For once, John Boehner has a chance to do something right.
He can vote with the majority in the House, instead of the minority.
He has foolishly followed the Hastert rule since he took over as Speaker. He refused to bring up any bill that did not have the majority of Republicans for it, regardless if the majority of the House favored it. He has allowed himself to be pulled around by the nose by the Tea Partiers in his caucus.
Today, the Senate, by a 2 to 1 margin, voted to pass an immigration bill. If Boehner were to bring it to the floor of the House, it would probably get a good majority? But it is doubtful that it would get a majority of Republicans votes alone.
And that is where John Boehner could make his mark as Speaker. He could show leadership and be the Speaker of the entire House, instead of just the most radical in his own Party.
But it would require him to put some political capital on the table. He could persuade enough in his own Party that immigration is necessary for his own Party's survival. If the Republican Party continues to backhand the Hispanic vote by denying them citizenship, they will continue to lose national elections. John Boehner has a chance to convince his own Party that it is to their benefit to vote for immigration reform. If he cannot do that, he will go down as one of the biggest losers ever to serve as Speaker of the House.
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