Boehner: Sure Obama's A Citizen, But I Won't Tell Others 'What To Think' (VIDEO)

Boehner on Birthers: "It's Not Up to Me to Tell Them What to Think"
House Speaker John Boehner was asked by NBC's Brian Williams today about how much responsibility he feels for an incident on the House floor this morning in which an apparent "birther" yelled out from the gallery while the Constitution was being read. As Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) read the portion of the Constitution mandating that only a "natural-born citizen" may be president, a woman in the gallery shouted, "Except Obama, except Obama." You can watch the video at left. Williams noted tha...

John Boehner Can't Think Of A Single Government Program He Would Cut
Email Sent! You have successfully emailed the post. New Speaker of the House John Boehner was unable to come up with a single government program he would cut when quized by NBC's Brian Williams (via Below The Beltway). WILLIAMS : Name a program right now that we could do without. BOEHNER : I don’t think I have one off the top of my head. The news is definitely concerning Conservatives who thought the new Congress was prepared to take a real hatchet to Government Spending. If after four ye...

Speaker John Boehner Cant Think Of A Single Program He Would Cut
This is not a good sign: Visit MSNBC.com for breaking news, world news, and news about The Economy WILLIAMS: Name a program right now that we could do...

Dissecting Speaker Boehner's Big Gavel
What is this? House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio holds up the gavel during the first session of the 112th Congress. House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio holds up the gavel during the first session of the 112th Congress. I certainly wasn't the the only one to notice how big John Boehner's gavel was. Even Nancy Pelosi, who became Minority Leader, made a quip when she handed the gavel to the newly minted speaker of the house. She said: "I now pass this gavel — which is larger than most gavels h...

Zandar's Thought Of The Day
If this is the new normal for the Tea Party right (and every indication that these inmates are indeed well ensconced in administration and day-to-day affairs of the asylum) then the next two years are going to be awesome. An apparent member of the Birther Movement seated in the gallery of the House of Representatives on Thursday interrupted a reading of the Constitution. The woman yelled out "Except Obama, except Obama, help us Jesus!" as Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) read the "natural born citizen"...

By the Skin of Pelosis Clenched Teeth
As if it wasn’t bad enough for Democrats, still licking their wounds from last year’s Elections, the party’s House Caucus leadership still finds itself in a state of obnoxious disarray and factionalism.  The signs of bitter internal fights are still apparent, from anxious Progressives clearly dissatisfied with the current political playing field and bitter moderate Blue Dogs blindly grabbing through the darkness of a Capitol Hill abyss. Months of circular Firing Squads and...

Brian Williams to Boehner: Do you feel responsible somehow for the Birthers?
The oddest part of this question is that Boehner’s nothing like the stereotypical tea partier, which of course is whom Williams has in mind in asking this. He’s a consummate Beltway insider, less known for passionate ideological Rhetoric than for his Golf game (and for crying, natch). He’s probably bewildered by the whole Birther phenomenon. And in fact, he’s been answering this question the same way for upwards of two years. But if you land an exclusive with the Speake...

Absolutely pathetic! Brian Williams blames John Boehner for the birther heckler
Absolutely pathetic! Brian Williams blames John Boehner for the birther Heckler No bowing by Brian Williams this time, like he did to Obama in 2009, but plenty of blame and vitriol. I guess I should expect this against John Boehner (or any Republican), and especially from NBC. Of course there wouldn’t be much difference from CBS, ABC, or CNN either. But somehow, according to Williams, John Boehner should feel responsible for the birther heckler who interrupt the constitution reading earl...

Boehner to 'birthers': Hawaii good enough for me
Source: MSNBC Boehner to 'birthers': Hawaii good enough for me New GOP House Speaker tells NBC Nightly News he doesn't question Obama's Citizenship; calls new health law 'biggest job killer' New Republican House Speaker John Boehner says he doesn't question President Barack Obama's place of birth but it's not within his purview to tell others what to think. "The state of Hawaii has said that President Obama was born there. That's good enough for me," Boehner, R-Ohio, told NBC 's Brian Williams ...

The Economy and 2012
Tea Partiers, William Daley and David Plouffe, birthers, John Boehner, Sarah Palin, "the professional left" -- all will play marginal roles in deciding who wins the next Presidential Election. But almost nothing is likely to be as decisive as a single number: the Unemployment Rate. And so today's signs of continued Economic Growth, while superficially encouraging, don't offer much consolation for Barack Obama: “It could take four to five more years for the Job Market to normalize fully,...

Where Are The Jobs? House GOP Keeps Quiet About Latest Employment Report
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that The Economy added 103,000 jobs in December and the Unemployment Rate dropped to from 9.8 to 9.4 percent. It marked the twelfth consecutive month of private-sector job growth, and the totals from October and November were both revised upward. In 2010, it was a monthly ritual on the first Friday of every month for House Republicans to aggressively spin the jobs numbers to fit their midterm message. When the employment picture was gloomy, ...

Birther interrupts the reading of the Constitution in the House (Video)
The Republican effort to improve their image by reading the Constitution aloud in the House has created Controversy on a number of fronts.  Earlier today Vanity Fair revealed the recital likely cost Taxpayers around $1.1 million due to staff salaries which had to be paid to hold the event.  Later critics noted the absence of certain provisions of the Constitution, which were conveniently edited out by Republicans.  When the House finally got around to actually reading the Constitu...

Conflict Constitutionalists
As promised, the very reverent reading of the Constitution was staged in the hallowed halls of Congress today. The tragicomedic production was not without its moments of high drama. When they got to the "President shall be a natural born citizen" clause, a Birther in the audience burst out in an anguished solliloquy. Help us Jesus indeed. But the drama wasn't entirely confined to the gallery. The GOP went all PC on the script and decided on an abridged version of the Sacred Document, leaving ...

Birther Disrupts Congress
A woman doubting the natural born citizen status of US President Barack Obama disrupted a reading of the American Constitution during the Thursday morning opening of the US Congress. “Except Obama! Except Obama!,” shouted the woman, after Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., read the passage from the US Constitution that says “no person, except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of the United States” is eligible for the presidency. “Help us, Jesus!,” the woman cried ...

Heckling birther disrupts Congress
Stumble This! WASHINGTON — A woman screaming that President Barack Obama was not legitimately elected to the White House disrupted a symbolic reading of the US Constitution in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Capitol police removed the Protester, who shouted "Except Obama! Except Obama! Help us Jesus!" as Democratic Representative Frank Pallone read the passage that spells out the requirements for becoming president. Some of Obama's arch-conservative opponents have leveled the un...

Birther outburst during Pallone's reading of the U.S. Constitution
As designated by the House GOP majority, Thursday morning was set aside for a full reading of the U.S. Constitution. During one part of it, a spectator in the gallery exercised her First Amendment right of Freedom of Speech. What set her off? No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to th...

Boehner shoots down the Birthers
In an interview with Brian Williams , House Speaker John Boehner set the record straight on the president's birthplace, after a birther interrupted the reading of the Constitution in Congress. Said Boehner: "The state of Hawaii has said that President Obama was born there. That's good enough for me." Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner t...

As the U.S. Constitution is Read on the Floor...
It's never been done before. The U.S. Constitution has NEVER been read on the floor of the Congress. And to no one's surprise, the voting records of most Congressmen demonstrate they've never read the document for themselves! So as you know, GOA initiated a campaign early last month to require the incoming Congress to read the Constitution. And our effort paid off yesterday when the House of Representatives read the Constitution on the floor of that chamber. This was quite a historic event. On...

New General Assembly should abide by Tennessee Constitution
When Beth Harwell became Speaker of the House, there was a lot of crying not only from Tea Party groups but from many Conservatives who feared that Harwell would be too moderate for their taste. Because of the composition of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, there is simply no way that Harwell could have been elected without conservative support, and judging by Harwell's response not only on Second Amendment matters, but questions such as how the State might handle Immigration-related issue...

Whatever happenedto real reporting?
I'm watching the coverage of the disruption of the House of Representatives during the reading of the Constitution today by a Protester who questioned Barack Obama's eligibility for the presidency. Here's what USA Today said: "A Protester who says President Obama wasn't Born in the USA was arrested this morning for disrupting the reading of the Constitution in the House chamber." Not true. That's not what Theresa Cao said. Even though we have all had the opportunity to watch the video and he...

Steve King Snubbed For Immigration Subcommittee
WASHINGTON -- Iowa Republican and anti-illegal Immigration hardliner Steve King was passed over for the leading position on the House Immigration subcommittee on Friday. Having served as ranking member on the subcommittee since 2007, King was expected to be given the chairmanship this year. Instead, Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) selected Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), another Immigration hawk with a slightly lower media profile. Taking up the mantle of former Rep. Tom Tan...

Card: GOP must not block debt limit
You know how John Boehner and some hosts on Fox are trying to convince people that Republicans are serious about blocking an increase in the Debt Limit unless President Obama agrees to the GOP plan to immediately slash Federal spending? Well, as former Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card explained to Fox viewers earlier today, Conservatives shouldn't bet on winning this hostage crisis. Boehner and the GOP aren't going to follow through on their threat because the stakes are too high -- blocking the d...

Boehner is no 'Birther': The State Of Hawaii Has Said President Obama Was Born There. Thats Good Enough For Me"
New House Speaker Boehner isn't interested in taking up the 'birther' cause....

Administration Speaks Out Against GOP Repeal of Healthcare Law
The White House yesterday released a statement in opposition to H.R. 2, the repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act. The bill, sponsored by Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, would not only Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but also portions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 that address health care. In addition, H.R. 2 would put back into effect any laws that were amended or repealed by both Acts at the time of their passage....

Apology of the day
Jonathan Allen reports: In a letter to be distributed Friday night, Reps. Pete Sessions and Mike Fitzpatrick apologize to all 433 of their House colleagues for voting after missing out on taking their official oath of office during Wednesday’s opening ceremonies of the 112th Congress. The swearing-in of members of Congress is required by Article 6 of the Constitution, and Republican lea...