Posted on 08/28/2012 9:18:22 AM PDT by Hunton Peck
House Speaker John Boehner--who two years ago led House Republicans in releasing the 48-page “A Pledge to America” to tell voters what Republicans would do if they won control of the House--mocked the national platform produced by the delegates to the Republican National Convention by telling a group of reporters in Tampa on Monday that the document should have been restricted to "one sheet of paper" if the delegates wanted anybody to read it.
“Have you ever met anybody who read the party platform?” Boehner said at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. “I’ve not met ever anybody.”
Some of the reporters in the room met Boehner’s remarks with laughter.
The same day Boehner made these remarks, legendary conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly had published an op-ed in the Washington Times—that was linked on The Drudge Report—and that was headlined: “Republican Platform best yet.”
Every four years, grassroots activists from around the country who have won seats as delegates at the Republican National Convention develop the party’s national platform. Each state delegation assigns two of its members, one male and one female, to a special committee that works on the platform and then presents it to the full convention for approval. Some activists work for months just to win the right to attend the convention so they have a chance at influencing a platform that officially defines the principles and policy positions for which the party stands.
At Monday's Christian Science Monitor breakfast, John Gizzi of Human Events asked Boehner what he thought of the platform the committee had produced this year.
“The Republican platform is circulating about in different copies, online, in print,” said Gizzi. “Based on the reports you’ve seen, is this a good document to run on fully, and in particular, the parts about auditing the federal reserve, number one, and the review of government agencies as to their efficiency without calling for shutting them down. Are those things you feel that Republican House members can run on comfortably?”
Boehner did not answer Gizzi’s question, but responded by first assuring the reporters present that he had not read the platform.
“Well, I have not seen the platform,” said Boehner.
“But from every indication that I’ve heard I don’t see any major changes in this platform from what we have had in the past,” Boehner continued. “And if it were up to me I would have the platform on one sheet of paper. Have you ever met anybody who read the party platform? I’ve not met ever anybody.
“It ought to be on one sheet of paper,” said Boehner. “And, guess what? I was on this kick about, oh, I don’t know, at least 8 or 12 years ago, that we ought to have a one-page party platform. That way Americans could actually read it. Might be willing to read it. Might.”
In her column stating that the GOP platform “may be the best one ever adopted,” Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly notes that the new platform reiterated the Republican Party’s longstanding commitment to the belief that “the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” takes a tough stand on illegal immigration, and backs “American military superiority.”
But Schlafly also pointed out that the platform addresses new issues such as President Obama’s actions that many Catholics and Christian conservatives consider attacks on religious freedom.
“The platform,” she writes, “speaks loud and clear against the Obama administration’s ‘war on religion,’ which is trying ‘to compel faith-related institutions, as well as believing individuals, to contravene their deeply held religious, moral or ethical beliefs regarding health services, traditional marriage or abortion.”
Despite Boehner's call for “a one-page party platform,” the 48-page “A Pledge to America” that he and other House Republican leaders released before the 2010 election, included an introduction that all by itself was two pages long.
Among other things, it said: “An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.'
They don’t write the bills they pass AND don’t read them.
The Apollo group wrote Obamacare.
Amen!!!
Bonehead just finished a deal with H. Reid to fund Obamacare into 2013. Pols just have a gift for lying.
Bashing Boehner is routine sport here.
You tell ME, however, what is false about what Boehner said? Every word of it is true.
He hasn’t read the platform. He doesn’t know of anyone who has read it. (Talking about the whole platform not merely a few sentences).
If you want people to MAYBE read it, it needs to be on a single sheet of paper.
Blam, blam, blam...every statement is the unvarnished truth.
Spin it any way you wish, headline it any way you wish, bash Boehner to heart’s content, he spoke the truth.
Back in December Rush Limbaugh named her as one of the true conservative firebrands in the presidential race. He said she doesn’t just tell people what they want to hear, she believes it.
As speaker she would face a lot of opposition from the moderates but she would empower conservative voices in congress.
I’d love to read it. Anybody know where it’s posted?
They should give Bonehead the Kleenex concession booth. That’s about the only thing this sissy can handle.
“You tell ME, however, what is false about what Boehner said?”
The problem isn’t one of truth or falsity; the problem is that it’s a trivial and unresponsive reply to an important question.
Nobody in the House ever reads anything, whether it’s one page or near 2500 pages like Obamacare. Remember, “we have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.” — Pelosi.
Boehner is just talking about following long time House tradition.
Just yesterday I was wondering what the hell has happened to Juan Boehner.
Haven’t heard a thing from him in months.
Such a disappointment, such a worthless “leader”.
Among other things, it said: “An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.’
Are they talking about the GOP?
Maybe that’s why Boehner doesn’t want to read it (or have his staff read it for him).
I think he was telling the truth and actually makes a lot of sense. Since he has a “reputation” here, he could spout straight FR party-line and still be ridiculed.
Thanks!
Hey, there you go spoiling a perfectly good rant by stating the obvious.
Is this an accurate quote? If so its quite scary that someone with this grammar deficiency represents the Repub party.
“its quite scary that someone with this grammar deficiency represents the Repub party.”
You must have really hated G.W. Bush.
Maybe if Tammy Faye ever stubbed out his cigarette and came up for air from the bottom of a bottle he might have a clue. This guy is a joke and a buffoon and a large part of what is wrong with the GOP.
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