John Boehner, Weeper of the House

Weeper of the House- Boehner

his week we learned that John Boehner, the incoming Speaker of the House, regularly wells up with emotion when he contemplates his up-by-the-seat-of-his-own-pants pursuit of the elusiveAmerica Dream.

But things have gotten so bad out there these days that Boehner now point blank refuses to visit American schools. Why? Because they're awful. Because they make you fear for the nations future. Because Boehner worries that kids nowadays won't have the same opportunities he and the men and women of his generation did. Cue waterworks.

He's right in that sense: they won't have the same opportunities he did. Thanks to the GOP's sacred mission to limit the federal governments ability to help them, that is.

Oh, and thanks to the fact that, time after time, Boehner has voted against health insurance for children (multiple times) and against student aid, against equal pay, against money for teachers, against raising the minimum wage, against unemployment benefits, and against science and technology research.

It's enough to make us all weep.

Adding a tax cut for America's richest 1% means that soon, thanks to a ballooning deficit, it will be harder than ever for Americas school children to avail of the same opportunities Boehner did.

And of course, when he becomes Speaker Boehner vows to stand against every political compromise that the Democrats offer in 2011. There will be no compromise. There will be no progress. There will be gridlock, endless gridlock, until the GOP's fortunes (rather than the nation's) improve.

If you want to get verklempt over something you should probably start there.