Ken Berwitz
A slow news day it ain\’t.
As they count the dead in Saudi Arabia, resulting from a “stampede” – for no clear reason – of Muslims making their hadj (well over 700…with more to come as the almost 1,000 injured either make it or don\’t),
As President Obama meets with the President of China,
and as the Pope gets ready to speak before the United Nations,
John Boehner has suddenly announced he is resigning as Speaker of the House and leaving congress altogether at the end of October.
Speaker Boehner has not yet announced the reasons for this super-fast departure. But, whatever he tells us, it is an excellent bet there is more that he will not be telling. Meanwhile, here is how CBS News is reporting this surprise (at least to me):
The Republican leader has come under fire from conservativesin the House GOP conference over whether or not to risk shutting down thegovernment over Planned Parenthood funding.
“The Speaker believes putting members through prolongedleadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution,” anaide for Boehner told CBS. “He is proud of what this majority hasaccomplished, and his Speakership, but for the good of the RepublicanConference and the institution, he will resign the Speakership and his seat inCongress, effective October 30.”
According to the aide, Boehner was ready to retire at theend of last year, but the unexpected loss of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor –who was ousted from office in the 2016 GOP primaryfor his Virginia seat — changed Boehner\’s plans.
There you go. If there\’s more to the story – as, again, I assume to be the case – I\’ll put it up as we find out.
Ok, what\’s next? A UFO sighting? The ghost of Harold Stassen entering the Republican primaries? Hillary Clinton dropping out to become a spokesperson for the Eagle Forum? Nothing will surprise me today.
