By Douglas V. Gibbs
John Boehner, looking more orange than even usual for him, took a larger than your average gavel from the hands of Nancy Pelosi today.
But he managed not to cry - oh, wait, he did cry.
The Republican out of Ohio is the new Speaker of the House. The reign of Queen Pelosi is over, and if Boehner even is half as good at his opening remarks, he may have a chance of being worth a plugged nickel. I have never been a huge fan of Boehner, partly because his attitude often rides with the establishment, and partly because of his globalist tendencies. But, I am hoping his fear of the people will override his elitist politician tendencies.
Boehner's opening remarks were full of neat nuggets that shows he understands the problems, and has a few solutions - or at least is willing to listen to the people a bit (or at least listening to him, that is what I was getting from it): ". . . Our spending has caught up with us and our debt soon will eclipse the entire size of our national economy. . . The American people have humbled us. They have refreshed our memories to just how temporary the privilege of serving is. They remind us that everything here is on loan from them. That includes this gavel, which I accept cheerful and gratefully knowing that I am but its caretaker. After all, this is the people's House. . . This is their Congress. It's about them, not about us. What they want is a government that's honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs. . . A government that respects individual liberty, honors our heritage, and bows before the public that it serves. . . an emphasis on real transparency, greater accountability, and a renewed focus on our Constitution. . . Our aim will be to give the government back to the American people. . . We will dispense with the conventional wisdom that bigger bills are always better, that fast legislating is good legislating. . . mindful of the lessons of the past. . . legislators and the public will have three days to read a bill before it comes to a vote, legislation will be more focused, properly scrutinized, and constitutionally sound.
. . Old rules that have made it easy to increase spending will be replaced by new reforms that make it easier to cut spending, and we will start by cutting Congress' own budget. . . we will welcome the battle of ideas, encourage it, engage it, openly, honestly, and respectfully. . . As the chamber closest to the people, the House works best when it is allowed to work its will. And I ask members of this body to join me in recognizing this common truth. And to my colleagues in the majority, my message is this. We will honor our Pledge to America, built on a process of listening to the American people. We will stand firm on our constitutional principles that built our party and built a great nation. We will do these things, however, in a manner that restores and respects the time-honored right of the minority to an honest debate, a fair and open process. And to my friends in the minority, I offer a commitment. Openness. Once a tradition of this institution but increasingly scarce in recent decades will be the new standard. There were no open rules in the House in the last Congress. In this one, there will be many. And with the restored openness, however, come a restored responsibility. You will not have the right to willfully disrupt the proceedings of the people's House, but you will always have the right to a robust debate in an open process that allows you to represent your constituents, to make your case, offer alternatives, and be heard. . . it's critical that this institution operate in a manner that permits a free exchange of ideas and resolves our honest differences through a fair debate and vote. . . "
And so the GOP-led House of Representatives of 2011 begins.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Boehner takes reins in House - Washington Times
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