Krugman On Boehner

Boehner and the Belt. Krugman rightly complains about Boehner's "common sense." Not quite a "good riddance," but more perspective than I showed in my last post.

Boehner To Resign From Congress By End Of October

The Pope Speaks — The Speaker Weeps

Basics available from Laura Clawson at Kos, though I heard the news first on ABC. Here's the statement from Boehner's office via Clawson:

Speaker Boehner believes that the first job of any Speaker is to protect this institution and, as we saw yesterday with the Holy Father, it is the one thing that unites and inspires us all. 

The Speaker's plan was to serve only through the end of last year. Leader Cantor's loss in his primary changed that calculation.

The Speaker believes putting members through prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution.

He is proud of what this majority has accomplished, and his Speakership, but for the good of the Republican Conference and the institution, he will resign the Speakership and his seat in Congress, effective October 30.

(Jeez, I thought when they said "the institution" they meant the Republican Conference. You mean the jokers actually acknowledge there are others in Congress than their own arrogant selfies selves?)

There's no love wasted on Boehner at Our House, but to the extent that his resignation makes another government shutdown more likely, or Obama's last year more difficult, I regret Boehner's sudden departure. Maybe it wasn't just the Pope's speech that left him in tears...