Boehner explains jabs at Obama as 'help'
Washington (CNN) – House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday described his amped-up rhetoric toward President Barack Obama in recent days as advice.
"The president is getting … some bad advice," Boehner said on CNN's "State of the Union." "Somebody needed to help him out, so I thought I would."
- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
In the past week the top Republican accused Obama of losing courage and decreasing the standing of the presidency.
Boehner reiterated the opinions to CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley on Sunday, saying Obama is "diminishing the presidency by picking fake fights, going after straw men every day."
The Ohio Republican said political gimmicks recently employed by the White House include support for the so-called Buffett Rule, a plan to apply a minimum tax rate of 30% on higher income earners; the president's rhetoric surrounding manipulation of the oil markets; and the debate over the extension of low student loan rates.
Looking to the 2012 election, he made the case for Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, by pointing to his success in business and pushed back against the suggestion that Romney's privilege would be an obstacle in the November election.
"The American people don't want to vote for a loser. They don't want to vote for someone that hasn't been successful," Boehner said. "I think Mitt Romney has an opportunity to show the American people that they too can succeed."
Boehner also indicated he is optimistic Republicans will hold onto the majority in the House.
He recently said Democrats have a "one in three chance" of regaining control of the lower chamber, after previously saying it was "nearly impossible."
But Boehner said nothing has changed.
"Listen, if the election were held today, I'm very optimistic that we will hold onto the majority," Boehner said. "But my job is to make sure that even under the worst-case scenario, we're able to hold onto our majority."
Also see:
2012 race makes fodder for Obama, Kimmel
Gingrich to quit presidential race Wednesday
Romney to appear with possible VP pick Ayotte in New Hampshire
McCain: Obama campaign video invoking bin Laden is 'pathetic'
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
What does he mean "help"? He can hardly do his own job/
Let's see how the Obama rule works in Vegas. Go to a roulette table. One number says "guaranteed loser" (Obama's number), the other says "you at least have a chance to win" (Romney's number). Which one ya gonna bet on? Many of you will still back O, even though in 3 1/2 years he's done ZIP to help the economy. Maybe that's why he always voted "present" in the state and US senate.
But you go ahead and back your guaranteed loser. Maybe he'll increase your food stamps.
Oh yeah; don't forget; the economy only started it's downward spiral when the dems took control of congress. You all seem to like to overlook that fact.
The majority of the people are not fools, We can see that the GOP has deliberately obstructed any and all measures that would benefit the Middle Class. The budgets that they pass always contains some underhanded legislation that takes from Middle America and protects the rich Corporations. Every State needs to clean house in 2012. All those who signed a pledge for Grover Norquist should be voted out.
The "speaker" has a lot to say but has nothing to back it up. Where are the jobs? Explain to me how you put America first?
The GOP is an epic failure and a disgrace (and I am a Republican saying this). I am hoping for a sweep of the dems in both houses – in fact I want a supermajority so the filibuster will be irrelevant.
Oh COME ON. Is there ANYONE who won't claim they "misspoke" after every remotely offensive thing they say? Too bad Newt dropped out...
This guy is so incredibly weak. The GOP have become a pack of whining children, more eager for their own power than for the success of their country. Pathetic.
One word describes the Whiny Orange Crybaby: PATHETIC
Does anyone take Boehner seriously? The tea party has made him totally irrelevant.
I see Boehner is also back peddling on the possibility that the repubs migh lose the house n the next election. And Cantor is trying to distance himself from Ayn Rand.
This guy should lay off the sauce or the spay on tan. I'm not sure which one he's drinking.
Boehner is an empty man.
The repubs have been very busy over the last 4 yrs. Lets see their report card....
45 bills on Abortion
99 on Religion
71 on Family Relationships
36 on Marriage,
446 on “Govt. Investigations”
68 on firearm/Gun Control
372 Filibusters
Declared Pizza a “Fruit”
Banned human fetus’s from food ???
Re-confirmed the UNCHALLENGED national Motto, and…
ZERO bills on jobs creation
The American public has seen our POTUS for for average Americans while the GOP has been against anything, everything to help Americans out. They have only supported protected the ultra wealthy. They are all beholden to Grover Norquist.
What a pathetic excuse for a man and a leader!
Whine....whine...whine....whine....lie....lie....lie.....that's all the republican party is ever able to do anymore. They should be voted out of office until they grow up and come to the table to govern....if not....they should stay home.....running a government is for grownups.....not two year old toddlers with tantrums!!!
Boehner is without a doubt the dumbest/worst Speaker this country has known.He can't even get his own party to respect and get anything done for the American citizens.His crying, lip licking and bloodshot eyes give the American public the image of the TOWN DRUNK!!!!!He needs to spend less time in his tanning tub or find more competent companions that will set him straight.
The GOP members of Congress have inhibited all legislation that may have any positive effect on the economy. The TEA party is absolutely the worst aspect of it & Boener is absolutely afraid of them. He has cowered on so many occasions to them. And who are the members of the tea party? They are the biggest spoiled brats I have ever witnessed.
When President Obama needed his help to get the country back on its feet, he and his party did everything they could to obstruct and filibustre every measure, even ones they had earlier proposed or supported. They vowed that their first objective was to make the President fail. Well, to do that you had to hope the country would fail too. Now they are pretending that they are doing everything they can for the middle class and the country. It's too little too late. If they say that President Obama has to run on his economic record then they should have to run on their record too. His record is far superior to theirs. The 2010 Congress has been a disaster.
""The president is getting … some bad advice," Boehner said"
So clueless BOehNER is giving advice? To our President? What a joke. Hey BOehNER, get back into the tanning booth and bake your empty head again.
"The American people don't want to vote for a loser. They don't want to vote for someone that hasn't been successful," Boehner said. "I think Mitt Romney has an opportunity to show the American people that they too can succeed."
And Boehner wonders why he has a single didgit approval rating. Boehner should remind us when was the last time a mega rich businessman was a successful President. There is nothing to prove that Romeys business experience of taking over companies and liquidating them is going to work if he was President. Republicans act like Romney is going to become President and work 18 hours a day on helping companies create supply and demand for their business. The only record one can compare is Romneys time as Governor and it aint that great.
LOL Now thats Funny!!!! A crybaby Boener, calling someone else a wimp........
They same idiots that were claming 'the economy is sound' back when Bush was running things and McCain vowed to continue on Bush's path are now all in a tizzy that 'the sky is falling' and America is somehow worse off than we were 3 years ago. We went from losing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month under Bush, to adding jobs under Obama. Bin Laden is dead. The war in Iraq is over. People can no longer be kicked off their insurance when they get sick (or at least it is much harder). People who have pre-existing conditions can now find ways to get affordable healthcare (or at least far better than before). DADT is done. And most of the other problems Obama has or has not dealt with have all been handled reasonably for the most part. I hate the insurance mandate... but republicans were pushing that long before Obama and Romney was so proud of his mandate in Mass he said it was a 'template for America'... until the GOP decided destroying Obama was their goal instead of running the country.
Obama is certainly not perfect. But in a roomful of children he has often been the only adult.
Wasnt the tea party and republocan campaign in november 2010...'JOBS JOBS JOBS'????? America keeps falling for thr bull$hit republicans spew out...america deserves what it gets then! Vote romney and see what u get!
God bless The United States of America.
President Obama 2012 !!!
talk about entitlements this guy,s going to get free healthcare and a fat pension for life