How fleeting political fortunes are. It was just two years ago this month that John Boehner took the gavel from Nancy Pelosi after a sweeping Republican victory in the midterms. He's still the Speaker, but he's embattled, weakened and bitter.

I'm not sure what he was thinking by pulling the bill for Sandy relief, but he incurred the wrath from his own party, particularly those in the three states where the majority of damage was sustained.