Op-Ed: Boehner Takes Democrats to Task

In a letter from House Republican Leader John A. Boehner (R-OH) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the issues of a day of fruitless negotiation are addressed, making clear, in no uncertain terms, the Republican stand on the "joint proposals."

Despite claims by House Democrats early on that there was a "joint proposal" that had been prepared in dealing with the economic package being bandied about by legislators, a group of Republicans have asserted that no such joint proposal had yet been agreed upon yesterday, leading to a letter sent from House Republican Leader John Boehner to House Speaker Pelosi, detailing the position of the Republicans on the issues that still need to be addressed before any proposals can be considered "joint," and taking to task certain House members, and the speaker herself, for allowing word to be given that such an item existed, leading to misinformation and confusion in an already confusing and difficult situation.

In his letter to the speaker, Boehner threatened that "a large majority of Republicans cannot - and will not - support Sec. Paulson's plan" unless she actively considers some of the measures offered by his working group.

"In the interest of the men and women we represent in Congress, I hope it does not come to that conclusion," Boehner said in his letter to the speaker.

With Republicans still overwhelmingly opposed to Treasury's bailout proposal - as well as the principles on which House and Senate Democrats agreed to on Thursday - Democratic leaders can't do much until GOP leaders iron out concerns on their side of the aisle. Leaving a meeting of Democratic leaders on Friday, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said, "The reality is that you're going to need very significant votes from both sides of the aisle."

Mentioned in particular in Boehner's letter were House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Senate Banking Chairman Christopher Dodd Christopher Dodd (D-CT) for "announced that a bipartisan deal was at hand even though the reservations about the underlying proposal I had expressed to you had not been addressed. Each time such announcements were made, or even rumored, I or my staff made it clear to media and to your staff that any such deal did not include House Republicans." Given the activity of the Democrats during yesterday's negotiations in their conduct in public eyes, it brings their reliability, honesty, integrity, and fitness to hold office into question in the eyes and minds of many American citizens. If elected officials can't be trusted to be honest in something as simple as announcing that there was no agreed upon proposal in their attempts to handle a time of crisis, what else are the Democratic officials prepared to lie about to the American people?