Joe Walsh: John Boehner 'Doesn't Want Someone Like Me Around'

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) revealed during a town hall event on Thursday that he often fights with the Republican leadership, touting his independence as Republican voters will likely have to choose between him and Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) in a redrawn district.

"I get in a fight every week with my leadership," he said, as reported by the Kane County Chronicle. "And here's what the fight is about. [House Speaker] John Boehner ... this is what he tells us every week: If we would just be quiet [and] don't make waves right now. Privately, John Boehner ... doesn't want someone like me around. If it's Randy Hultgren against Joe Walsh running for this Congressional seat, I can guarantee you John Boehner and other folks are going to do whatever they can to help Randy get elected. Randy does what he's told by them."

Walsh upset incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean in 2010, thanks to strong support from the tea party. Illinois lost one seat in congressional apportionment, and Walsh faces Hultgren in a new district. Walsh, who like many members of the tea party rails against spending and debt, voted "no" on all budget measures to continue funding the government since April 9, even though the Republican leadership supported them. He has also drawn fire for controversial comments about President Barack Obama, saying the media will protect him because he is black. He refused to attend a joint session of Congress for Obama's jobs speech, calling him "idiotic."

Walsh is in a legal battle over allegations that he has not paid his child support. He reportedly owes over $115,000 in back payments to his ex-wife and children. A withholding order currently deducts $2,134 per month out of his congressional salary to pay child support.

To a crowd of 15 people, he said at the town hall, "This fight is for the soul of what this country's about ... If we send the wrong kind of Republicans to Washington next year, we're going to lose ... If we send typical Republicans to Washington, I can tell you, the typical Republicans will do what helped get us in this mess and they'll forget they're Republicans."

Comments

[DFReno]

06:34 PM on 11/11/2011

Well, AMERICA, doesn't want Joe Walsh around either.

[ronniesbrain]

02:51 PM on 11/05/2011

Joe could be the most hated republican't......wait a minute there is West in Florida. Still in Illinois we don't care for you either Joe. If Joe Walsh is running for Deadbeat dad of the year he will win hands down, but I seriously doubt he could even win the republican't primary in the new district. too bad because he would have been one of the easier teapublican'ts to defeat in next years general election.

[Beck65]

02:20 PM on 10/24/2011

There are a lot of people that "don't want someone like Joe Walsh around" and its not just your fellow republicans.

[MSMSucksCom]

08:04 PM on 10/23/2011

I have never been able to reconcile TeaBaggers like Joe Walsh.

On the one hand they are pro life, while on the other believing in the death penalty.

Their mantra is "think of the kids and their future" yet Joe Walsh not providing for the welfare of his children is NOT thinking about his kids and their future.

Those are just two examples, there's way more.

I would like to hear the teabaggers arguments on why they think Joe Walsh is the kind of person they want in government. How does not providing for your family square with their chants about the importance of family on their list of ideals.

[Hally]

10:31 AM on 10/23/2011

Setting aside the multitude of legitimate objections to Walsh, what's really disturbing about this is the expectation that all party members vote along party lines.

Members of Congress are sent to DC to represent their constituents, ie the people, not a political party.

It is not just Wall St that's the problem, but the party the apparatchiks. Republicans scream Obama is a "socialist" while operating like the ole USSR's Communist party, expecting all Republicans to blindly follow the party line.

[jc52e52]

10:12 AM on 10/23/2011

Hopefully he won't be a prop for too long. Defeat all Dirt Baggers.

[wgdisk]

10:10 AM on 10/23/2011

I guess that makes three of us. John Boehner, Walsh's wife, and me.

[huffingmad]

05:32 PM on 10/26/2011

Make that four of us.

[ronniesbrain]

02:54 PM on 11/05/2011

And the number keeps growing.

[1234j]

10:06 AM on 10/23/2011

Independent thinker and Republican do not go hand in hand. Why can't they think for themselves instead of "towing the line" and signing pledges?

They are all carbon copies.

[1234j]

10:02 AM on 10/23/2011

Wow. A whole 15 people showed up. That's a crowd?

[ronniesbrain]

02:55 PM on 11/05/2011

That's because he only allows people who agree with him to attend his town halls.

[donnyraindog]

09:51 AM on 10/23/2011

Just because Joe was never married to the Republican party leadership it doesn't mean he can't treat them like his ex wife!

[apiazza]

09:46 AM on 10/23/2011

We live in his district and "we" don't want Joe Walsh around.

[jc52e52]

10:13 AM on 10/23/2011

Good, then start a recall action!

[Marie Perkins]

11:08 AM on 10/23/2011

Then how was he elected in the first place? Melissa Bean was doing an excellent job.

[ronniesbrain]

02:58 PM on 11/05/2011

There are still questions about where those last minute votes came from. This is a heavily republican area, but he only won by 300 votes. The votes came in overnight. They suddenly appeared, as if by magic.

[Jced]

09:11 AM on 10/23/2011

A "crowd" of 15 people!!!! I have Dinner Parties larger than that. 15 people!!! LMAO!

[Jced]

09:08 AM on 10/23/2011

What a D!ck.....

[ronniesbrain]

03:00 PM on 11/05/2011

The perfect discription of Joe Walsh.

[Don Glenn]

08:33 AM on 10/23/2011

The Republican party would fit real well in Libya where tribalism is the rule of the land. But this is America where whats good for America should rule out idiots like this dead beat getting in office, or like the grifter in Fl. who's company was fined 1.4 billion dollars for stealing from the same program he wants to abolish.

[dayzee10]

08:10 AM on 10/23/2011

Even Johnnie "It's five o'clock somewhere" Boehner knows it is not a good idea to be palling around with deadbeat dads. Pay your bills Joey!!!!