Boehner: Dems 'snuffing out' America I grew up in
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/10/art.boehner.gi.jpg caption ="House minority leader John Boehner is stepping up criticism of his Democratic colleagues."]
(Updates with Democratic response)
(CNN) – House Minority Leader John Boehner is stepping up criticism of his Democratic colleagues, telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that "they're snuffing out the America that I grew up in."
Boehner's comments are the latest indication the Ohio Republican is aggressively setting his sights on the November elections as it appears increasingly possible his party could take control of the House.
"Right now, we've got more Americans engaged in their government than at any time in our history," he told the paper in comments published Tuesday. "There's a political rebellion brewing, and I don't think we've seen anything like it since 1776."
But Boehner, who most certainly would become speaker next year should the GOP take control of the chamber, stopped short of predicting Republicans will gain the 40 seats necessary to oust Democrats from control.
"The American people have written off the Democrats," he said. "They're willing to look at us again."
The top House Republican also previewed the GOP's top priorities should he take control of the speaker's gavel, including a repeal of the recently passed health care legislation.
"We are going to do everything we can to make sure that this law and this program never really takes effect," Boehner said. "One option would be to repeal the $534 billion in Medicare cuts, which pay for more than half of the law's provisions. "They're going to need money from the Congress to hire these 20,000-plus bureaucrats they need to hire to make this program work. They're not going to get one dime from us."
Boehner also suggested raising the social security retirement age to 70 for those who have at least 20 years left before retirement as a possible way to finance the ongoing wars
"We need to look at the American people and explain to them that we're broke," he said. "If you have substantial non-Social Security income while you're retired, why are we paying you at a time when we're broke? We just need to be honest with people."
In a statement released Tuesday, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen said Boehner's comments are "a wake-up call to the American people about the dangers of turning back the clock to a Republican Congress."
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Yes, lets regress to the "Father Knows Best" days. Desegration was the norm in the South, the KKK was a potient force, Afro-Americans and other minorities were considered less than human, colleges and universities practiced either outright banning of Jews and others or had a strict quota system for other "undesirables, etc. The list goes on and on.
Mr. Boehner, you and your ilk have no place in contemporary American society. We will not march with you back to the 40's or 50's.
When he was a KID, America was different... because he was A KID!! The real world is always hidden from kids.
PS – The America you grew up on created these amazing "progressive" programs you won't part with. Funny how that works huh? The New Deal, Social Security, the Great Society, workers rights, women's rights, civil rights, Medicare, Medicaid...
What a joke he is. The Republicans have done nothing to contribute to this country. All they do is suck from it and drive it in to the ground.
Boner himself is the one wrecking the country! exactly what type of country does he want? apparently, one run by the robber barons with the rest of us as serfs slaving for pennies a day like the good old days before unions and regulations created a middle class. or he prefers constant war instead of peace like we had under Clinton. or perhaps he's into total destruction of our environment instead of cleaning up our act so our kids and their kids will have a habitable planet. the rethuglicans have created most of the problems we're dealing with these days. i guess they like ruining the country. they're sure trying their damnest to keep it from being fixed.
Boener you scum!
What exactly do you mean? Is it that an African American being elected to the Presidency by an overwhelming majority represents an erosion of the the good ol' white boy control of the nation that you miss?
The America I grew up in didn't condone torture, didn't suspend the bill of rights, the Fourth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment, but the Republican facists have tried to snuff those out.
John Boener is just scum, he hates a democratic America and wants to install a corporate Plutocracy of his rich buddies and masters.
to the person above Pam. in the last 2 years, a depression was stopped. let me say it again, A DEPRESSION WAS STOPPED!!!! it started in 2007 and lasted until 2010 you idiot racist white person. I know people will say, How do you know hes white? I answer, TELL ME IM WRONG!!!!! more people lost their jobs, more people lost their homes, more people lost their retirement under Republican leadership 2000-2010 than at anytime in history. Is this the Great American you want to send us back to. During the same time period, while a DEPRESSION WAS GOING ON, Oil companies made more profit than at anytime in our history.
You are a racist pig, but that is not why I hate you, I hate you because you say racist things without having the respect to do research before you spill hate.
This total nut job has been under the tanning lights too long. nothing satifies the republicans. all they can do is gripe about any thing and every thing. bohner we remember the 8 years of you and that idiot fron conn. i say that because bush was never texan. i await the day when there is not a republican in office. then just maybe you party will wake up to the fact that the constution reads WE THE PEOPLE. not we the corporations. you bitch about unemployment. but it was you and your cronies that sent the jobs over seas. you ar a liar just like the rest of the republican party.
Don't you just LOVE John's pink tie? Wonder if there's something in his closet.
yeah i was born in 1947 and i remember the america bonehead grew up in. segregated, witch hunting, school praying, drafting, fear mongering, the russians are coming, the russians are coming, h bomb, farm working, white only america. that is what bone head wants to take us back to. just look at the republican party, old white men. we are not going back to that. over my dead body bonier. you should retire. your skin has a funny orange color. you may be sick
"Right now, we've got more Americans engaged in their government than at any time in our history,"
YEP – on both sides "Boehner Baby Boehner" and moreso on the side YOU do not represent!!!
What a hoary hypocrite Boehner is. For he never uttered so much as a peep over Bush's unpaid-for, $1-trillion prescription drug plan, two unpaid-for wars, and unpaid-for, geared-to-the-rich tax cuts. Not to mention Bush, just like his daddy and Reagan, leaving office with a record deficit.
Wow you liberals must be scared to death! Obama's approval raitng is in the tank and going down down down, democrats are behind in most congressional races, pepole are finally realizing that GW spent money like a drunken democrat but Obama makes him look like a miser. We can only hope that Americans will never be fooled by Liberals again. One thing is certian though, Obama will screw up this country so much by 2012 that it will be a cold day in hell before another democrat is elected president.
"by snuffing out the America I grew up in". Typical response by the right. winged republican leadership..I guess he longs for the days before Civil Rights....womens right to choose...affirmative action... What an idiot!
Don't go to sleep America, always remember the crooked, hypocritical and con-artist republican party, we cannot survive another George W. Bush Era with this fake.
What's up with that pink tie?
Bottom line is Republicans are vile, stupid and conniving. The thought of these losers in the White House for another 4 years or more is frightening.
Mr. Boner you should take a hike and keep your mouth shut. You idiots have done more harm in the last 8 years, I don't think we'll ever be able to correct it. Your lying, cheating and corruption has been the ruination of
this great country of ours. All of you need to disappear thank you very much!!
Translation: "I fear change! And you should too!"
"Ben in Texas" you're right on with your comments. I'm 62 and "they way it was" should NEVER come back.
I guess Boehner prefers to live in a world where little kids are trained to duck and cover under their school desks from the nuclear bombs, where rampant racism kept children from getting a decent education, where women were expected to "keep the man happy" even if he beat the hell out of her and on and on.
I can only HOPE that his memories and mine are gone forever from this nation. We have become a better people and it has not been because of GOP principles or actions.
Let me get this straight. The GOP owned the White House, the Congress and the Supreme Court more or less for 8 years and we got two wars and a near collapse of the economy out of that. Since losing the election all they've done is try to block any effort at change. Except for Michael Steele's sarcastic "my bad", there has been no admisison of wrongdoing or hint of what they will change. Now they think we should give them another chance? For what purpose, to finish us off?
That America did exist and the fact that you're unaware of it is sad. In fact it still exists, but it's getting harder – primarily because so many of you don't know it.
Here's the secret – go to school, work hard, go to college or learn a trade. Work hard. Did I mention working hard? Take on more responsibility, put in more than you get back, good things come to you. It won't make life easy, but it makes it worth living. The difference now is that so many of you have to come to vilify those who have been successful and can't understand that the next generation of successful people is you and you don't need government help to do it. Name the government programs that started IBM or HP or Apple or Ebay or Amazon. Go out, work hard, push to get ahead and don't look back to having the government do everything for you. The government has done plenty – given you a free education, protected your life and freedom, put away money for you when you retire. The rest is up to you.
As I watch the continued transformation of America into a fascist
state run by corporations and their allies in the U.S. Senate and
throughout the federal government in key positions of power, I cannot help but agree with "boner". My beloved America IS being snuffed out!
The freedoms that I took for granted such as going to the airport without being surrounded by "private" armies, of having my children attend school without police officers patrolling the building, etc., ..
How did this all happen? How did WE let it all happen? BOTH
parties need to go. They are riddled with corruption. There can be no
salvation with them in control. Let's take back control of our future.
As to illegals, get the hell out!! You have mocked our laws and trashed our schools and communities. ENOUGH!!
"More Americans engaged in their government..............."
Wish the Republican members of Congress would
"get engaged" with our government.
The America that Boehner grew up in was segregated and enmeshed in a pointless war in Vietnam that killed 50,000 Americans and over a million Vietnamese. The FBI was busy with the COINTELPRO program of spying on and repressing Americans for exercising their constitutionally-protected rights, while the CIA was assassinating democratically-elected leaders both foreign and domestic.
Roy would love nothing more than to bring that all back whether the rest of America wants it or not.
re Barack.Hussein.Obama-Americas Benovolent Dictator
Can you please define socialism?
yea - thought not!
NoNoNoNoNoNONONONONONON! to Boehner and his GOP hate and lies. Everything for the rich and nothing for the real americans who are this country; the one i love and grew up in.
I think someone of your position would know certain things because you was in the car hollering gogogo as gw drove the american economy off the cliff. Under your watch we went from a balanced budget to a 6.4 % GDP loss. So now you want to save us from all the mess you made! The correct word is how not no! Destroy the black man is the only message that the GOP makes clear. I think this is sorry bulls#*t. SHAME ON YOU.