The Plum Line: john boehner


Posted at 11:54 AM ET, 02/05/2013

GOP's "makeover" is purely cosmetic
By Greg Sargent
On the same day as Eric Cantor's big "rebranding the GOP" speech, GOP leaders show no movement on three of the most pressing issues of the moment: Taxes, immigration, and guns.

By Greg Sargent  |  11:54 AM ET, 02/05/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  eric cantor, guns guns guns, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 03:45 PM ET, 01/08/2013

GOP disarray over debt ceiling
By Greg Sargent
More signs that Republicans don't have the leverage in the debt ceiling fight they claim.

By Greg Sargent  |  03:45 PM ET, 01/08/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  debt ceiling, john boehner, Mitch McConnell, Republicans

Posted at 12:10 PM ET, 01/07/2013

Republicans getting weak-kneed about debt ceiling fight
By Greg Sargent
Still more signs emerge that the debt ceiling doesn't give Republicans the leverage they've claimed.

By Greg Sargent  |  12:10 PM ET, 01/07/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  debt ceiling, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Mitch McConnell

Posted at 02:23 PM ET, 01/03/2013

Weakened Speaker Boehner means tough governing road ahead
By Greg Sargent
Weakened Speaker Boehner means tough governing road ahead

By Greg Sargent  |  02:23 PM ET, 01/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  House of Representatives, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 11:46 AM ET, 01/03/2013

Tea Party Republicans favor spending taxpayer money on anti-gay discrimination
By Greg Sargent
How many supposedly fiscally conscious, Constitution-loving Tea Party Members of the House favor spending money battling DOMA?

By Greg Sargent  |  11:46 AM ET, 01/03/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  gay rights, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 06:30 PM ET, 01/02/2013

Happy Hour Roundup
By Greg Sargent
Our nightly wrap-up of news and opinion.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:30 PM ET, 01/02/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  debt ceiling, fiscal cliff, gun control, Happy Hour Roundup, john boehner

Posted at 05:38 PM ET, 01/02/2013

In (partial) defense of John Boehner
By Jonathan Bernstein
The problem isn't the House Speaker. It's House Republicans.

By Jonathan Bernstein  |  05:38 PM ET, 01/02/2013 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 05:20 PM ET, 12/31/2012

A deal liberals can live with -- pending part two
By Jonathan Bernstein
The truth is it's extremely hard to evaluate these things even when everything is done and public

By Jonathan Bernstein  |  05:20 PM ET, 12/31/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, budget, fiscal cliff, Harry Reid, john boehner, Mitch McConnell, taxes

Posted at 10:45 AM ET, 12/31/2012

Have Democrats lost their leverage on the fiscal cliff?
By Jamelle Bouie
Democrats seem to be settling for a smaller deal.

By Jamelle Bouie  |  10:45 AM ET, 12/31/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, john boehner, Mitch McConnell, Republicans, Senate

Posted at 06:38 PM ET, 12/28/2012

Obama to GOP: Last chance
By Greg Sargent
The President signals to GOP leaders that if we do go over the cliff, he intends to extract maximum political pain for it.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:38 PM ET, 12/28/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Mitch McConnell

Posted at 09:13 AM ET, 12/21/2012

The Morning Plum: In Plan B implosion, House conservatives exit the conversation
By Greg Sargent
Last night's outcome confirms that House conservatives may not be capable of playing any role in the conversation over how to move the country forward.

By Greg Sargent  |  09:13 AM ET, 12/21/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, gun control, john boehner, Morning Plum, Newtown

Posted at 09:17 PM ET, 12/20/2012

Enjoy the Republicans' debacle, but don't read too much into it
By Jonathan Bernstein
Republicans made fools of themselves today, but the underlying situation hasn't changed.

By Jonathan Bernstein  |  09:17 PM ET, 12/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 01:24 PM ET, 12/20/2012

Boehner’s 'plan B’ would redistribute wealth upwards
By Greg Sargent
The plan repackages old conservative ideas that the electorate rejected in the 2012 elections.

By Greg Sargent  |  01:24 PM ET, 12/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 11:36 AM ET, 12/20/2012

Senate Dems likely won’t hold vote on Boehner’s 'plan B’
By Greg Sargent
Democrats believe they still hold the leverage, and see no percentage in throwing a lifeline to the House Speaker.

By Greg Sargent  |  11:36 AM ET, 12/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, Harry Reid, john boehner

Posted at 09:14 AM ET, 12/20/2012

The Morning Plum: White House should let Boehner keep twisting in the wind
By Greg Sargent
The President has already given enough ground. No more concessions.

By Greg Sargent  |  09:14 AM ET, 12/20/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Morning Plum

Posted at 06:17 PM ET, 12/19/2012

John Boehner, scourge of the wealthy, ctd.
By Greg Sargent
A new nonpartisan analysis of the Speaker's proposal shows how ludicrous it is for Republicans to expect Obama to support it.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:17 PM ET, 12/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 03:54 PM ET, 12/19/2012

And over the cliff we go
By Greg Sargent
John Boehner says Obama must accept the GOP plan, or we'll go over the cliff -- and the president will be blamed. He has things backwards.

By Greg Sargent  |  03:54 PM ET, 12/19/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 04:44 PM ET, 12/18/2012

John Boehner, scourge of the wealthy
By Greg Sargent
Obama's latest offer actually makes bigger concessions to the wealthy and to Republicans than it first appears.

By Greg Sargent  |  04:44 PM ET, 12/18/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 03:44 PM ET, 12/17/2012

Still a bad deal
By Greg Sargent
The current offer from John Boehner still asks Dems to make most of the concessions.

By Greg Sargent  |  03:44 PM ET, 12/17/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 09:13 AM ET, 12/17/2012

The Morning Plum: Is 'God, guns, and gays' losing its peril for Democrats?
By Greg Sargent
Demographic shifts mean that Dems no longer need rural white conservatives -- and no longer need to fear the cultural issues they care so much about.

By Greg Sargent  |  09:13 AM ET, 12/17/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  debt ceiling, fiscal cliff, gun control, john boehner, Morning Plum, Newton

Posted at 06:44 PM ET, 12/13/2012

Happy Hour Roundup
By Greg Sargent
Our nightly wrap-up of news and opinion.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:44 PM ET, 12/13/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, Happy Hour Roundup, john boehner, labor, State Department

Posted at 12:24 PM ET, 12/12/2012

Did Boehner ask for permanent tax cuts for rich?
By Greg Sargent
Judging by what was said in the private discussion between Obama and Boehner, we may be going over the cliff.

By Greg Sargent  |  12:24 PM ET, 12/12/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 01:54 PM ET, 12/11/2012

John Boehner slow-walks the country towards the fiscal cliff
By Greg Sargent
The House Speaker doesn't have any plays left, so he's just letting the clock run.

By Greg Sargent  |  01:54 PM ET, 12/11/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 09:09 AM ET, 12/10/2012

The Morning Plum: National Dems not giving up on Michigan "right to work" fight
By Greg Sargent
Top Michigan Democrats are meeting with Governor Rick Snyder to urge him to find a way out of the impasse, rather than further divide the state.

By Greg Sargent  |  09:09 AM ET, 12/10/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, Gay marriage, john boehner, labor, Morning Plum

Posted at 12:01 PM ET, 12/07/2012

John Boehner nervously eyes the clock
By Greg Sargent
The Speaker holds a press conference that only underscores his own weak hand.

By Greg Sargent  |  12:01 PM ET, 12/07/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 11:22 AM ET, 12/06/2012

Reminder: Obama has already agreed to big spending cuts
By Jamelle Bouie
Republicans don't really want "balance" from the White House. They want Obama to give them pretty much everything they want.

By Jamelle Bouie  |  11:22 AM ET, 12/06/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, john boehner, Medicare

Posted at 08:56 AM ET, 12/06/2012

The Morning Plum: A way out of the impasse?
By Greg Sargent
There is a way out of the fiscal cliff predicament for Republicans. The question is whether conservatives will allow them to take it.

By Greg Sargent  |  08:56 AM ET, 12/06/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Morning Plum

Posted at 02:45 PM ET, 12/04/2012

GOP needs to choose between business community and Tea Party
By Jonathan Bernstein
The GOP will alienate business groups if it remains in thrall to Tea Party fundamentalism.

By Jonathan Bernstein  |  02:45 PM ET, 12/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, john boehner, Tea Party

Posted at 11:42 AM ET, 12/04/2012

Magical thinking in new GOP fiscal cliff plan
By Greg Sargent
A nonpartisan tax expert says the new GOP plan may not even be feasible.

By Greg Sargent  |  11:42 AM ET, 12/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, House of Representatives, john boehner

Posted at 09:10 AM ET, 12/04/2012

The Morning Plum: GOPers expect to cave on tax rates for rich
By Greg Sargent
A well-connected conservative reporter says it's only a matter of time until Republicans cave on higher tax rates on the rich.

By Greg Sargent  |  09:10 AM ET, 12/04/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, Bush tax cuts, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Mitch McConnell, Morning Plum

Posted at 06:34 PM ET, 12/03/2012

Happy Hour Roundup
By Greg Sargent
Our nightly wrap-up of news and opinion.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:34 PM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  climate change, fiscal cliff, Happy Hour Roundup, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 04:49 PM ET, 12/03/2012

Boehner's offer: A start, but it's still unclear whether it's real
By Jonathan Bernstein
Boehner's offer still doesn't specify where new revenues would come from.

By Jonathan Bernstein  |  04:49 PM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  fiscal cliff, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 03:03 PM ET, 12/03/2012

John Boehner's exit strategy
By Greg Sargent
Boehner has an endgame at the ready -- he can just wait until he has no choice but to extend the middle class tax cuts.

By Greg Sargent  |  03:03 PM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, fiscal cliff, House of Representatives, john boehner

Posted at 12:23 PM ET, 12/03/2012

Why Washington should kick the can down the road
By Jamelle Bouie
Lawmakers should not allow more austerity amid such a weak recovery.

By Jamelle Bouie  |  12:23 PM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, congress, deficit reduction, Election 2012, fiscal cliff, john boehner

Posted at 11:04 AM ET, 12/03/2012

White House willing to go over fiscal cliff if absolutely necessary
By Greg Sargent
Senior administration officials say Obama is willing to go over the fiscal cliff if absolutely necessary -- enhancing his leverage.

By Greg Sargent  |  11:04 AM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Republicans

Posted at 08:59 AM ET, 12/03/2012

The Morning Plum: No more false equivalence. Both sides are not equally to blame.
By Greg Sargent
Our daily roundup of news and opinion.

By Greg Sargent  |  08:59 AM ET, 12/03/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, fiscal cliff, john boehner, Morning Plum

Posted at 06:27 PM ET, 11/29/2012

Happy Hour Roundup
By Greg Sargent
Our nightly wrap-up of news and opinion.

By Greg Sargent  |  06:27 PM ET, 11/29/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  barack obama, congress, fiscal cliff, Happy Hour Roundup, john boehner

Posted at 03:51 PM ET, 11/29/2012

Does Nancy Pelosi have any leverage in fiscal cliff talks?
By Sargent and Greg Sargent
The Democratic leader may subtly influence the process

By Sargent and Greg Sargent  |  03:51 PM ET, 11/29/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Tags:  congress, fiscal cliff, john boehner