At a news conference this morning on the subject of debt-ceiling negotiations, President Obama went out of his way to compliment House Speaker John Boehner.
“I want to say I appreciate Speaker Boehner’s good-faith efforts,” Obama said. “…I think Speaker Boehner has been very sincere about trying to do something big… My experience with John Boehner has been good. I think he’s a good man who wants to do right by the country.”
A question naturally arises from these kind remarks: Given the high level of Obamaphobia in the GOP, does praise from the president actually undermine Boehner’s political position as his party’s leader in the U.S. House?
It says HERE that Obama’s gracious remarks “may not be the kind of endorsement Boehner’s caucus wants to hear.”
And it says HERE that Obama’s praise for Boehner “will be perceived as weakness and appeasement by House Republicans.”
Such is the state of Republicanism these days. It’s part and parcel of some of the points I made in THIS POST earlier today.
