Republicans Reject Obama-Boehner Speech Deal

In a stormy meeting on Thursday, Tea Party Republicans in the House of Representatives rejected Speaker John Boehner's compromise with President Obama over the schedule of the President's speech to a joint session of Congress.

The White House had sent Mr. Boehner a request for President Obama to address Congress on the evening of Wednesday, September 7. Such requests are considered routine and have been approved 47 times since 1962 without challenge.

But in the volatile political climate of 2011, nothing can be taken for granted. Many Tea Party-affiliated Republicans had campaigned against wasteful speechmaking in the 2010 election, and 216 had signed a "No New Speeches" contract sponsored by Grover Norquist's fundraising organization, Americans for Talk Reform.

"Americans don't need more speeches," argued House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in an hour-long discourse from the House floor last week, "They want the folks in Washington to shut the heck up."

The speech request was further complicated by scheduling. The proposed date happened to coincide with a televised debate between Republican primary candidates.

On Wednesday morning, Mr. Boehner, under heavy pressure from conservatives to stand tough, shocked political analysts by refusing to grant President Obama permission to speak to Congress.

Stock markets around the world tumbled with the news of another protracted battle in Washington. China, the world's leading producer of political speeches, publicly encouraged the U.S. to streamline its presidential address process. The S&P bond rating agency threatened to reduce the U.S. government's bond rating to BBB-.

In order to avoid further disruptions to the economy, President Obama and Mr. Boehner urgently sought a compromise that would satisfy both parties. According to the White House press secretary Jay Carney, negotiations were conducted by letter in order to avoid wasteful government discussion. When the couriers proved too slow, the President personally engaged Mr. Boehner in a vigorous text messaging chat using the presidential Blackberry.

By 8:47pm on Wednesday night, they had reached a deal to reschedule the debate for Thursday, September 8. "See u nxt wk! ;)" Obama texted enthusiastically.

But all bets were off the next morning as angry conservatives refused to approve the deal. In a subdued press conference timed to coincide with President Obama's breakfast, John Boehner announced that Obama would not be permitted to speak to a joint session of Congress until he agreed to eliminate a number of budget items including PBS, HUD, EPA, FCC, FEMA, the Federal Reserve, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and Michelle Obama.

In brief response timed to coincide with Mr. Boehner's late morning nap, the visibly irritated President Obama castigated Republicans for "playing politics with political gamesmanship." He added, "It's time to grow up and act like grown up people."

But presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann charged that the President's request violated the Constitution. In a campaign speech in Tinyton, Iowa, she proclaimed, "If you don't want to listen to somebody, they don't get to barge into your kitchen and talk your ear off whenever they want. That's why God gave us peepholes."

Other Republicans were unhappy with the compromise date of September 8, which conflicts with the first football game of the NFL season.

"I ain't goin'," vowed freshman Republican Jeff Landry of Louisiana, "The Saints is playin'."

Meanwhile, liberals reacted with horror at what they view as another capitulation by the President. Some observed that under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution the president may "on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses." Senator Bernie Sanders, a liberal independent from Vermont, used a nine hour filibuster against a bill expressing appreciation for the color lavender to condemn Republican obstructionism and call for the President to enter the House chamber and just start speaking.

But Constitutional scholars are skeptical that speaking without permission would hold up in court, and the President has shown little appetite for doing anything that the Republicans don't want him to do.

Nonetheless, many political analysts are sanguine that a deal will be reached before the deadline of September 6th.

"There will have to be sacrifices on both sides," declared CNN political correspondent Candy Crowley, "Democrats may have to give up Social Security and Medicare. Republicans may have to miss the Saints."