If you're put off by the title, look up "boner" in the dictionary. Here are some select quotes--from this morning's Meet the Press--which I thought many of you would find interesting. I was starting to dislike Russert until I watched him give Boehner such a hard time this morning. He should keep it up (not Boehner, Russert).
RUSSERT: You said this, according to The Washington Post: "`Yes, I'm cozy with lobbyists,' Boehner told lowmakers--lawmakers concerned about his K Street lobbyist connections, `but I have never done anything unethical.'"...
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RUSSERT: You said this, according to The Washington Post: "`Yes, I'm cozy with lobbyists,' Boehner told lowmakers--lawmakers concerned about his K Street lobbyist connections, `but I have never done anything unethical.'"...
REP. BOEHNER: Tim, everything I've ever done in my entire political career has been to the benefit of my constituents and the American people. They're the ones who dictate what I do every day. I know who I am, and I know why I'm here, not because I wanted to be a Congressman, but because I wanted to do things on behalf of my constituents and the American people. And I--there's nothing in my entire political career, no decision I've ever made, where they weren't the winners.
RUSSERT: ..."One day last summer, 1995 Representative John Boehner of Ohio, chairman of the House Republican Conference, decided to play Santa Claus. He took it upon himself to begin handing out money from tobacco lobbyists to certain of his colleagues in the House floor. He was not deterred by the fact that the House was in session, and that he was supposed to be attending to the nation's business. He was not constrained by any sense that passing money around the floor of the House of Representatives was a sacrilege."
REP. BOEHNER: It was a big mistake, and I regret it. I shouldn't have done it...
RUSSERT: ...Will you give the money back?
REP. BOEHNER: No. Those tribes gave money to my political action committee. It had nothing to do with Jack Abramoff. I didn't know Jack Abramoff. I may have met him once. I had no relationship to him, and the money that I raised from those tribes had nothing to do with him. I worked with those Indian tribes and others on education issues, on labor issues, and he had nothing to do with it, so why would I--why would I give the money back?
RUSSERT: But had you ever received a nickel from those tribes before they were represented by Jack Abramoff?
REP. BOEHNER: I have no idea.
RUSSERT: The answer's no.
REP. BOEHNER: I--well, no. Other people represented those tribes as well. Understand, Jack Abramoff, knowing that I...
RUSSERT: But they didn't give you--they didn't give you money until they were represented by Abramoff.
REP. BOEHNER: No. I became chairman of the Educational Workforce Committee in 2001, where I began to work closely with them on their issues. I had nothing--Jack Abramoff didn't like me. I didn't do earmarks, the things that he exploited for his own political and financial gain.
RUSSERT: According to his records, however, there were 17 contacts between his lobbying team and your staff and--and a meeting with you also.
So Boehner claims he's never done anything unethical, it was always for his clients constituents... I gotta give Russert props for setting the record straight, at least in this instance.
Then Specter proceeded to single-handedly rip the administration apart over warrantless wiretapping. Specter. Specter. Gooooooooooooooooooooo SPECTER! (where are my pom poms?)