Who is John Boehner?

And why is Obama's first instinct to attack a man who he may have to work with as Speaker of the House?

First it was Rush Limbaugh, then the Town Hall and Tea Party crowd. Now, the latest bogey man for the Dems is John Boehner, the leader of Republicans in the House of Representatives. Clearly it's easier for Obama and the Dems to attack opponents than to actually govern and get things done in Washington for the American people.

The latest attack began when President Obama repeatedly called out GOP Leader Boehner by name eight times in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio, a state where unemployment remains in double digits despite all Obama's promises and massive federal spending. That attack (here's Boehner's response) was followed up by the usual hit piece in the New York Times smearing Boehner (his response) with the usual hypocritical fingerpointing and cherry picking we have come to expect.

Some in the news media even went so far as to criticize Boehner's skin color (he likes to tan). Imagine if any of us said anything about Obama's skin color. Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid might be able to get away with it but a firestorm of criticism would erupt if conservatives did the same.

So, who is John Boehner anyway? Well, believe it or not, MSNBC actually did a fair piece of reporting on his background and it's quite impressive:




Growing up in a house with 13 other family members is quite a challenge. And Boehner worked hard in his early life in humble surroundings. He didn't go to a fancy prep school in Hawaii or find an easy pass into Columbia University or Harvard Law School.

Boehner is not one of the elites. He's one of us. And he'll make a great Speaker!