Politics & Government

Boehner thinks many conservative interest groups have "lost all credibility"

David Lightman - McClatchy Washington Bureau

December 12, 2013 12:15 PM

House Speaker John Boehner sounds like he's heard enough from conservative interest groups.

"I think they're misleading their followers. I think they're pushing our members in places where they don't want to be. And frankly, I just think that they've lost all credibility," the Ohio Republican told a news conference Thursday.

"You know, they pushed into this fight to defund "Obamacare" and to shut down the government. Most of you know, my members know, that wasn't exactly the strategy that I had in mind."

And, he recalled, "the day before the government reopened, one of the people that -- one of these groups stood up and said, well, we never really thought it would work. Are you kidding me?"

Boehner has seen Congress' approval ratings plunge to record low levels.

"Listen, you all know me, all right? I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I'm as conservative as anybody around this place. And all the things that we've done over the three years that I've been speaker have not violated any conservative principle, not once," he said.

So would he ask these groups to relent.

"I don't care what they do," Boehner said.

 

  Comments