From Roll Call:
Boehner was asked why Obama is leading his opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, in the polls in Ohio. Boehner chalked it up to Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), his former House colleague, for getting the economy moving again there.
You know this is going to be really funny, so follow me past the jump for the punchline....
Boehner's exact words were:
"It's been a close race in Ohio; it's going to be a close race in Ohio," Boehner answered. "One of the things that probably worked against Romney in Ohio is the fact that Gov. Kasich has done such a good job of fixing government regulations in the state, attracting new businesses to the state, so our unemployment rate in Ohio is lower than the national average."
Have you stopped laughing yet? Wiped up the spewed coffee?
Daniel Newhauser, the Roll Call reporter immediately goes to the obvious response:
He did not mention the auto bailout championed by the president and opposed by Republicans down the line, which helped avert massive job losses in the Buckeye State's automotive industry.
But also, notice how Boehner slipped into the past tense in talking about the Ohio race. And of course, how his silly praise of Kasich's performance reveals the true cynical GOP attitude about economic recovery: it's bad for GOP election hopes.
Just another reason to take the gavel out of Tan Man's hands.