John Boehner posts bizarre wind-up toy monkey video

The official website of House Speaker John Boehner posted a somewhat bizarre video of the lawmaker posed with a wind-up toy monkey on his lap, a 40-second spot that was aimed at showcasing his sense of humor while making a point: My political schedule is too busy.

Mr. Boehner’s website says that, other than him, the cymbal-clapping toy monkey is the most frequently photographed subject in the current Congress.

“It all started in the fall of 2011, when Speaker Boehner joked in an interview that some days he felt like a windup toy because his jam-packed schedule kept him so busy,” his website stated.

In the video, titled “The Monkey in the Room,” Mr. Boehner holds the monkey on his lap while explaining, “My staff gave it to me. Every 15 to 30 minutes, they come in and wind me up and I do my thing.” He also tells children playing with it that “that’s what I do all day.”

The monkey even made it into Mr. Boehner’s office training manual for interns. Gawker reported that the manual draws attention to the monkey and claims it “shows his sense of humor.”