Boehner blames Trump, regrets impeaching Clinton and other things we learned from his memoirs – The Cincinnati Enquirer

In this April 26, 2012 file photo, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaks during his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.(Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP Photo)

John Boehnerleft Washington, D.C.over five years ago when he retired as Speaker of the House but he took his grudges with him.

The West Chester Republican's memoir due to be released on Tuesday, "On the House," slams Republicans, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump, among others. He also recounts the many times he tangled with other politicians and gives the public a peek behind the curtain at the cut-throat world of congressional politics.

It's once again made Boehner the talk of the political world, at least for this week.

Here are five takeaways from his memoir:

He put the responsibility for the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol on the shoulders of former President Trump, saying he's responsible for "that bloody insurrection."

"Trump incited that bloody insurrection for nothing more than selfish reasons, perpetuated by the (expletive) he'd been shoveling since he lost a fair election the previous November," Boehner wrote.

Trump's "refusal to accept the result of the election not only cost Republicans the Senate but led to mob violence."

Boehner uses the terms "crazy," "nutty," "Looneyville," and "Crazytown," when describing Congress during his time as speaker from 2011 to 2015.

He particularly questions the sanity of the current Republican Party.

Boehner describes the Republican Party's metamorphosis during the rise of Fox News and just before the election of Donald Trump as president.

"I dont think Ronald Reagan would recognize the Republican Party today," Boehner wrote.

A picture of Boehner's memoir, On the House(Photo: Scott Wartman/The Enquirer)

He has particular disdain for Republicans elected during the 2010 midterms, whom he describes as kooks and crazies.

"You could be a total moron and get elected just by having an R next to your name and that year, by the way, we did pick up a fair number in that category," Boehner wrote.

He described Fox News founder Roger Ailes as paranoid, with safe rooms to protect him from government spies and guards that were "combat-ready."

At one point he likened leading the Republican-controlled House to driving a "clown car."

"I pushed for spending cuts and entitlement reforms when they were unpopular," Boehner wrote. "Now I was being denounced by the talk show circuit as if I were a hippie with flip flops and beads plotting a socialist takeover of America."

While in office, Boehner found himself at odds with the new breed of Republicans, who frequently tried to oust him as speaker. Boehner wrote he's glad he's no longer in Congress.

"I dont even think I could get elected in todays Republican Party anyway," Boehner wrote."Just like I dont think Ronald Reagan could either."

Boehner in 1998 supported impeaching President Bill Clinton on perjury charges. It's a vote he wishes he could have back.

In my view, Republicans impeached him for one reason and one reason only because it was strenuously recommended to us by one Tom DeLay, Boehner wrote of the Texan who served in the party's House leadership. Tom believed that impeaching Clinton would win us all these House seats, would be a big win politically, and he convinced enough of the membership and the GOPbase that this was true."

Boehner directs much venom at Republican "bomb throwers" who he sees as more interested in appearing on Fox News than getting something accomplished. He singles out Texas Sen. Ted Cruz for some of his harshest criticism.

"There is nothing more dangerous than a reckless a**hole who thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Senator Ted Cruz," Boehner wrote.

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Boehner blames Trump, regrets impeaching Clinton and other things we learned from his memoirs - The Cincinnati Enquirer