When Congress returned from its September recess it’s hard to believe Speaker of the House John Boehner knew what he was planning to do or of the ensuing activity that followed.
Prior to “the decision,” Washington was gearing up for a first-of-its-kind event, an address to Congress by the Pope. Nobody (not even his family) knew Boehner would step down the next day. Publically, he declared his time had come and noted the Pope’s visit was the pinnacle of his career, an achievement more than two decades in the making. Many believe his frustration with an unmanageable and unruly House grew just too big, creating unnecessary gridlock. It’s likely both rang true, but the drama did not end there.