At Boehner's Invite, Netanyahu Coming to Congress

As the White House urged calm while it works to nail down a nuclear deal with Iran, John Boehner went a little rogue this morning: The speaker of the House issued an invite to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress next month on what Boehner calls "the threats posed by radical Islam and Iran." Netanyahu, who is virulently against a deal with Tehran, wasted little time in accepting the invite, reports the Washington Post, and is slated to speak in Washington on Feb. 11. It's what Politico calls "a move sure to inflame the Obama administration," and Boehner isn't being shy about prodding the administration, telling his caucus this morning that President Obama's "exact message to us was, 'Hold your fire.' He expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran. Two words: Hell no!"

Obama last night said new sanctions on Tehran "will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails, ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again," a statement that Boehner this morning dismissed as having "papered over" a "serious threat." He says he did not consult with the White House, but that "I don't believe I'm poking anyone in the eye." It will be Netanyahu's third address before Congress; the last was in 2011. (More John Boehner stories.)