Former House Speaker John Boehner, author of a new book, joins Gov. Ned Lamont to talk about divisive politics, life lessons and the media
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Gov. Ned Lamont joined former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner Friday for a wide-ranging talk about life, politics and the media as Boehner promoted his new book, “On the House: A Washington Memoir.”
The plainspoken Ohio Republican, who served in Congress from 1991-2015, smoked one cigarette and described only one politician with an expletive during the hour-long question-and-answer session with RJ Julia Booksellers owner Roxanne Coady and Connecticut’s Democratic chief executive.
Coady moderated the Zoom meeting discussion, which the New Haven-based store billed as “a conversation between two great leaders.”
Lamont asked most of the questions. Topics discussed included:
Politics today compared with 30 years ago.
Boehner said the divide now is not left versus right, but radical right versus radical left, and the two major parties are as far apart as he has seen.
“In the end, this isn’t about our principles or policies — it’s about whether we’re going to govern or not,” he said. “The key is, where’s the common ground.”
Lamont said he was buoyed recently by the General Assembly’s bipartisan support for the state budget, proof that in some cases, the center can hold.
Nationally, Boehner predicted that “at some point, there will be a seminal event that will cause Americans to look up and say, ‘First, I am an American.’ ” Although the coronavirus pandemic did not prove to be that rallying point, Boehner said he was sure “there will be an unfortunate event that will bring Americans back together.”
The Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Boehner wrote in his book that former President Donald Trump “incited that bloody insurrection for nothing more than selfish reasons, perpetuated by the bulls*** he’d been shoveling since he lost a fair election the previous November.”
He said Friday that one of his chief aims in Congress was “protecting the institution” from wrongdoing and corruption. Coady asked him how that view squared with Republican leaders blocking creation of a commission to investigate the insurrection.
Boehner said he had seen “many commissions come and go” and the effectiveness of such panels depends on their makeup and the scope of the inquiry. In any case, he said, there are enough ongoing investigations of the incident to ensure answers.
“There’s no doubt we will find out what happened,” he said. “We have the most open society the world has ever known.”
The media
Boehner said the American people “are getting pounded with 100 times more information than they ever got before.” Social media has made everyone a journalist and information is so immediate that people have no time to let issues “bake,” Boehner said.
The atmosphere created by radio talk shows, social media and TV news has made governing increasingly difficult, Boehner said, because both major parties “are being held hostage by the loudest voices in their parties.”
He said he doesn’t watch TV news “because I don’t learn anything.” He does read the news, but afterwards, “I want to throw up.”
Former President Barack Obama
Boehner said he was “not a big fan of his policies,” but he developed a good relationship with Obama.” Their views are still divergent, he said, but “you can disagree without being disagreeable.”
“We had our ups and downs, but we’re still good friends to this day,” Boehner said.
Trump
“He was a Democrat until he found a way to take over the (Republican) party for a while,” Boehner said. “I agree with most of his policies, but the way he conducted himself was a bit bizarre.”
President Joe Biden
Boehner described Biden, who was vice president when he was speaker, as a good friend and an able negotiator.
“He understood the process better than Obama,” Boehner said.
He also described Biden as “a traditional Democrat who’s trying to manage an increasingly liberal Democratic party, so he’s got his hands full.”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas
“Lucifer in the flesh,” Boehner said. “He’s the most miserable sonofabitch I’ve ever had to work with.”
Family lessons
Lamont asked Boehner, one of 12 children, what he learned growing up in such a large family. Boehner said his relationships with eight brothers and three sisters and working in his father’s bar prepared him for politics.
“You learn you have to deal with every jackass who walks in the door,” he said.
The national economy
The deficit was the focus of his speakership, Boehner said, “because I grew up in a German household where you paid your bills.” He predicted “very serious inflation” in the near future as the economy overheats and prices skyrocket, a trend already evident in the real estate market.
Whether he will run for office
“I’d rather set myself on fire than put my name on a ballot again,” Boehner said.
Near the close of the session, Lamont asked Boehner if he had any advice for a working governor. Boehner said he would develop and keep close relationships with members of both parties — “so they have a clear idea of what you’re trying to accomplish and you understand what their desires are in helping you to accomplish it.”
Coady asked Boehner what he thought about recent talk of “the unraveling of our democracy.”
“Americans are the most resilient people God ever put on earth,” Boehner said. “We make our share of mistakes, but we always get it right... We’ll figure it out and we’ll be fine.”
Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com