Boehner: Imagine if I Was House Speaker

By: Jill Jackson
Topics: Congress

(AP)

CPAC Convention, Washington -- What if Rep. John Boehner was Speaker of the House? That's the picture the current minority leader wanted to paint for his fellow conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference today.

As part of his introduction, audience members watched a montage of big Boehner moments on the House floor this past year: Boehner dropping the Democrat's health care bill on the floor in disgust, Boehner reading parts of the Democrat's cap and trade bill on the floor to make his point that members had no idea what was in it.

Boehner's speech was a list of promises that were meant to get the Republican base even more energized as they fight to take back the House in 2010. He called on these already-loyal conservatives to recruit their friends and neighbors in the fight.

"If you will help me elect a Republican majority this November." Boehner promised, "we will be open, we will be transparent and we will listen."

Boehner promised that Republicans would "post every bill online for at least 72 hours before it comes to the House floor for a vote."

To further increase transparency, Boehner also promised that Republicans would take full advantage of "new technology to continue to break down the walls between citizens and legislators, and to make our Congress more transparent and accountable to the American people."

Boehner pledged that Republicans would listen to the American people, and he tried to reach out to the different factions of the conservative base.

"We're going to listen to things like the Contract from America. We're going to listen to things like the Mount Vernon statement. We're going to listen to the Tea Party movement," Boehner vowed. "We're going to listen to them, we're going to work with them, stand with them, and walk among them."

The Republican leader warned his audience to set realistic expectation if Republicans succeed in taking back the House in the fall.

"A Republican Congress is not going to change the world in two years," he said. "We won't. We can't. But we can stop the Pelosi-Obama agenda."

More Coverage from CPAC:

Dick Cheney Urged to Run for President at CPAC
Marco Rubio: We Should Obstruct Democrats' Agenda
Mitt Romney: Obama's Agenda Is "Reckless"
Washington Unplugged: Sen. Jim DeMint On CPAC, Tea Party Movement

(CBS)

Jill Jackson is a CBS News Capitol Hill Producer. You can read more of her posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Jill Jackson
Jill Jackson is a CBS News senior political producer.
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by lucymercer February 20, 2010 11:15 PM EST: John Boehner's nothing but a mouse,
Afraid to go to the White House.
"Is this a trap?" he asks with dread.
And then,
With trembling hands and face so red,
Jumps back into his tanning bed.; Reply to this comment


by osuCowboy February 20, 2010 10:36 AM EST: I just love that the reporter actually said they watched a "montage of big Boehner moments.." hahah that's hilarious. Top notch reporting, right there.; Reply to this comment


by pr_boxer February 19, 2010 7:40 PM EST: We've had worse..... of course at 70 I'm not old enough to remember when or who.; Reply to this comment


by snertly-2009 February 19, 2010 5:40 PM EST: Perhaps the Republicans can't change the world in two years, but they have previously demonstrated that they can change the world in under four years. Not for the better, sadly.

On the other hand, as the Party of No, they've done a pretty good job changing things in Washington DC in under one year. But again, not for the better.; Reply to this comment


by irishbitch11 February 19, 2010 3:30 PM EST: yeah boehner and his lapdog cantor, what a freakin mess!!!!; Reply to this comment

by 408caputo February 19, 2010 11:50 AM EST

Boehner is a racist THUG.. transparent my rear end. he like the rest of the rethuglicans are a joke.

Reply to this comment


by myopinionpal February 19, 2010 1:47 PM EST: He has a ( Don't Ask, Don't Tell KKK membership )


by sleepyric February 19, 2010 11:18 AM EST: ha!...we'd be in deeper chit than we now are, that's for sure because this guy Boner doesn't have a clue. I sometimes wonder where we'd be if McCain and dimwit Palin got elected...it's too scary a thought to ponder.; Reply to this comment


by leepoe1 February 19, 2010 11:08 AM EST: No imagination needed. We already had an eight year run of all Republican leadership. Such leadership squandered a surplus, made the richest one percent 20% richer while cutting their taxes to the bone and nearly put us in a second great depression.; Reply to this comment


by Palin_for_Presidentess February 19, 2010 9:43 AM EST: "Boehner: Imagine if I Was House Speaker"

What -- and then restock my survival rations?; Reply to this comment


by myopinionpal February 19, 2010 9:30 AM EST: Don't be fooled by Boehner he's just another career politician trying to keep his job of getting rich off the US taxpayer. And to continue getting his taxpayer funded public option salary and healthcare in which he and his GOP buddies don't won't you to have. But its ok for them but not for you.; Reply to this comment