As if it weren't already obvious from the past two years, incoming Speaker John Boehner made it clear to Leslie Stahl on "60 Minutes" Sunday night that he's not interested in compromising with Democrats:
STAHL: But governing means compromising.
BOEHNER: It means working together.
STAHL: It also means compromising.
BOEHNER: It means finding common ground.
STAHL: Okay, is that compromising?
BOEHNER: I made it clear I am not going to compromise on my principles, nor am I going to compromise the will of the American people.
STAHL: What are you saying? You’re saying, “I want common ground, but I’m not gonna compromise.” I don’t understand that. I really don’t.
BOEHNER: When you say the word “compromise,” a lot of Americans look up and go, “Uh oh, they’re gonna sell me out.” And so finding common ground, I think, makes more sense. ...
STAHL: “Why won’t you say ... you’re afraid of the word.”
BOEHNER: “I reject the word.”
Chalk this up to semantics if you like. Certainly the word "compromise" can have a negative connotation. When we say someone has been "compromised," we're not saying s/he is flexible but rather unprincipled. Just as Boehner says. But when the Speaker-to-be says "finding common ground," we know what that actually means: the GOP way or the highway. It would be encouraging if Democrats would finally get that message. Too bad Stahl didn't ask Boehner his view of "bipartisanship."
• • • • •
h/t to Steve Benen.