House Republicans (Cantor and Boehner) take jerkiness to new levels

[ProSense]

White House privately briefed Boehner on speech timing ahead of public request

by Jed Lewison

Multiple reporters—Sam Stein, Sam Youngman, and Glenn Thrush— report that Obama administration officials tell them that John Boehner was privately briefed about the timing of President Obama's jobs speech request and that he voiced no objections until rejecting the request this afternoon.

Boehner's office concedes that it was briefed ahead of time, but denies agreeing to the date. But even if they didn't explicitly agree to the schedule, unless they voiced an objection, they were quite clearly operating in bad faith.

But all that is really beside the point. For what is almost certainly the first time in the history of our nation, the Speaker of the House has rejected a request from the President to speak on a matter of great national urgency. Everything else about this story is noise.

Of course, Republicans will try to sidetrack the discussion by questioning why President Obama had to pick the same night as the Republicans had scheduled a presidential debate. But the answer is simple: Wednesday is the first day the House returns to session after it's month-long vacation. What could possibly be more urgent than getting to work right away at creating jobs?

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Republican Revolt: Virgina’s GOP Governor Splits With Cantor, Rejects Conditioning Disaster Aid On Budget Cuts

By Pat Garofalo

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), along with some of his House GOP colleagues, have been saying that disaster aid for the areas affected by Hurricane Irene must be offset by, in Cantor’s words, “savings elsewhere.” Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) said yesterday on Bloomberg News that budget cuts must be a prerequisite for disaster aid in order to reassure “the business markets.” Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) added that the days when disaster relief could be funded without offsetting budget cuts are gone.”

However, not everyone in the GOP agrees that disaster funding should play second fiddle to the GOP’s budget-slashing agenda. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) yesterday broke with Cantor, saying that “I don’t think it’s the time to get into that (deficit) debate“:

Virginia GOP Gov. Bob McDonnell, breaking with Cantor, on Tuesday suggested that deficit-spending concerns should not be a factor as Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) respond to the hurricane.

“My concern is that we help people in need,” McDonnell said during his monthly radio show. “For the FEMA money that’s going to flow, it’s up to them on how they get it. I don’t think it’s the time to get into that (deficit) debate.”

The Hill noted that “before Irene hit, McDonnell had requested emergency help from FEMA in 10 districts, including Cantor’s. All the requests were granted.”

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What next blocking the door to Congress? Tripping other members? Making prank phone calls?

[lillypaddle]

1. Well, damn

I thought President Obama was being an asshole for a change. I'm so disappointed. :-(

[monmouth]

2. I do think Cantor outsmarted himself and will not be elected again

by the good voters of Virginia. Just a speculation..

[peacebird]

3. I just hope Pres. Obama holds firm and gives his speech on Wed night

AND that the message that they had consulted with Boehner - who voiced NO objections at the time - needs to be shouted from the rooftops.

Make sure everyone knows Boehner is a classless backstabbing jerk

[Journeyman]

4. Well, if they talked to him too late in the day, chances are he didn't know who he was talking to...

With his sort, have to get to him early, before he begins the daily ritual (but not so early he hasn't yet shaken off the night before).

[Tx4obama]

5. K&R n/t

:kick:

[FSogol]

6. K&R. n/t

[Gin]

7. I emailed Rigell about this and Cantor....and called it UnAmerican

that's what we should call this bull crap...UnAmerican!

[FSogol]

8. Agreed. The GOP are so small-minded. Their vision of what America can do is pathetic. n/t