Huffington Magazine Issue 60 | Page 11

AP PHOTO/CBS NEWS, CHRIS USHER Enter And so, the House managed to pass a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, and some Hurricane Sandy relief, measures that I’m pretty sure found Boehner weighing the long-term survival of his party’s brand against his caucus’ near-term antipathy to governing. To get these things done, he had to break the Hastert Rule. There was some indication that he might have done so again to get comprehensive immigration reform over the goal line, but his too-raucous caucus LOOKING FORWARD IN ANGST HUFFINGTON 08.04.13 Boehner pretty much operates each day in a caucus that’s not shy about having knives out for him.” finally got wise, and the clock’s run out on that strategy. It’s worth considering the possibility that Boehner is maybe a man slightly more sinned against than sinning, in other words. In the meantime, if you’re wondering why this Congress has become such a festering swamp of do-nothingism, read Jonathan Chait’s piece on the “Anarchists of the House.” Boehner speaks during an interview for CBS’ Face the Nation in his Capitol Hill office on July 19.