Politico reports today that Ohio's own John Boehner, who already had his sights set on becoming the Speaker of the House, has taken action towards that goal by forming the "Boehner for Speaker" committee, which is basically just a means to raise truckloads of money.
To the House minority leader, “Speaker” Boehner seems to have a nice ring to it.So much so that months before any midterm votes are cast, John Boehner of Ohio is putting his own face on the GOP’s drive to take back the House by quietly launching a “Boehner for Speaker” committee that aims to boost the party’s lagging fundraising, in part by introducing him as a “regular guy” from Ohio.
But while the effort plays up Boehner’s modest roots, the going rate to participate is pricey: According to materials distributed by Boehner’s camp and obtained by POLITICO, lobbyists and other major donors across the country who give the maximum or help raise $100,000 will get meetings with Boehner, calls from senior aides with updates on the campaign and “VIP access to all events, including roundtables, briefings, breakout discussions and interactive panel discussions.”
Boehner convened a meeting of top Republican lobbyists at the National Republican Congressional Committee last Thursday to enlist them in the cause and armed them with slick, presidential-level brochures and fundraising materials making the case for putting him in the speaker’s chair.
It’s the most aggressive step the clubby Ohioan has taken yet to stamp his imprint on the GOP’s 2010 House campaign and comes as Republicans fret that their lack of money could be the only barrier keeping them from dethroning Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The brochure, which you can view in full technicolor PDF form here, touts the regular guy Boehner. He keeps people honest, he's a hard worker, he's got your best interest at heart, and most importantly, he played high school football. And that's not just a minor point of emphasis for the Speaker hopeful, it's right on page two of the seven-page brochure.
While he looks stylish in his gridiron duds, we're concerned that he won't speak openly about his stats. We don't want just any high school football player to become Speaker of the House. We want the best of the best. What if Boehner was horrible? What if he never played? What if he ran fumbles back the wrong way for safeties?
These are vital questions and we can't throw our weight behind Boehner until he answers them.
