Leslie Stahl interviewed incoming House Speaker John Boehner on 60 Minutes Sunday night. They talked about lots of things, including how he doesn’t like the word “compromising.”
STAHL: But governing means compromising.
BOEHNER: It means working together.
STAHL: It also means compromising.
BOEHNER: It means finding common ground.
STAHL: Okay, is that compromising?
BOEHNER: I made it clear I am not going to compromise on my principles, nor am I going to compromise the will of the American people.
STAHL: What are you saying? You’re saying, “I want common ground, but I’m not gonna compromise.” I don’t understand that. I really don’t.
BOEHNER: When you say the word “compromise,” a lot of Americans look up and go, “Uh oh, they’re gonna sell me out.” And so finding common ground, I think, makes more sense.
It’s like talking to a six-year-old:
PARENT: Eat your vegetables.
CHILD: I don’t like vegetables.
PARENT: But you like peas.
CHILD: Yes, I like peas.
PARENT: Peas are vegetables.
CHILD: I don’t like vegetables.
PARENT (to himself): I need a drink.
This Congress is going to be so awesome.