Speaker John Boehner tells Leno he favors Jeb Bush in 2016

By Patrick Kevin Day

Jan. 24, 2014 11:46 AM PT

Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner made his first ever appearance on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Thursday, just to get some facetime with Leno before he leaves the show on Feb. 6.

“I go to bed at 10 o’clock. I heard the show was about over and I thought I had better get here before it’s too late,” Boehner told Leno as explanation for why he’d finally agreed to appear after years of resistance.

“Well I was going to say the same thing for you,” Leno responded.

While Boehner appeared to have come prepared with the requisite number of fun anecdotes and one-liners expected of any late night talk show guest, he did offer up some candid opinions.

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Asked what he thought of the upcoming presidential race in 2016, Boehner said, “I’m not endorsing anybody. But Jeb Bush is my friend and, frankly, I think he’d make a great president.”

Boehner also did his best to put to rest all the jokes and speculation about a possible spray-tan habit. He showed a family picture from when he was a small boy along with his 11 siblings.

“I play golf, I ride a bike, I cut my own grass,” Boehner said. “My mother is dark complected, so I’m a little dark. There’s no tanning beds, no spray anything. Never. Not once ever, ever. Nothing.”

When Leno broached the government shutdown, Boehner responded.

“This government shutdown, I think it’s safe to say most people blame the Republicans for that,” Leno said. “Would you?”

“Yep,” Boehner responded.

Boehner also said Republican infighting is “probably” the worst he’s ever seen. “It’s bad.”

But he added, “The funny thing about the so-called infighting is that we agree on all the goals. We think Obamacare is bad for the country. We shouldn’t spend more than we bring in. We think the president is ignoring the laws. It’s all a fight over tactics.”