Van Hollen On House GOP: 'Speaker Boehner Is Not In Control'

[TomCADem]

Source: TPM

The ranking member on the House Budget Committee said Thursday that the tea party has taken over in the House of Representatives, and turned Speaker John Boehner into little more than a rubber stamp for their social agenda as the government careens toward its first shutdown since 1995.

"Speaker Boehner is not in control," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said on a conference call with reporters when asked by TPM about the prospects of a shutdown. "The tea party caucus has their hands on the steering wheel and they are prepared to drive right into a government shut down if they don't get 100% of their demands met."


Van Hollen said the tea party rejection of Democratic offers of billions of dollars in compromise budget cuts comes from a desire to attack entitlements and environmental laws, not reduce the size of government as they've claimed.

"To pretend that they care about deficit reduction here when their real goal is to use this budget battle to impose that social agenda is becoming more obvious everyday," Van Hollen said.


Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/van-hollen-on-house-gop-speaker-boehner-is-not-in-control.php?ref=fpb

[Newest Reality]

1. Effectively then

we are now being held economically hostage by a corporately inspired and funded faction.

Bleet? Bahhh! I have no idea what it will take for a massive and unequivocal response by the people, here.

What will it take? Will a passive cycle of nothing more than moaning and bitching lead to yet another upping of the ante? I have said we are at a very pivotal point. This is just another salvo in an ongoing process. When we let each one slide-by and pass us without a massive blow-back, the next one will come to up the stakes. This will not stop until we are ready to stop it, in one way or another.

[Bound by Honor]

2. And watch the Rethuglicans get exposed and Tea Party exposed

and finally, the financiers of the Tea Party a-holes exposed as true Republicans confusing the uninformed.

Hopefully it will lead to arrests and indictments of the people of the right.

[kysrsoze]

3. It's not that he's not in control - he's all for it. They ALL salivate about shutdown.

They did it to Clinton, and they ALL want to do it to Obama. This is just another nasty tool they use, just like all the state-level initiatives to destroy unions. If he were so damned concerned about the shutdown, he wouldn't be acting like a complete asshole over items like funding for NPR and Planned Parenthood. I'm so sick of their thinly veiled, continued drive to destroy ALL government outside of stocking corporate welfare slush funds.

[tcaudilllg]

4. The beginning of the end of the Demon Party.

Obama, do not negotiate with devils.

[freshwest]

5. Agreed.

[Diclotican]

6. TomCADem

TomCADem

I can't really understand why US, and the democratic party wil not play hardball with the republican opponent, and really make it clear where their stand are.... If they realy was willing to play hardball, they could point to where most of the WASTE in public spending are coming from.... The war profeteers.. And a military budget totaly out of propotions to what US really are in need of...

Not to say the top ten percent, who have most of the wealth, and are pitching for that the wealth who are not in the hand of the 10 percent are not to be in the hand of the rest...

And now US are really in troubles.. And more than posible are in for a total shutdown of most of public services... Like Clinton experienced when the republican Party was playing hardball with him too... I hope mr Obama have the balls now, to go out and tell the republicans to dear try him.. And also explain to everyone on national TV.. What the republican Party are interesting in, to shut down every single way of public spending, who benefit everyone.. Explain it in a way even the most dumb person can understand it.. And the suport of Obama wil go true the roof...

Diclotican

[Hotler]

18. Because the Dems are sponsored by the same big money group as the Repugs. n/t

[Delphinus]

7. Let the truth be told

from all the mouths of the M$M - let the truth be told what these folks are doing.

[BanzaiBonnie]

8. And the Tea Party is just a front anyway

And we see it when there is a push to leave all military spending intact. It's sacred of course... to the guys reaping the benefit.

[groundloop]

9. As I see it, the Publicans will always have the upper hand

Democrats care about the hundreds of thousands of people, including soldiers, who will go without paychecks. Democrats care about the people who won't be able to get needed services. Democrats care about national parks etc. that will be shut down.

Publicans don't give a shit about any of this, all they care about are imposing their "values" on everyone, and cutting taxes for the most wealthy - PERIOD. They don't care who they hurt, and therefore automatically have the upper hand in this game of chicken.

[Doctor_J]

10. He's just the pretty bright-orange face

to hide the reactionary psychos

[LiberalEsto]

11. In other words, the inmates are running the mental institution

I can't fathom for the life of me how such utter lunatics can have so much power.
And then I remember the Kochroaches.

[maddogesq]

12. So Boner has legislative ED.

Sorry, couldn't resist. :)

I knew he was weak day oe of this term.

[Frank Cannon]

13. ED (AKA "whiskey dick") is a common problem of chronic, active alcoholics

The tears that almost constantly flow are a sign that the booze just isn't numbing the pain of being a corrupt, useless piece of shit.

[hifiguy]

14. So now 50 fascists, neo-fascists and religious idiots

functionally control one house of Congress.

We are completely fucked.

[felix_numinous]

15. Yes--the RW has a social agenda of forcing a dictatorship.

They are not real Republicans, they agenda is not in the interests of the American people--we've got to wake up to this internal threat, and oust every one of these extremists before they destroy the country.

[and-justice-for-all]

16. There should not be any negotiating with terrorist...

i.e Teahadist.

[CrispyQ]

17. Horsey nails it:

:thumbsup:

[underpants]

19. Great toon

[mvd]

20. Van Hollen nailed it

K&R

Another thing - as Hartmann said, this thing could be solved if we went back to pre-Reagan tax levels. The Democrats should be saying that instead of joining the spending reduction chorus. The Repuke party is so controlled by the Tea Party that it won't happen, but it would be a good starting point for negotiations. Much better than agreeing to the original amount plus some cuts.

[TomCADem]

21. Nancy Pelosi Runs Circles Around Boehner As A Speaker

Pelosi could managed to get Blue Dogs, remember Bart Stupak, and liberals on Board to pass Health Care Reform, Financial Reform, and the Stimulus. But, Boehner can't even keep his position straighth in negotiations. He has no authority as Eric Cantor and Ryan are waiting to challenge him for the speaker position. He's weak.

[mvd]

22. Agree about Nancy. Reid, I'm less enthused about

I also think we need to tell the truth about the tax cuts being the real problem causing the deficit. I don't like the $38 billion in cuts figure, but if it avoids a shutdown, I'll reluctantly accept it. If we gave in on the EPA or Planned Parenthood, it's REALLY not a good deal.

[CrispyQ]

25. But he has a giant gavel.

:rofl:

He's a joke.

[Keith Bee]

23. Was it David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar who said this?

Just kidding: K&R! ;-)

[andym]

24. Many saw this coming: they have more than a social agenda

they want to destroy the federal government as a service and regulatory organization, leaving only the military as a legitimate governmental concern.

For example:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/andym/33