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On Facebook this morning, I found a discussion between BKW and Abdul in which Abdul commented on how U.S. Speaker of the House Boehner is being held hostage by the "Taliban" (a reference to the Tea Party I assume).
I said that sounded like an AHC--Boehner being held hostage by the actual Taliban.
So, with the latest possible POD, have Boehner being taken hostage by the Taliban.
Here's his Wiki entry, which includes his biography:
Maybe he doesn't get the back injury or it's fixable and he stays in the Navy and is kidnapped by the Pakistani Taliban during a port visit to Karachi or something, but that's a bit prosaic (plus if he stayed in the Navy 30 years, there's a good chance it'd be harder to get hold of him--he'd be a high-ranked officer or NCO, not a seaman wandering around).