.

Paul Krugman made a really interesting point in his column today. Starting in the late 1930s the Democratic party held nominal control of both houses almost permanently for nearly 30 years. And they had a similar group of loonies in their midst, the southern Dixiecrats, who prevented not just civil rights legislation, but anything remotely progressive. The majority Democrats had to work with Republicans to pass important legislation and just bypassed their intransigent wing. Instead of caving in to the crazy wing, Boehner has to to cut them out, and work with the Democrats if any progress is going to happen.