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Keep up the good work

Keep up the good work

John Boehner alienated most of the members of his own party, he couldn't survive efforts to have him removed. He violated the First Amendment in having the Pope speak in the Capitol before a joint session of Congress. What you need to understand is that the conservatives alone were not enough to force this there are only really about 29 Conservatives in the House of Representatives. He had alienated pretty much the entire GOP in the House except for about 19 of his closest supporters. He was not going to survive a vote to vacate the chair.

I'm an Independent always have been.

George Washington warned us of the partisanship of political parties and well no one listened. (You should read his farewell address). Andrew Jackson warned us of the growing bureaucracy of Washington DC, he proposed that no one be in Washington more than 4 years (that includes the President, Senators, Vice President, Representatives, Cabinet, any appointed office, even the secretaries) in all but one of his state of the union addresses (his addresses are long but keep in mind back then they were not speeches but written documents presented to Congress).

If it weren't for the draconian ballot laws the Democrats and Republicans made in each of the 50 states to keep themselves in power then both parties would have long ago collapsed under their own weight.

I hear most of you railing against the Republicans but the Democrats are no different. Do you think Thomas Jefferson could get nominated today by the Democrat party he founded? How about someone from the 20th century, Franklin Delano Roosevelt or John Fitzgerald Kennedy? The Democrats today would never nominate anyone like them.

The biggest problem in our federal government is the lack of an increase in our Representation. In 1789 there was 1 member of the House of Representatives per 30,000 inhabitants. Today the ratio is 1 per 713,000 inhabitants. We as a society have the least representation for the people of any republic or constitutional monarchy. The artificial ceiling of 435 was set in 1911. They've kept it small as another means to ensure they stay in power.

Take the United Kingdom for example they have 1 per 100,000 inhabitants in their House of Commons and last I recall had 8 political parties with seats. India has dozens of parties.

The Democrats drove out many moderate members years ago, and yes the GOP is pushing many out now, but that could be a good thing, we might see the rise of a third and even fourth party. Competition improves results.

I don't believe I said anything about her jet. And her comments were much more negative and clearly an attack than you have tried to downplay them. Suggesting the other side would do the same thing doesn't make it right either. Partisan association doesn't change what is classy

Blue, do you not think I know that the range of the gulf stream is 7,000 miles. How far do you think it is across the country. You are smarter than those fool democrats in California.

The party is in disarray. Everyone knows it. Pelosi is a ***** and always will be a *****. Everyone knows that too so why be surprised when she behaves like one. She will show her true colors every chance she gets. What I hate is that my party is giving her so many opportunities. Like OCM said "Teabillies, left wing young idealists, anti-government free citizens, and stupid loud mouths are not what we need". Neither is Trump or any other blowhard. We need a Reagan, a GHW Bush or someone. Right now Alvin The Chipmunk would look pretty good. My grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw the mess the party has become both on a national level and here in our own county.

Maybe I missed something but I heard Pelosi say that the Republican Party was in disarray......that's not off putting and as Minority Leader it was appropriate for her to comment. Sure it would have happened if the roles had been reversed. Plus the party is in disarray although I can think of other descriptions.

And Basking you know better that that old bs about the jets.....

http://www.factcheck.org/20...sonal-jet/

Another option, she didn't even have to comment at all. But she held a press conference so she could make a negative attack.

She proved what and who she is. A no class b###ch who sponged off the tax payers each weekend with her ride across the country.

I'm not talking about praising him. Just have the class to say good bye and best of luck. Using such a moment as a chance to get a dig in is tasteless

Basking - Pelosi can't heap praise on Boehner in public at this time. That makes the internal GOP situation worse. She is under the gun to deliver the House democrats when the time comes for the middle of the road GOP can't take it anymore and make a deal with her so that government can function.

She can't make room in the Democratic party for them because the Dems have too many left wingers in New England and on the Pacific Coast to tolerate folks with less progressive values and a valid fear of large government.

The major political attacks on Hillary are coming from the far left of the Democratic Party - they hate her more than Roger Ailes or Rush Limbaugh because she has always been a Hawk, and will make deals with the middle and sometimes with the right - as traditional pols do - make deals between disparate parties. I voted for old man Bush and supported him over Reagan. A party that can hold GHWB, Bill Clinton, Hillary, Bob Dole, etc., etc under the same tent., is what this nation needs. Teabillies, left wing young idealists, anti-government free citizens, and stupid loud mouths are not what we need.

The founders did not envision the two party system, but that system is designed to keep policy between the 35 yard lines in an endless scrimmage in the near middle of the field. We can't sustain parties that are purely ideological left and right like they do in Europe. It will destroy us.

I'm a Democrat, but my favorite political person was William F. Buckley. You used to be able to depend on Republicans to support common sense and keep an eye on spending and warn against unforeseen externalities. You used to be able to depend on Democrats to propose social programs that we well meaning and had some semblance of logic with the goal lo bringing everyone together like a large melted crayon instead of valuing differences to the point of having no center.

We have 4 perhaps 8 years to change things until the two parties are no more than Labor and the Conservative party in the UK. But there is no one with enough gravitas to stand above the fray. There is no Washington, no FDR, no Lincoln, no Churchill, no Eisenhower, - even the most popular Pope in a thousands years can hardly move the wing nuts.

Even Queen Elizabeth is soon to be dead. Whose voice of reason and unity is left?

The GOP was in trouble way before the Tea Party movement. The party had lost track of its own core, and threw conservatism out the window. The party pandered to the religious right, but forgot fiscal responsibility and the ideology of smaller government. Then, once they gained control of both houses and the executive branch, the power went to their heads. Instead of sticking by what they had preached, they used the opportunity for revenge. A chance to get their cake. They went nuts spending and expanding the government and not worrying about how to pay for it. The initial tea party movement was the GOP's chance at reform and salvation. But the powers in charge couldn't stand the idea of having their thrown taken away and sabatoged the Tea Party with the zealots and anarchists.

OCM, you said in your opening statement, what I agree with. Our party is imploding. It's been a down hill slide since Tea Sippers first emerged. We are heading so far right that we are going to fall off the map. Maybe the Speaker will throw his hat in. Pelosi may be afraid of the same thing.

What I found most disturbing was Pelosi didn't have the class to say "wish you well Mr Speaker, best of luck in your future endeavors". No, she had to use it to make a commentary about what poor shape the GOP is in. Well, she should worry about her own party who's top candidate right now is looking at jail time for mishandling classified information.

I believe you previously said ideology is a good thing. I guess only when it matches your own

And all of the Republican Presidential candidates are kissing the ring of tea publicans and extreme religious conservatives at the Value Voters Forum aka Duggerfest.

"If we are splintered, a moderate establishment candidate runs up the middle with 23 percent of the vote, steals the nomination and then loses to Hillary Clinton in the general election," said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. "We have a simple task before us. If conservatives unite, we win."

Yeah right......everyone will vote for Sen. Cruz. If Mitt would have ran as the ex-governor of MA and not tried to swing so far right he might be President today.

I hate to see Boehner go but I'm sure it's been pure **** dealing with some of the nut jobs in the House.

IF GWB was not such an idiot and trusted Dick Cheney and the DOD secretary, he and Bill Clinton might have been able to establish a real part in the middle making the far left and far fight rumps. The left would probably hold together as a viable party, but the far right would become the Fascist Party and remain marginalized.

Pelosi pushed out the conservative dems, only Hillary can get them back, but the New England Libs are so far left they want Hillary out of the party. God help us.

Where is Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger when you need them.

It was definitely a shocking move and I agree. It showed that the radicalization of both parties is almost complete. There is no room in politics for moderate politicians. So those of us that are truly moderate essentially have no party.

We are enter dangerous times. The speaker leaving is the final sign that the old GOP is dead. In it's place is an ideological, anti-government mess. That allows the Democratic party to swing to the left allowing the center to be essentially abandoned. We were due for an end to the 6th party system, I didn't expect to see it today.

Boehner would make a good veep for a moderate Democratic president.

The right and left wing nut jobs need to be put down otherwise this country will wildly oscillate. We have not had such internal political instability since the 1930's and prior to that in 1858-1861.