John Boehner: I've 'Never Been In A Tanning Bed Or Used A Tanning Product'

Addressing the seemingly constant chatter about the orangey-tan color of his skin, House Minority Leader John Boehner told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that his eye-catching complexion is one hundred percent natural.

"I have never been in a tanning bed or used a tanning product," explained the ranking Republican. He said that his mother and four of his twelve siblings also have the sun-kissed glow.

The explanation comes as only the latest in a string of recent instances where Boehner has found himself playing defense against questions and jokes made about the color of his skin.

Earlier this month during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," the House leader was asked about a survey from Public Policy Polling indicating that 30 percent voters in his home state of Ohio think he "spends too much time on his tan."

(14 percent of respondents signaled a belief he spends "about the right amount of time" working on his glow, while 4 percent said whatever he's doing isn't enough.)

Boehner told GMA host George Stephanopoulos that his critics "probably didn't see me yesterday when I was out cutting my grass or riding my mountain bike."

Another possible explanation could be Boehner's love of golf and the reportedly high frequency at which he hits the links.

One of the most high profile shots taken at Boehner's tan came during the White House Correspondents' Dinner last year. President Obama joked that the pair actually "have a lot of in common," given that Boehner is "a person of color, although not a color that appears in the natural world."

WATCH: (1:16)

Comments

[rory talbot]

08:40 PM on 11/02/2010

Me either.

[wkb2texans]

02:54 PM on 10/08/2010

Economy's tubing ... unemployment is off the charts and climbing ... CBO says that ObamaCare's going to break the bank ... Social Security will become insolvent in the next 10 years ... Medicare is creaking under an unsustainable number of participants (expanding yearly) .... we're still in Afghanistan and Iraq .... we're being over run by illegals .... etc., etc.

Topic of discussion .... whether some conservative uses a tanning booth or not.

And folks in here wonder why the tea party and other conservatives are either leading or closely following behind their liberal counterpart.

Go figure ...

[Phranquenstew]

06:55 PM on 09/27/2010

His color depends on what his surroundings are, like others of his species.

[wkb2texans]

02:18 PM on 10/08/2010

So he's a Dim?? Wow ... who knew?

[Thom Delahunt]

04:53 PM on 09/27/2010

then the drunk's got liver problems

[wkb2texans]

02:19 PM on 10/08/2010

and you have no-class problems ...

[Pammy1151]

09:42 AM on 09/27/2010

I think the smoke from all the cigarettes he smokes just blows back on his face.

[swengnikaerb]

07:59 AM on 09/27/2010

Of course I believe him. It's a well known fact that he passes out drunk under a french fry lamp at the local pub.

[hs3144]

07:53 AM on 09/27/2010

They thought my nephew had a liver problem once and it was discovered that he was just eating too many carrots.....maybe that is the situation here.

[Lahonda]

02:56 AM on 09/27/2010

I only believe John Boehner when he's not awake or asleep.

[dragonladywaltham]

10:23 PM on 09/26/2010

Lying is a mandatory Republican prerequisite.

[wkb2texans]

02:20 PM on 10/08/2010

redundant ...

[Mr Universe]

07:53 PM on 09/26/2010

I've been asking about Agent Orange's palour for years. Nobody seems to have an adequate answer. Maybe that's just his natural complexion.

[dancucich]

07:30 PM on 09/26/2010

He looks embarrassed in the picture. (like some little old lady just told him his fly was open
as he began expounding on tax cuts)

[wkb2texans]

02:23 PM on 10/08/2010

....or some little old lady just told him she can no longer afford her health insurance because of the monthly premium increase the insurance company slapped on her due to ObamaCare

[NevadaLib]

06:51 PM on 09/26/2010

did anyone think that maybe he's just wasted all the time?

[Mr Universe]

07:56 PM on 09/26/2010

Why would that make you orange?

[Lahonda]

02:59 AM on 09/27/2010

I call it "burnished Jim Beam with vodka hi-lites."

[santiago sherwood]

06:27 PM on 09/26/2010

I have to say having seen him in at PDX Airport. And his skin color is weird, because when he moves from Sodium lamp light to flourescent and then to natural his skin colour changes really fast. It is definitely not natural and the only other way for that to happen is from some medications which affect pigmentation. there are a few most of them are anti-psychotics compounds.

[mechanical soft]

05:53 PM on 09/26/2010

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character... Unless their skin is orange, which is hilarious." - MLK

You all are a bunch of orangists! haha

[JacklynD]

03:51 PM on 09/26/2010

Do I believe John Boehner when he says he's never used a tanning bed or product?

No.

Do I believe John Boehner when he opens his mouth?

No.