acri. >> the most affections since newt gingrich in 1997. have written this and people said that john boehner is a weak speaker in a lot of ways, absolutely true. i guess the distinction i would make, i don't think his political skills are that bad at all. i think he is probably -- probably would be, under the right circumstances, a decent speaker, how he runs the house. the problem with the republicans right now is not poor leadership from john boehner. the problem is the republicans. this is a party that sees what used to be routine deadlines like the debt ceiling, see leverage there. this has never happened before. following go up to the brink of a debt default in the name of seeking huge, huge concessions on the social safety net, a party that until, you know, voting for the $450,000 thing refused to consider the idea of tax increases. in is a party that punishes republicans in primaries, guilty of thinking about working with democrats, guilty of thinking about compromise. i think you can't be the speaker of that party and be an effectiv