Weigel

“I Have No Idea”

That was John Boehner’s answer when asked whether Mitch McConnell’s debt punt plan could pass the House. It sounded like the only really substantive answer in a press update that, theatrically, was all about Boehner getting close to Cantor. He didn’t know, but the plan “might look pretty good a few weeks from now.”

What doesn’t look good right now? Everything else! Boehner responded to the Democrats’ attacks on Cantor with a message of 1000 percent support: “I’m glad Eric’s there and those who have other opinions should keep them to themselves.” He and Cantor were “in this foxhole together.” How to read that? Boehner had offered a different deal, and different set of options, than Cantor had – the main difference visible to those of those outside the room is that Boehner looks trapped by his conference, whereas Cantor looks like he’s just reflecting what it thinks.