He or his office groused after hearing President Obama warn the House not to shut down the government

“The House will take action that reflects the fundamental fact that Americans don’t want a government shutdown and they don’t want the train wreck that is Obamacare,” Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said in a statement. “Grandstanding from the president, who refuses to even be a part of the process, won’t bring Congress any closer to a resolution.”

John, buddy, he’s got no one to negotiate with even if he wanted to. The Senate is on board with the continuing resolution funding the government through November 15; it’s just that legislative body of which you’re ostensibly Speaker which can’t get its act together. Since you’ve given over your nominal authority over the House to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas (or perhaps he’s just taken it), maybe you should try to reclaim it and then tell your Caucus you’ll just get enough votes for passage from the Democrats.

But you won’t do that because a) you want to keep your job as Speaker and that would enrage your Tea Party members and b) you’ve lost whatever feeling you once had about public service which prompted you to run for the House in the first place.