Boehner, Boehner, Boehner

Where to start? There’s just too much to say about House Majority Leader John Boehner today…

First off, check out these golf tees that the West Chester Republican is passing out. They’re in a large glass bowl as you enter his new leadership suite in the U.S. Capitol. They come in every color, including “Kermit the frog green,” which, in case you were wondering, is the color of tie that Boehner wore today.

Green is actually Boehner’s signature color. If you recall, that’s the color of sweater he wore on his first day as majority leader. It’s also the color that several members of his staff wore on the day he was elected majority leader. And, it’s the color of his campaign signs.

Lucky color?

Here’s what Boehner told reporters at his weekly news conference today about tough budget negotiations he's dealing with in the House:

“This is probably the toughest week that I have had, this coming week, since I was elected majority leader. ... I don't think I ever took two Advil in the morning before I came to work, but I did today. And I was looking in my closet for a tie and I thought, you know, I need something to cheer me up, so I decided that I was going to cheer myself up with a bright tie.”

What else came up during Boehner’s news conference today? Well, the usual issues: budget, immigration and campaign finance reform. He also complimented Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Sabrina Eaton on a “nice haircut,” which is better than what he told another reporter a few weeks ago.

He also talked at length about former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who announced that he’s retiring from Congress. DeLay has been indicted in Texas on charges of campaign finance fraud and linked to convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

“I think Tom was facing some very difficult pressures in his race. I think that he understood that it was becoming a referendum on him instead of on the ideas between the two parties, and I think he did a very honorable thing by stepping aside.”

Here’s what he had to say about Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, who also has been linked to Abramoff:

“He has his hands full, but he believes he is doing well, and, at this point, that is as much as I know about it.”

While we’re on the subject, here’s what Ney had to say about DeLay (Full story in tomorrow's Enquirer):

“Our names rhyme, but I am a different human being. He has different reasons for
resigning. I wish him the best. … I am not resigning.”

DeLay’s announcement comes after his former aide, Tony Rudy, pleaded guilty on Friday for conspiring with Abramoff to bribe officials, such as Ney and DeLay. Boehner was asked if it’s possible that his staff would do something similar. Here’s what he said:

“At the end of the day, the members are responsible for what happens in their offices and are responsible for their staff. Clearly, operations as big as, you know, as a committee or a leadership office, you have got a lot of people doing a lot of things; and so it is important, I think, to set the right tone with your staff and yourself about what the rules of the game are. And, clearly, there were several people on -- former staffers for Tom who ran off the road, and it is sad and unfortunate.”

In case anyone cases, Boehner had lunch with new White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten yesterday. It was in the White House dining room. Boehner ate a chicken quesadilla. “It was good, as a matter of fact,” Boehner said. He was not asked to be Treasury secretary.

Still wondering where those golf tees came from?

Here's what Boehner spokesman Kevin Madden had to say about them: “Golf tees? I thought those were candies. I wondered why they tasted funny.”

Seriously...

“They were a gift from another congressman. Not sure who,” Madden said.