Is it possible that Chris Wallace actually reads C&L? Because he asked House Minority Leader John Boehner about the laughable pamphlet the GOP put out, advising members how to spend their summer vacation. Maybe I'm projecting a little bit, but didn't Chris sound a little incredulous about it?

And bless his little heart, Boehner's been studying. He's got his August recess talking points memorized and down pat. Take a look at the booklet and tell me how quickly you find these phrases:

• The American people are tired of the job killing agenda in Washington DC
• The spending spree needs to stop
• The American people don’t want their taxes are increased
• Republicans are offering better solutions
• We’re listening to people
• It’s pretty clear Americans want change
• The American people have been asking: Where are the jobs?
• The President’s (and the Democrats’) policies are killing job creation
• The President’s (and the Democrats’) policies are hurting the economy
• Running up debt on the backs of our children and grandchildren
• Let’s stop this wasteful stimulus spending

Sound and fury, signifying absolutely nothing. But the most unintentionally revealing moment? Despite saying that the American people want change and better solutions and are wondering where the jobs are, Boehner admits that he's not listening to experts:

WALLACE: But Congressman, even without going on a listening tour, you’ve got to know the prime issue for all voters, or most voters, is the economy and jobs. I want to put up some new figures that came out Friday. It showed that GDP growth has slowed dramatically from 5% in late 2009 to 3.7% in the first quarter of this year to now to just 2.4% in this last quarter. A number, Congressman, a number of top economists say what we need now is more economic stimulus.

BOEHNER: Well, I don’t need to see GDP numbers or to listen to economists. All I need to do is listen to the American people. They’ve been asking the question now for eighteen months: where are the jobs? The fact is the President’s policies are killing job creation in America, killing our economy, and the American people know it. That’s why, we are going to continue what we think are better solutions. Let’s stop this stimulus spending. All it’s doing is running up the debt on the backs of our kids and grandkids. Let’s make sure we’re not going to increase taxes and a time when our economy is so weak. All the things that my colleagues across the aisle want to do.

So if I have this straight, the Republicans--who have obstructed pretty much every bill that comes along, including ones designed to stimulate the economy and help hurting Americans--but Boehner doesn't need to listen to economists (like say, Alan Greenspan) to know that we have to stop spending stimulus money.

Uh, stop spending money means killing the stimulus means killing job creation means killing the economy.

Maybe you should reconsider not listening to economists, Boehner.

Lord knows, it will probably be less painful than last year's summer recess listening tours.

Transcripts below the fold

WALLACE: Congress Boehner, House Republicans have come up, and I have it here, with this big, glossy pamphlet , 22 pages, pictures of Margaret Thatcher, and Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan called “Tread Boldly”, telling your members what to do over this long August recess you’ve just embarked on. Question, Congressman: what’s the central message you’re giving your members that they need to get across to voters during the August recess?

BOEHNER: Well, I think it’s clear that the American people are tired of the job-killing agenda in Washington DC. They want the spending spree to stop. The want to make sure that taxes are not increased. What I want Republicans to do in August is just go home and talk about the better solutions the Republicans have been offering over the last 18 months. We’ve been listening to the American people. I think it’s pretty clear that they want change. And our listening effort is going to continue through August as we get into this election season. I think we’re having a good year, but we’ve got a lot of work to do between now and Election Day of November 2nd.

WALLACE: But Congressman, even without going on a listening tour, you’ve got to know the prime issue for all voters, or most voters, is the economy and jobs. I want to put up some new figures that came out Friday. It showed that GDP growth has slowed dramatically from 5% in late 2009 to 3.7% in the first quarter of this year to now to just 2.4% in this last quarter. A number, Congressman, a number of top economists say what we need now is more economic stimulus.

BOEHNER: Well, I don’t need to see GDP numbers or to listen to economists. All I need to do is listen to the American people. They’ve been asking the question now for eighteen months: where are the jobs? The fact is the President’s policies are killing job creation in America, killing our economy, and the American people know it. That’s why, we are going to continue what we think are better solutions. Let’s stop this stimulus spending. All it’s doing is running up the debt on the backs of our kids and grandkids. Let’s make sure we’re not going to increase taxes and a time when our economy is so weak. All the things that my colleagues across the aisle want to do.