Is it time for Boehner to resign?

[mendeleev 68]

The answer to the subquestion is, to the best of my knowledge, in 1979, when Cyrus Vance, then Secretary of State, resigned because he thought an ill-planned attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran was too risky and would fail. (Events proved him right, the attempt did fail.)

It used to be an honored tradition for a politician to resign on principal or when his own followers refuse to follow his lead. This decent tradition has fallen into disuse in the past few decades in this country (and in the UK, too, to a lesser extent, seems to me).

Boehner cannot get his own party to support his proposed radical cuts to solve an unnecessary debt crisis he helped create at this time. There was a time in this country when an honorable politician would resign in the face of this sort of fiasco. Does Boehner have this sense of decency? Don't count on it.

Look up the definition of treason at dictionary.com. The first definition doesn't fit the current Republican leadership or the Republican House, but it sure looks like the second and third definitions do fit!

[Sofiyya 1,687]

It's time for the whole sorry bunch of legislators to resign.

[Ban Hammer 13,445]

It's time for the whole sorry bunch of legislators to resign.

would you quit that? i'm running outta +1's again!

[Zero Sum 305]

Hot dang the clock can't have another instance of its hands agreeing again. +1 Sofi.

[mawilson 2,133]

I like Boehner. He's such a douche.

[scandal 951]

The answer to the subquestion is, to the best of my knowledge, in 1979, when Cyrus Vance, then Secretary of State, resigned because he thought an ill-planned attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran was too risky and would fail. (Events proved him right, the attempt did fail.)

It used to be an honored tradition for a politician to resign on principal or when his own followers refuse to follow his lead. This decent tradition has fallen into disuse in the past few decades in this country (and in the UK, too, to a lesser extent, seems to me).

Boehner cannot get his own party to support his proposed radical cuts to solve an unnecessary debt crisis he helped create at this time. There was a time in this country when an honorable politician would resign in the face of this sort of fiasco. Does Boehner have this sense of decency? Don't count on it.

Look up the definition of treason at dictionary.com. The first definition doesn't fit the current Republican leadership or the Republican House, but it sure looks like the second and third definitions do fit!

1. The word you want is principle, not principal. Sorry - can't help myself.

2. I think you could make a case that Colin Powell stood down as Secretary of State in large part over his disillusionment regarding the evidence presented by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rove/Libby to make the case for the war in Iraq. Granted he did not step down immediately but only a year later in Nov 2004. Still, his actions and words showed the courage and sense of principle you are referring to. Powell is one of the finest Americans to serve this country in public office in recent years.

3. I don't think Boehner's caucus woes rise to the level of resignation at this point. Sure, he has a rebellious and unruly mob to deal with. That's par for the course. We don't have a parliamentary system as in the UK or Canada where firm obedience to the leadership is expected from back benchers. The US House of Representatives is not parliament.