It’s crying time again, but not for the Speaker of the House

“Oh it’s crying time again you’re going to leave me/I can see that faraway look in your eyes … ” — ‘Crying Time’ — Buck Owens

John Boehner announced today that he was leaving his position as both a member and as Speaker of the House come the end of October. The Ohio Republican known for his tearful disposition did not have a faraway look in his eyes Thursday as Pope Francis delivered the first address by a pontiff in history. No, Boehner, a Catholic, looked as if it was all he could do to hold back tears.

One cannot blame the 65-year-old House leader. For someone whose job is more difficult than herding cats, day in and day out, the job of shepherding a GOP-led Congress could make many a grown men cry.

A pot-calling-the-kettle-black quote from no less than New York Republican Rep. Peter King announced: “The crazies have taken over the party.” And all this time I thought King, who media critic Jack Shafer once described as “an exploding carbuncle masquerading as a member of Congress,” was a monarch of the crazies. Maybe King was not royal enough to be called King King of the Crazies, but at the very least he could be the Earl of Squirrels.

Perhaps the most personally encouraging news from the Boehner’s resignation is that the chance of a government shutdown has been lowered, at least according to some political experts. Whether that report from Politico is merely based on spin from some pols is hard to know. As was the case in the previous shutdown and all of those times such a lockout threat existed, this has not kept the government and its employee unions from telling workers to get ready. That is the only responsible move to make but that makes such warnings no less scary.

Boehner was seen by many as a moderate Republican although his more radical colleagues did not have the same opinion. His “go along to get along” attitude could often cast him as one with his crazy political family. My opinion of the speaker — as kindly as I can say — is he has been a rather talented political flake. There were times when I was tempted to admire him and a minute later declare what an ass****.

I have no reason to believe any of those mentioned who are

once Boehner is gone will be better for the country than what is around at the moment. I have to predict the worse because that is what we have received from Republicans for so many years, so many decades, now.

So read ’em and weep. But don’t cry for John B. I’m sure he’ll land a cushy lobbying job.