Boner the Refuser© won't be going to Wednesday's state dinner honoring Chinese President Hu Jintao

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Boehner declines state dinner invite

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1101/boehner_declines_state_dinner_invite.html



Judy Chu and Hu Jintao will attend the state dinner; John Boehner will not. | AP Photos

By AMIE PARNES & KARIN TANABE | 1/14/11 5:19 PM EST Updated: 1/14/11 6:00 PM EST

This week, House Speaker John Boehner raised eyebrows by turning down an offer to ride on Air Force One with President Obama and others headed to a memorial service in Tucson. Instead, he appeared at a reception for Republican operative Maria Cino. Now, on the heels of renewed calls for bipartisanship and toned-down political rhetoric, Boehner is saying “thanks, but no thanks” to another offer to appear at an event with the president – Wednesday’s White House state dinner.

The dinner, honoring the Chinese President Hu Jintao, will pull together leaders on both sides of the aisle, along with celebs, CEOs, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and media bigwigs.

A Boehner aide confirmed that the House speaker was invited to the dinner but will not be attending. Boehner also turned down invitations to the previous two state dinners held during Obama’s presidency, one honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, and the most recent state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderon in May 2010, the aide said.

Though Boehner was invited, other prominent Republican leaders were not. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has not yet received an invitation, an aide told POLITICO. Though the guest list is still being finalized, Cantor’s empty mailbox could certainly be seen as a slight, considering the most recent former House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer, attended the most recent state dinner.

[gratuitous]

1. To be fair, that's Boehner's drinking night

What night was it again?

[davidinalameda]

7. the one that ends in Y

[Kurovski]

2. It cuts into Boehner's tanning booth time.

Expect more of this

[47of74]

14. And here's his tanning booth...

[Kurovski]

16. Not so much "sunkist" as "flash-fried".

Is THIS what our tax dollars fund!!???!!?!?!? :mad:

[47of74]

18. Yep...

The only thing missing are the piles of empties...

[madokie]

3. The contrast between bonehead and Obama is like night and day

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Insulting and arrogant.

Unbelievable.

[Erose999]

5. Must be dollar beer night at Hooters that night. nt

[davidinalameda]

8. so he doesn't have a tan

he's been rolling around in wing sauce

[Kurovski]

9. Which also causes

chronic irritation of the tear ducts.

[davidinalameda]

10. we have the answers!

[Kurovski]

11. We see all, know all!

We are the new FOX!

[jillan]

6. I think this is further proof that Boner is an alcoholic - seriously.

The alcoholics that I know, including a family member, get to a point of not being able to function socially at a certain point of the day.... especially if they start drinking early.

Just speculating.

[Hugabear]

12. Surprised that a racist rethug wouldn't want to spend time with Obama or Jintao?

Is it really a shock to anyone that the chief rethug would be a racist and a xenophobe?

[ehrnst]

21. Maybe he's afraid that he won't be able to tell the difference between Jintao and the other

Asian guests after he's downed a few.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CommonSensePLZ]

33. Just the evil government. nt

[notadmblnd]

15. I hope he doesn't cry when the invites stop coming.

I wouldn't think the white House would keep sending invites if all he does is reject them. Is he doing this to snub the President? Does he think the President is beneath him? Where will he decide he has to be during The State of The Union Address? Someone should start a pool.

[JoePhilly]

17. Don't invite Cantor ... just keep inviting the orange weeping Boner.

[ehrnst]

19. He'd rather drink alone. (nt)

[haele]

20. Wonder why he keeps ducking out rather than be in the same location as Pres. Obama, hmmm?

Doesn't want to look bad to his tea-party posse as his owners rile them up against the Government?
Or has he just reverted to habit, respecting his Constitutional obligations and duties in the same slacker figurehead way he did during the Shrub administration when K-street ran DC.
Cantor may give weasils a bad name on occasion, but at least he goes through the motions of working.

Haele

[seabeyond]

22. i have heard for a while this guy is incredibly lazy and does little but golf and drink.....

so i imagine he will be turning down most all events...

[Crankie Avalon]

23. At least there's no need to worry about him showing up and doing something embarrassing...

...unlike other drunks I know...

[tanyev]

24. Gracious. All these invites interfering with his tee time/tanning time/happy hour schedule?

If he is too busy to be Speaker of the House he should have said something.

[old mark]

25. Maybe he doesn't like to be with other than white people...nt

[SpiralHawk]

26. A Republicon going AWOL when asked to serve America?

How typical...

[11 Bravo]

27. He heard they would be serving wine instead of bourbon.

[opihimoimoi]

28. His chop stick lessons were a fail...kept dropping gravy on his pants.... poor thing

[MilesColtrane]

29. He doesn't want to be seen by his followers as cozying up to the Chinese.

He turns down high profile dinners with the leaders of China, India, and Mexico, then helps corporations offshore American jobs to these same countries the next day.

[spanone]

30. he's too busy with the japanese kabuki theater in the house

[Arkansas Granny]

31. Does he think the President might make him cry?

[Ganja Ninja]

32. He'll be busy that night creating jobs in the liquor and hospitality industry.

:beer: