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MADISON TWP.

The day after the 2012 presidential election, Speaker of the House John Boehner said it was time to deal with immigration reform.

At a Thursday speech to the Middletown Rotary Club in Madison Twp., Boehner said immigration reform has been turned into a political football and called the immigration system in America broken.

He openly mocked fellow House Republicans when asked about immigration at the Rotary Club.

Heres the attitude: Ohhh. Dont make me do this. Ohhh. This is too hard, he whined sarcastically to the crowd.

We get elected to make choices. We get elected to solve problems, and its remarkable to me how many of my colleagues just dont want to, Boehner said. Theyre human; theyre trying to take the path of least resistance. Theyre going to listen to the loudest voices in the building.

Boehner spokeswoman Kara Hauck said the speaker often teases his colleagues.

As the speaker has often said to his colleagues, you only tease the ones you love, she said.

But Boehners teasing drew sharp criticism from opponents of immigration reform who accused the West Chester Twp. Republican of engaging in double-speak. Some even said he has blown any chance of moving immigration legislation forward this year.

Boehners visit to Butler County on Thursday was at the tail end of a week-long swing through the 8th Ohio Congressional District. That tour was preceded by a trip to Afghanistan. It was also less than two weeks before the May 6 partisan primary election where the 12-term congressman faces three opponents: Eric Gurr and Matthew Ashworth, both of Liberty Twp., and J.D. Winteregg, of Troy.

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Boehners immigration remarks draws criticism