As thousands of people endured the bitter cold temperatures in Washington, D.C., on Friday to join the anti-abortion protest "March for Life," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took the opportunity to suck up to the extreme conservatives, who are a small minority in the nation. A recent poll showed that 7 in 10 Americans now oppose Roe v. Wade being overturned.

Addressing the crowd at the National Mall in a video broadcast, Boehner said it's time for anti-abortion activisits to "commit ourselves to doing everything we can to protect the sanctity of life." Step one, he said, is making the Hyde Amendment permanent, which prevents federal dollars from being used to pay for abortions except in cases of rape or incest.

"For the new Congress, that means bringing together a bipartisan pro-life majority and getting to work," Boehner said. "In accordance with the will of the people, we will again work to pass the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, formally codifying the Hyde Amendment."

Boehner said he will make it a national priority to "help make abortion a relic of the past."

"Let that be one of our most fundamental goals this year," he said.

Why does John Boehner insist upon drawing from the minority of people to determine -- in his mind -- what the will of the people is? And abortion a national priority in 2013, really? Did he sleep through the 2012 election cycle?

Also from the poll I mentioned above:

"McInturff adds that the abortion-related events and rhetoric over the past year – which included controversial remarks on abortion and rape by two Republican Senate candidates, as well as a highly charged debate over contraception – helped shaped these changing poll numbers.

“The dialogue we have had in the last year has contributed … to inform and shift attitudes.”'

However, if Mr. Boehner wants to continue to push the Republican party into irrelevance, that's okay by me. As long as he doesn't waist precious time that should be devoted to real issues that concern the majority of Americans today.