It seems to be to avoid a vote of no confidence from the far right. Some reports are also coming that he was determined to shut down the government again and that drew even more ire.
What a fucking mess. Good riddance, at the very least.
It's really, really difficult to find something good to say about John Boehner. It's even more delicious that his own party is his downfall, and a horrendous (albeit ironic) portent for the GOP that he's drawing most of this fire for "not being conservative enough". The party is in free fall and I'm going to enjoy every moment of it.
Was Boehner the voice of reason in the Republican Party? That's scary.
I read that the on the night of the Pope's address, the pontiff leant over to Boehner and said, "pray for me. pray for me." Boehner was crying throughout the address. He quit 14 hours later. If it was a moment of realization, a straw that broke the camel's back, then I am actually a little saddened by his decision to quit. It could have been a moment of revitalization which he could have used to empower his own positions versus that of the GOP mainstream, a move that would have been in devotion to his newfound sense of righteousness. But by caving, he'll just birth the next head of the hydra.