From Wednesday night’s Fox News All-Stars.
On what John Boehner should to avert a government shutdown:
This isn’t a debate about good government. This is bad government. We all know it.
This is all a debate over tactics and maneuvering. I think the Boehner position has to be clear on this. Make sure that tomorrow [Thursday] the House passes a one-week continuing resolution that includes $12 billion in cuts and indefinite funding for the Defense Department.
Cut out the part about the funding of abortion in the District of Columbia. Leave the riders out. Do it as a clean budget.
Do that. Make it ostentatious. Make a speech on the floor of the House: “We have to keep the government open.” And send it to the Senate.
I would call the Democrats’ bluff on this. If the Democrats say no and the government shuts on Friday night, it will be obvious who caused it. …
Pass a one-week extension, dare the Democrats to veto it — because then it is easy to argue it’s the Democrats who shut the government.
On President Obama’s energy policy:
Well, we know what the president’s energy policy is: Drill in Brazil — and windmills. He was over in Latin America a couple of weeks ago and he was all enthusiastic for offshore drilling in Brazil. He’s against it here, he’s set up all kinds of bureaucratic obstacles stopping the giving of [drilling] permits. We already had oil drillers who’ve left the Gulf, headed off to West Africa. And he says we’re going to be a great customer of Brazilian oil, which will be a wonderful addition to our balance of payments deficit.
And we know he’s enthusiastic on windmills. He was over at a factory, actually which is owned by Spaniards, today. Windmills are nice but they are not going to amount to anything in terms of our overall energy needs for at least ten, 15, 20 years – at the best.