Boehner on Obama: ‘We Come From Different Planets’
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Speaker of the House John Boehner said this morning that he has a “cordial” relationship with President Obama, but that the men come from “two different planets.”
“We have a good relationship,” Boehner told a small group of reporters over breakfast. “We just come from two different planets.” He added: “We speak a different language.”
Boehner said he hasn’t even had a conversation with the president since December 23. Despite that, he says a top priority this year is to find a way to work with President Obama on creating jobs and reducing unemployment.
“While we have big differences in terms of the kind of policies that are good for the country, our job is to find common ground for the American people,” Boehner said.
But not only does Boehner rarely speak with the president, there is little trust between them. Describing his ill-fated talks last year with President Obama over a deficit-reduction deal, Boehner said, “It was like negotiating with someone who has never negotiated with anyone before.”
Boehner would not weigh in on the battle between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, but he said he didn’t not see any issue arising out of the 14 percent tax rate paid by Mitt Romney, noting that he paid everything he was required to pay and that President Obama’s tax return would also reflect different rates of taxation for income and capital gains.
As ABC News’ Jake Tapper reported earlier, Boehner said, “General Electric is more the face of a broken tax system.” General Electric paid no corporate income tax last year.
Boehner also had tough words for Democrats, saying they are “running on the politics of division and envy. To me, it is almost un-American.” He added: “John Kennedy said a rising tide lifts all boats.”
Regarding his often unruly Republican caucus, Boehner said he has reminded them that compromise is sometimes necessary.
“When they push for too much and vote no, they actually get less than if they had voted yes,” Boehner said, adding, “Voting with Nancy Pelosi is never a good idea.”
As for tonight’s state of the union address, Boehner said he has reminded all members of one rule: NO SAVING SEATS. In the past, some members have tried to leave coats or tape their names on the seats along the aisle so they can get a moment on national television as the president comes in the chamber. The only way to save a seat, Boehner said, is to be there in person — and only after the Capitol Police do their security sweep at 5:30 p.m.
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LOL, he sure got that right!
Obama comes from a planet where being a lying hypocrite is the norm.
Posted by: trish | January 24, 2012, 10:33 am 10:33 am
For a minute I thought he was talking about the Republican voting record of voting NO to anything the Democrats wanted before the 2010 election and the Senate record Filibusters by McConnell. I thought he was talking about the Tea party constant NO to anything Democrats want. He says the Democrats are about divided politics, yet the Republicans are even divided within their own party – the Tea Party has seen to that along with The Norquist Pledge. It is anger, not envy that has a lot of people angry. Anger that the Republicans have consistently refused ANY compromise, they held up any tax breaks for the middle class until they got an extension for the wealthiest 1%. He talks of division, yet it is his party that is so fractured. He does not even try to talk to the Democrats – he only negotiates with the tea party etc in his own party.
Posted by: pksk531 | January 24, 2012, 10:54 am 10:54 am
“We just come from two different planets.” – Boehner
Yep, Boehner’s formative years were spent in the United States.
Obama’s were spent in Indonesia.
Posted by: Noz | January 24, 2012, 11:38 am 11:38 am
Just goes to show you that pushing a broom as a youngster doesn’t equate to gathering ethics, since Boehner has none. By the redness of his face, he certainly looks like from another world. Oh wait, I think he is going to cry!
Posted by: MiketheElectrician | January 24, 2012, 11:48 am 11:48 am
Noz – I can look at that two ways. One is that Obama therefore has a more worldly view while Boehner is myopic and not open to anything new or different. Another way is that Obama is not as familiar with “American” ways as Boehner since he was not raised in the same culture. I have friends who are American but raised in Germany, Chile, Italy, Hong Kong, to name a few. Many military. Following your logic, they are not as “American” as I am because I grew up in the US.
Posted by: pksk531 | January 24, 2012, 11:50 am 11:50 am
Only in GOP land do they NOT know that the US and Indonesia are on the same planet.
Posted by: dylan | January 24, 2012, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
We knew along that Boehner wasn’t quite human – bulging eyes that watered mysteriously at weird times, no empathy or authenticity…. I’m glad he’s come clean. There had to be a reason he appealed to so many logic-impaired, decency-impaired humanoids with his pretense of having real emotions, and now it all makes sense. They walk among us…. They’re neo-fascist Republicans and he’s their leader.
Posted by: Cassandra | January 24, 2012, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Re: “Only in GOP land do they NOT know that the US and Indonesia are on the same planet.” You’re absolutely right, they’re logic-impaired, intelligence-impaired, emotion-impaired, Ill tempered, crude, easily frightened, gullible, and dumber than a sack of bricks. Neo-fascist Republicans have no idea in this world (or any other) that they’re dangerous to the country they claim to love.
Posted by: Cassandra | January 24, 2012, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
yea…Bo(eh)ner only says that because in his eyes he himself comes from a ‘white’ planet and
he thinks Our President comes from a ‘Blacks Only’ planet…or at least he wishes it still worked that way. If the Republicans had thier way they would repeal the Jim Crow Laws. People of color having thier fair share is just totally unacceptable to them. Taxing rich white folks is as ‘unfair’ to them as all those Jim Crow Laws…get a grip of the truth.
Posted by: lgough | January 24, 2012, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm
“Following your logic, they are not as “American” as I am because I grew up in the US.” – pksk531
I’m trying give a number as to how American Bama and Johnny are.
You are right though, if someone gets raised in a culture different than what we have here in America obviously they will have a different view point and different values.
Dylan, I don’t think you should take John’s or my reference to a different planet literally.
I don’t think most folks in La La Liberalistan would.
Posted by: Noz | January 24, 2012, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm
Oh my the Race card again……….ummmm…I think people have grown tired of it. Obama is an idiot and crook and calling people stupid names isn’t hiding this fact.
Posted by: saythetruth | January 24, 2012, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
Casandra, typical liberal, if you can’t criticize on political value you go and try to villionize republicans by name-calling and downright nastiness. You must be one frustrated individual. But you forgot to look back and see who is and does all the above. Your just what the democrats are looking for, don’t ask and use your brain just follow.
Posted by: Lizzie | January 24, 2012, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
Oops!
I’m NOT trying to give a number as to how American yada yada yada . . . .
Posted by: Noz | January 24, 2012, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Boehner is right; he and the President are certainly different. President Obama tries to do what is right for the middle class, takes the political hits and remembers where he came from.
John Boehner is the weakest Speaker of the House this country has ever had. He can’t control his own tea party republicans which results in a totally grid locked Congress. The man is a total phony.
Posted by: tmferretti | January 24, 2012, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
Have another scotch John!
Posted by: Jim | January 24, 2012, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
Posted by: Noz | January 24, 2012, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Often it is better to remain silent than to comment and demonstrate ones ignorance.
Posted by: Uncle Buckeye | January 24, 2012, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
“Often it is better to remain silent than to comment and demonstrate ones ignorance.” – Uncle Buckeye
Sorry, next time I’ll leave the mistake go uncorrected so that you can remain confused.
Posted by: Noz | January 24, 2012, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm