Boehner: Most people prefer football to politics

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

/ CBS

House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that he thinks it's "important" to listen to what President Obama has to say in his jobs speech Thursday night, but he dismissed the notion that the speech should be elevated to the status of a major national event.

Boehner said Thursday that he'll be "looking for where's the common ground" between the two parties in regard to the president's speech.

"We know that the two parties are not going to agree on everything, but the American people want us to find common ground and I'll be looking for it," Boehner said.

Asked if the Republican decision not to offer an official Republican response to the speech was "disrespectful" to the president, the House speaker said no.

"Listen, this is not a State of the Union address," Boehner said. "The American people shouldn't be forced to watch some politician they don't want to listen to. And frankly, most of them would rather watch a football game."

Mr. Obama will speak before a joint session of Congress Thursday to lay out a plan to create jobs and grow the economy. But with just 14 months to go before the 2012 election, many wonder what the president can realistically do to create jobs in light of GOP opposition to most possible stimulative measures.

Boehner said Thursday that Republicans had opened up a statuary hall for Congress members' use if they wanted to respond to Mr. Obama's speech individually.

"I think it's a more appropriate and respectful way to go forward," he said.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, a Republican presidential candidate, plans to hold a Capitol Hill press conference shortly after the president speaks.

[greenlantern1]

Herbert Hoover, not FDR, promised a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.
Socialistic?
Hoover oversaw the Food for Belgium program.
Can America afford food for Americans.
Hoover vetoed the Bonus Bill that would have helped our veterans.
How many veterans rely on Social Security?
Are we indebted to them?
Clifford Spencer

[DebbieCorona]

What a stupid thing for Boehner to say. He is saying that Americans care more about a game than their government! Why does Ohio elect this guy? Maybe just the people in Boehners distric care more about games than their government and that is how he got elected?

[justleftofthemiddle]

Wow! Where are his priorities. And those are the kind of people we elected to office. Hmm.

[cssmt108]

Senate and Congress should be ashamed plain and simple

[formrusmcsgt]

"...but the American people want us to find common ground and I'll be looking for it," Boehner said.
---
If that's not a bald-faced lie, I don't know what is.....

Boehner hasn't sought any common ground since he became speaker, and he's not about to start now.

FNC would grind his ass if he did.

[RobAla]

Boehner is right in this statement. I held my nose and listened to President Obama tonight. Agghhhhhh!!!

President Obama's address to the nation was an ABSOLUTE TRIP!
Just prior to leaving office, President Bush had a stimulus package that did not help the economy. For the past 2.5 year, President Obama blew $100s of billions on stimulus packages and bailouts that did not work. Now he proposes a new $450 billion stimulus, and he states that if the Republicans will not "pass this bill, right now" they will be the cause of HIS 2.5 YEARS OF FAILED POLICIES NOT WORKING!
President Obama and other progressives have burdened American businesses with huge oppressive additional regulations and expenses - so that many business owners are having to put money aside for this nonsense rather than hire worker. BUT IF THE REPUBLICANS DO NOT PASS THIS BILL RIGHT NOW, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS GOING TO PUT THE BLAME FOR HIS FAILURES ON THE REPUBLICANS! WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!!
President Obama says that the $450 billion package will not add to the national debt, because he is instructing Congress (someone else) to figure out how to pay for it. WHAT A TRIP! He does not have a clue as to how to pay for it, so he is throwing Congress (even other Democrats) under the bus to figure out how to make $450 billion in cuts to pay for it. It is going to be hard enough for this Group Super 12 to come up with $1.5 trillion in cuts. Now they have to come up with another $450 billion?????? WHAT A TRIP - AND WHAT A LOAD OF BULL!!!!!
President Obama meet with union leaders to discuss his plan for two days, but he did not have the bipartisanship (the man does not have an ounce of bipartisanship within him) to even meet with Republicans at all prior to this speech. This was purely a political campaign speech dressed with a Presidential address bow on top. There was nothing Presidential about it - it was a campaign speech. The Republicans showed graciousness to even be in attendance, due to the lack of courtesy President Obama has shown them.

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

I would prefer to spend several hours watching paint dry on the outside of stinky garbage bin, than to listen to anything that Boner has to say. I used to compare him to a slimy used car salesman, but have since decided that's just totally being unfair to those salesman.

[insightig]

Soooo a football game/party is more important to them then America suffering... I see a few political futures ending very soon.

[dickkahrs]

I ain't very American because I don't much like watching commercialized sports. The team owners, team managers, and players make too much money. I don't care much for politics either. Politicans make promises they don't keep. They said things that aren't true. They don't do a whole lot work other than make up inane laws that end up costing the common folk money. Just like commercialized sports, they're paid too much money. About responses? A complete waste of time. I ain't never heard a good one from either party. I expect more for my money that I worked so hard for all my life.

[mollydtt]

I have no respect for Boehner. He doesn't care about actually working.