John Boehner & the 112th Congress

I’m becoming more and more impressed with John Boehner!  As the new Speaker of the House assumes his gavel and the newly crowned Republican led 112th Congress take their seats, a lot of expectation is growing as the country tries to climb out of the downward spiral of unemployment and debt. 

Boehner delivered a short, thoughtful speech making special note of the humility the congress felt at being reminded just how temporary their time there could be.  I believe Boehner just might be what America needs right now.  He is not a firebrand or a radical.  He has the ability to cooperate with the far right of his own party and yet have enough respect in the “relationship account” to reach across the aisle to create working policy.

Joe Scarsbough, on his show Morning Joe, discussed the increased humility he is seeing from both Democrats and Republicans alike.  Back in 1994 when the Republicans assumed power, it had been a Democratically controlled house for 40 years!  The obituary of the Democratic Party was wrote after that but all it took was 3 or 4 years of Newt Gingrich and a Congress who felt entitled to be there for the American people to send them packing.

After the 2008 Tsunami that swept Barack Obama and the Democrats in, multiple news organizations were declaring  the end of the Republican Party as we knew it.  At best, it would be regulated to a regional party centered in some of the southern states.  Everytime someone would say that to me I would shake my head and respond, “The Democrats will screw it up soon, and then all will change again.”

Well, the Democrats screwed it up and the the “dead” Republican Party rose from the grave and have taken up control of the House of Representatives… again.  This time though, there is a sense of humility.  John Boehner knows, as do many of his colleagues, that if they can’t deliver jobs and lower our national debt, they’ll be given their walking papers in the next election.

But I think John Boehner is no Newt Gingrich.  I used to think that was a bad thing. Now? …I think that’s a good thing…and maybe a thing America needs.