Fiscal-cliff drama: John Boehner reportedly told Harry Reid to go f--- himself
Passions, it seems, were running awfully high behind the scenes
After a chaotic day of wailing Republican angst, the House on Tuesday night finally passed a bill that would extend the Bush tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans. The bill's passage caps months of maddeningly inconclusive negotiations between the White House and several players in Congress, and it wasn't until the last couple days that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Vice President Joe Biden crafted a compromise that was able to pass the Senate with flying bipartisan colors.
Of course, it seems unlikely that the compromise will herald a new era of comity between the two parties. There was apparently no love lost between the negotiations' principal players, particularly House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). According to Politico, this happened:
"Go f— yourself," Boehner sniped as he pointed his finger at Reid, according to multiple sources present.
Reid, a bit startled, replied: "What are you talking about?"
Boehner repeated: "Go f— yourself."
Boehner's salty riposte — which reportedly came "just a few steps from the Oval Office" — was in response to Reid's claim on the Senate floor that Boehner was running a "dictatorship" in the House. Boehner was reportedly so pleased with his bon mot that he later "bragged" about it to his fellow Republicans.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
