Woodward: John Boehner Is No Phenomenon Like Obama

Appearing on Wednesday's "Morning Joe," Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward dismissed the significance of the accession of Rep. John Boehner to the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives, saying that Presodent Obama's inauguration dwarfed Boehner's.

Politico's Mike Allen had reported that Capitol Hill had "the air of a Presidential Inauguration" Wednesday with a new Speaker of the House and 87 new Republican congressmen coming in. A few minutes later, Woodward tempered Allen's enthusiasm.

"I think Mike Allen's one of the best in the business, but to compare the Boehner coming to the Speakership with the Presidential Inaugural – four busloads, Mike? I mean, for Obama, for any president – c'mon, they had hundreds of busloads."

Allen was referring to the atmosphere and not necessarily to the numbers of attendees, but that didn't resonate with Woodward, who compared numbers of attendees of a Speaker's induction with that of a presidential inauguration.

"This is big!" Joe Scarborough protested. "It too will pass," replied Woodward.

Of course, the same could be said for Obama and the near-messianic expectations the media and the left projected on him.

A transcript of the segment, which aired on January 5 at 8:24 a.m. EDT, is as follows:

MIKE ALLEN: Well this morning, up on Capitol Hill, already there's the air of a Presidential Inauguration. The new members are having receptions, they have family in last night, soon-to-be Speaker Boehner – four busloads of Boehner friend and family have come in from the Ohio-8...

(...)

BOB WOODWARD: I think Mike Allen's one of the best in the business, but to compare the Boehner coming to the Speakership with the Presidential Inaugural – four busloads, Mike? I mean, for Obama, for any president, c'mon, they had hundreds of busloads.

JOE SCARBOROUGH: This is big! This is big! (Unintelligible)

WOODWARD: It too will pass.