Boehner tells lawmakers he was just ribbing them

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner told Republican lawmakers Tuesday he was just teasing them when he lampooned their reluctance to act on immigration legislation, insisting that he blames President Barack Obama for inaction on the issue, not the GOP.

“You tease the ones you love, right? But some people misunderstood what I had to say,” Boehner told reporters after a closed-door meeting with the House GOP where he offered the explanation. “I can rib people just a little too much sometimes. This wouldn’t be the first time.”