An emotional Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), now the presumptive favorite to be next Speaker of the House, just finished addressing a crowd of supporters at the D.C. Hyatt. From his prepared remarks:
Listen, I’ll be brief, because we have real work to do – and this is not a time for celebration … not when one in 10 of our fellow citizens are out of work … not when we have buried our children under a mountain of debt … not when our Congress is held in such low esteem.
This is a time to roll up our sleeves. To look forward with determination. And to take the first steps toward building a better future for our kids and grandkids.
Across the country right now, we are witnessing a repudiation of Washington … a repudiation of Big Government … and a repudiation of politicians who refuse to listen to the people.
Of course, this campaign is not yet over. To folks out in the West, where the polls are still open, seize this opportunity to be heard … to reject the spending sprees, the bailouts, the backroom deals, the takeovers and all the nonsense … and to join your fellow Americans in putting Washington on notice.
Because for far too long, Washington has been doing what’s best for Washington – not what’s best for America.
Tonight, that begins to change.
Choking up near the end of his remarks, Boehner recounted that he had “spent [his] whole life chasing the American Dream,” “mopping floors” and taking odd jobs to pay his way through school, and then “pour[ing] [his] heart and soul into a small business.”
“And when I saw how out-of-touch Washington had become with the core values of this great nation, I put my name forward and ran for office,” he said, before thanking family and supporters and exiting the stage.