>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY. MY GUEST TONIGHT SPENT NEARLY 25
YEARS IN CONGRESS WORKING FOR THE STATE OF OHIO, SERVED FOUR
YEARS AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, AND JUST WROTE A MEMOIR ABOUT IT
ALL CALLED "ON THE HOUSE." PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW,"
FORMER SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER. MR. SPEAKER, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE! >> STEPHEN, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH
YOU. >> Stephen: I GOT THE BOOK. I GOT MY OWN DRINK HERE. I GOT A LITTLE WELLER 12
BOURBON. YOU GOT ANYTHING RIGHT THERE? >> I'VE GOT A LITTLE CABERNET
RIGHT HERE. >> Stephen: WELL, LISTEN, I'VE
REALLY ENJOYED READING EXCERPTS OF YOUR BOOK. I HAVEN'T MADE MY WAY ALL THE
WAY THROUGH IT, BUT THERE ARE SOME JUICY PARTS. YOU ARE CANDID IN YOUR MEMOIR. I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU WILL BE AS
CANDID WITH ME AS YOU ARE IN THE BOOK. CAN I GET THAT PROMISE FROM YOU? >> YOU CAN GET THAT. I HAVE BEEN CANDID,
STRAIGHTFORWARD MY WHOLE LIFE, INCLUDING MY YEARS IN POLITICS,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME TREATMENT, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE. >> Stephen: NOW, MOST PEOPLE
KNOW YOU AS THE GUY WHO GREW UP SWEEPING THE FLOOR OF HIS DAD'S
BAR IN OHIO, AND EVENTUALLY YOU MAKE IT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST
POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT
JOB. SO FEW PEOPLE, ALTOGETHER LIKE
54 PEOPLE, HAVE HELD THAT JOB OVER THE LAST 200 AND SOME ODD
YEARS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT JOB
REQUIRES? >> WELL, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF
PATIENCE, BUT MOST OF THE SKILLS I LEARNED GROWING UP IN MY DAD'S
BAR ARE WHAT HELPED ME DO A GOOD JOB AS SPEAKER. FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO LEARN IS
THE ART OF BEING ABLE TO DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING
DISAGREEABLE. YOU KNOW, THE DRUNK SITTING AT
THE END OF THE BAR, YOU DON'T WANT TO FIGHT WITH HIM BUT YOU
DON'T WANT TO AGREE WITH HIM. SO FIND OUT HOW TO DISAGREE
WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE. SECOND, YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO
DEAL WITH EVERY JACKASS THAT WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR. THOSE TWO SKILLS HELPED ME MOST
AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. >> Stephen: I DEFINITELY WANT
TO GET TO SOME OF THE JACKASSES IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT WHO DO YOU
THINK HAS DONE A GOOD JOB AS SPEAKER OVER THE YEARS? WHO DO YOU ADMIRE IN THAT
RESPECT? >> I THINK MOST EVERYBODY WHO
HAS RISEN TO THAT JOB HAS DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB. NANCY PELOSI. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE DID A
NICE JOB AS SPEAKER. IT'S A TOUGH JOB. YOU'VE GOT 435 MEMBERS ALL
INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED, OWE YOU NOTHING, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
TRYING TO HELP MOVE THEM TO DO GOOD THINGS ON BEHALF OF THE
COUNTRY. >> Stephen: THAT OWE YOU
NOTHING THING IS KIND OF INTERESTING TO ME. HOW DO YOU CORRAL PEOPLE WHO
DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULARLY LOYALTY TO YOU AS THE SPEAKER
BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL GOT TO ANSWER TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS. YOU SAID IN 2011, WHEN YOU WERE
ELECTED TO THE TOP JOB, YOU BECAME "THE MAYOR OF CRAZY
TOWN." I REMEMBER LIVING IN DOWNTOWN
CRAZY TOWN, STARTING AROUND 2010. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? DO YOU THINK YOU CONTAINED THE
CRAZIES? >> I DID MY BEST TO TRY TO CORAL
THEM AND MOVE THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE GOT ELECTED
IN 2010, 2012, THEY WERE WAY OUT THERE. BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SENT
THEM THERE. AND I HAD TO DO MY BEST WITH
WHAT I WAS DEALT. I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED YOU'VE GOT
TO PLAY THE CARDS YOU WERE DEALT. EVERY MORNING, I'D WAKE UP AND
KEPT LOOKING TO HAVE FIVE ACES. STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN FIVE ACES
ANY MORNING. BUT YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE CARDS
YOU'RE DEALT AND I'VE PLAYED THEM THE BEST I COULD. >> Stephen: I HAVEN'T PLAYED A
LOT OF POKER SIR BUT IF YOU GET FIVE ACES, SOMEBODY'S CHEATING. ( LAUGHTER )
YOU'RE HARD ON TED CRUZ. >> YOU MEAN LUCIFER IN THE
FLESH? >> Stephen: YES, AND THAT'S A
LOT OF FLESH FOR LUCIFER TO FILL OUT THERE. IN THE AUDIO BOOK, YOU SAY -- DO
WE HAVE THIS AUDIO? CAN WE PLAY THIS, JIM? >> TAKE IT FROM ME, YOU WILL
NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU WILL END UP. THAT'S FREEDOM. I'LL RAISE A GLASS TO THAT ANY
DAY. P.S., TED CRUZ, GO ( BLEEP )
YOURSELF. >> Stephen: NOW, IT'S BEEN
SAID EVERYBODY HATES TED CRUZ, AND ON BEHALF OF EVERYBODY, LET
ME AGREE WITH THAT. ( LAUGHTER )
BUT WHAT MADE YOU HAVE SO MUCH CONTEMPT FOR THE MAN? >> WELL, THIS GUY DIDN'T EVEN
SERVE IN THE HOUSE. HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE. AND HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING IN THE
SENATE EXCEPT MAKE NOISE, AND COME OVER TO THE HOUSE SIDE AND
STIR UP SOME OF MY MORE CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS -- I DON'T
KNOW IF I CALL THEM CONSERVATIVE, SOME OF MY
KNUCKLEHEADS INTO DOING THINGS THAT MADE NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. >> Stephen: LIKE WHAT. UCH AS THE GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN IN 2013 WOULD BE THE PRIME EXAMPLE. I TOLD THEM FOR MONTHS THIS IS
THE DUMBEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD OF. THEY SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT TO
GET RID OF ObamaCare. HARRY REID WAS THE MAJORITY
LEADER IN THE SENATE. THEY WERE NEVER GOING TO GO
THERE. TED CRUZ AND THE KNUCKLEHEADS
WERE SETTING US UP TO SHUT IS GOVERNMENT DOWN. I KEPT TELLING MEMBERS, THIS
MAKES NO SENSE. BUT IN THE BOOK, THERE'S A
FAVORITE BOEHNER-ISM IN THERE AND THAT IS A LEADER WITHOUT
FOLLOWERS IS JUST A MAN TAKING A WALK. NEXT THING I KNOW, MY TROOPS ARE
GOING TO MY RIGHT, AND AS THE LEADER I'VE GOT NO CHOICE BUT TO
JUMP OUT IN FRONT OF THEM TO BE THEIR LEADER. BUT IT WAS ONE OF THE DO YOU
REMEMBER THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN. ANYWAY, TED CRUZ WAS THE
MASTERMIND BEHIND THIS PLAN. SO HE'S REALLY THE ONLY PERSON
IN THE BOOK I REALLY TAKE TO TASK, AND I TAKE HIM TO TASK. >> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK
THAT YOU WERE GOING FOR A WALK? WHY DO YOU THINK YOUR OWN PARTY
JUMPED SO FAR IN A CRAZY DIRECTION? I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NECESSARILY
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY WHILE YOU WERE A
MEMBER DR. MEMBER OF THE LEADERSHIP OF YOUR OWN PARTY. DO YOU SEE A -- AN INFLECTION
POINT WITHIN THE PARTY WHERE THEY STARTED TO GO SO CRAZY
RIGHT? >> WELL, LISTEN, WE WERE JUST AT
THE BEGINNING OF -- WE HAD THE INTERNET, BUT ALL THE SOCIAL
MEDIA STUFF WAS JUST STARTING TO COME ON TO THE SCENE, BUT WE HAD
TALK RADIO, MOSTLY CONSERVATIVE, ALL THESE CABLE NEWS CHANNELS,
ALL THEY DID WERE POLITICS ALL NIGHT, AND WHAT HAPPENED AROUND
2009, 2010, '11, IS THAT THE RIGHT-WING MEDIA WENT REALLY --
THEY WANTED NOISE AND THEY WANTED MORE NOISE, AND THESE
PEOPLE WERE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO GIVE THEM NOISE AND THEY GOT A
LOT OF AIR TIME. SO I SAW THE BEGINNINGS OF THIS. IT'S GOTTEN A LOT WORSE SINCE,
AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST ON THE FAR RIGHT. IT'S ON THE FAR LEFT AS WELL. PEOPLE GET ELECTED, KNOW HOW TO
USE SOCIAL MEDIA, KNOW HOW TO USE TALK RADIO AND THE CABLE
PEOPLE TO BUILD THEIR BRAND, IF YOU WILL. THEY'RE NOISE-MAKERS. GETS THEM A LOT OF ATTENTION. HELPS THEM RAISE MONEY, BUT
DOESN'T DO ANYTHING ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTRY. >> Stephen: LET ME JUST FOR A
MOMENT I'LL ACCEPT YOUR PREMISE BOTH SIDES DO THIS, THOUGH I
THINK THE REPUBLICANS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AT HAVING A MEDIA
ARM THAT HELPS INFLATES THEIR WORST INSTINCT THAN THE
DEMOCRATS DO, BUT IF BOTH SIDES DO THAT HOW COME NANCY PELOSI
CAN CORRAL HER CRAZIES AND YOU CAN'T CORRAL YOURS? >> SHE'S DONE A BETTER JOB OF
HOLDER HER PARTY TOGETHER. I'VE WATCHED IT 30 YEARS OF
BEING AROUND CONGRESS. DEMOCRATS ARE ALWAYS MORE
WILLING TO STICK TOGETHER THAN REPUBLICANS ARE. >> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND. I DON'T THIN THAT'S TRUE. >> THE VERY NATURE --
>> Stephen: THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A MONOLITHIC QUALITY, THE
DEMOCRATS ARE ALWAYS A COALITION OF DIVERSE INTERESTS. >> REPUBLICANS TEND TO BE MORE
INDEPENDENT-MINDED THAN DEMOCRATS. I'VE JUST SEEN IT OVER THE
YEARS. ANYWAY, PELOSI'S DONE A PRETTY
GOOD JOB OF HOLDING THEM TOGETHER THUS FAR. >> Stephen: ALL RIGHT. LET'S TALK ABOUT JANUARY 6th,
AN INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING DAY NONE OF US EVER THOUGHT THAT WE
WOULD SEE. YOU WROTE THAT DONALD TRUMP
INCITED THAT BLOODY INSURRECTION AND THE LEGISLATIVE TERRORISM I
WITNESSED AS SPEAKER ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED ACTUAL TERRORISM. SO LOGICALLY AREN'T YOU SAYING
DONALD TRUMP IS A POLITICAL TERRORIST? >> I DON'T MEAN TO DESCRIBE
WORDS TO HIM, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT WHAT HE WAS SAYING BEFORE
THE ELECTION ABOUT THEY'RE GOING TO STEAL THE ELECTION, THEY'RE
GOING TO STEAL THE ELECTION, AND THEN, AFTER THE ELECTION,
CLAIMING THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN WITHOUT EVER PROVIDING ONE OUNCE
OF EVIDENCE. I KEPT LOOKING, WHERE'S THE
EVIDENCE? AND AS SOMEONE WHO VOTED FOR
DONALD TRUMP, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I FELT ABUSED. THE LOYALTY AND TRUST OF HIS
SUPPORTERS, AND HERE HE IS LYING TO THEM ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE
ELECTION. ALL OF THAT TENDED TO CRIANT AN
AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE TO SHOW UP ON JANUARY 6th, AND THEN THIS
DEMONSTRATION GOT TAKEN OVER BY SOME REAL WACK JOBS WHO TURNED
IT INTO SOME REALLY SERIOUS VIOLENCE. >> Stephen: DO YOU THINK BIDEN
HAS ANY HOPE OF GETTING PEOPLE TO COMPROMISE? SINCE YOU WRITE IN THE BOOK THAT
MANY OF THE REPUBLICANS -- FOR MANY OF THE REPUBLICANS, IT'S
NOT ABOUT PRINCIPLE, IT'S ABOUT CHAOS, CAN YOU NEGOTIATE WITH
AGENTS OF CHAOS? >> WELL, LISTEN, STEPHEN,
GOVERNING IN AMERICA, AS DIVIDED AS IT IS, IS VERY DIFFICULT AND,
FRANKLY, BOTH PARTIES ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY THE LOUDEST
VOICES IN THEIR PARTIES AND, AS A RESULT, IT'S GOING TO BE
REALLY, REALLY TOUGH. IF JOE BIDEN WERE TO SIT DOWN
WITH MITCH McCONNELL AND BEGIN TO WORK OUT SOMETHING ON
INFRASTRUCTURE, THE RIGHT WOULD CRUCIFY MCCONNELL AND, FRANKLY,
THE LEFT WOULD CRUCIFY BIDEN. AND, SO, GOD BLESS 'EM, THERE'S
A WAY TO GET THERE, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF COURAGE
ON BEHALF OF THE LEADERS TO DO IT. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, MR. SPEAKER, BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, I'VE GOT A
CLASSIC SPEED ROUND ON TEN PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON I'D LIKE
THE SPEAKER TO WEIGH IN ON. STICK AROUND.
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As a Satanist. Ted Cruz 100% identifies as a Christian.
He's Christian. Leave my religion out of it. My religion is literally suing his state for policies he supports.
Hail Satan. Fuck Ted Cruz