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Boehner Call Obama's Votes "Chickenshit"
Stumping for McCain in Oxford, Ohio, House Minority Leader John Boehner called Obama out for his "present" votes:
"Now, listen, I've voted 'present' two or three times in my entire 25-year political career, where there might have been a conflict of interest and I didn't feel like I should vote," Boehner said. "In Congress, we have a red button, a green button and a yellow button, alright. Green means 'yes,' red means 'no,' and yellow means you're a chickenshit. And the last thing we need in the White House, in the oval office, behind that big desk, is some chicken who wants to push this yellow button."
Only one problem for Boehner: In the House, the equivalent to a present vote is to abstain. And in contrast to Obama's present votes, which accounted for 3 percent of his total votes cast, Boeher has abstained 5 percent of the time. Apparently the "chickenshit" button gets plenty of use in Boehnerland.
"Now, listen, I've voted 'present' two or three times in my entire 25-year political career, where there might have been a conflict of interest and I didn't feel like I should vote," Boehner said. "In Congress, we have a red button, a green button and a yellow button, alright. Green means 'yes,' red means 'no,' and yellow means you're a chickenshit. And the last thing we need in the White House, in the oval office, behind that big desk, is some chicken who wants to push this yellow button."
Only one problem for Boehner: In the House, the equivalent to a present vote is to abstain. And in contrast to Obama's present votes, which accounted for 3 percent of his total votes cast, Boeher has abstained 5 percent of the time. Apparently the "chickenshit" button gets plenty of use in Boehnerland.
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Favorite comment from a thread elsewhere:
"That's President Chickenshit, Mr. Boner."
November 1, 2008 2:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, 5%, I agree, that is chickenshit. This Boehner guy is hitting the "chickenshit button" like there's no tomorrow and complaining about Obama. Disgraceful. I can only imagine how upset you'd be if he abstained 46% of the time. Ummm, like Obama did. I'm sure you're plenty pissed off at that Obama dude now, like 9 times more pissed at him than you are at Boehner.
November 1, 2008 3:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Source for the 46% (since I was skeptical at first).
Of course, Obama's not alone in that. McCain has abstained 64% of the time. Presumably, Boehner won't be voting for that chickenshit Senator. ;)
(Also, although 5% is fairly low, it betrays his claim to have only voted "present" 2 or 3 times.)
November 1, 2008 7:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
The point, I think, is that Boehner is living in a glass house.
November 1, 2008 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
One other point. I don't fault McCain or Obama in this case. They're both running for president and voting during a run for president is a minefield best avoided altogether. Boehner, on the other hand, is a chickenshit.
November 1, 2008 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm... I don't recall the time when Obama called Boehner's votes "chickenshit". Do you? Would you point me to an example of when Obama hypocritically called Boehner's votes chickenshit? Thanks.
November 1, 2008 9:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Wasn't it Boehner who claimed that Repubs wouldn't vote for the bailout bill the first time because Pelosi's speech hurt their feelings? Sounds like the very definition of poultry droppings to me.
November 1, 2008 8:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Three conclusions that immediately came to mind upon reading this: (1) Rep. Boehner is pissed at the failure of his efforts to suppress the vote in OH; (2) Rep. Boehner is resigned to the likelihood that Obama is going to win OH and the national election and he is humiliated; and (3) Rep. Boehner can no longer get it up.
November 1, 2008 8:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
HaHaHa. Isuspect you are right on all three counts.
November 1, 2008 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, upon hearing about Illinois' "Present" voting option, I thought that it would be a good thing for Wisconsin to adopt. If a bill comes to vote that interests you but contains elements you think need review and modification, having an option to not pass the bill but to keep it alive for further review seems like a smart way to do things. Rather than the passage of a potentially bad bill or the defeat of a potentially good bill, a vote resulting in a measure of "present" votes may convince the bill's authors to huddle with the "present" voters to produce a solid bill that would pass on a subsequent vote. Makes sense to me. However, Senator Boner's world, like so many Republicans, is strictly a binary, black or white, yes or no landscape. A "present" vote falls outside the normal 1s and 0s and is beyond his comprehension. And while I don't like to stoop to this level, of all the guys in the House, Republicans or Dems, Boner is a real turd.
November 1, 2008 9:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Beautifully explained. I'd love to hear Sarah Palin take a stab at it. She's not very good at nuance. Come to think of it she's not very good at straight up and down facts either, like what the First Amendment says, or what the VEEP does.
November 1, 2008 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Boehner really makes you long for Denni Hassert. And that takes some serious loooooooonging!
November 1, 2008 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Present."
Rep. Boehner? I have known chicken, sir, and more importantly have had dealings with chickenshit, up close and (very) personal. Obama is no chicken or any derivative thereof.
You, on the otherhand, remind me of the horses-patoot-flys that roll around and reproduce in said derivative.
This chicken has spoken.
November 1, 2008 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well-done! :)
November 1, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any man who cries in public as much as Mr. Boner should think twice before calling anyone chickenshit.
November 1, 2008 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink