Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) has been the expected next Speaker for years now. He has been Majority leader, Minority leader and according to DC’s tenure-based, Pez dispenser method of choosing leadership, one could easily argue he was next in line. However, is that the best way to choose a leader, especially with the country needing such a sharp turn in direction?
Inflation is through the roof due to insane government spending. The IRS has become the fastest growing agency so they’ll have enough manpower to take more of your earnings to pay for the Ukraine money laundering project as well as the living expenses of five million new illegal immigrants. Now, while the Freedom Caucus makes a stand to ensure change is coming, outlets like Fox are letting their establishment slip show with their hand-wringing and negative coverage. Is not the whole point of Democracy to have debate? Is this not how the process is supposed to work?
Surely, a shrewd politician like McCarthy can convince Conservatives in his own party that a seasoned Republican like himself should be Speaker. After all, what are the outlandish requests from these “right wing extremists?” To not raise the debt ceiling on a $32T debt? To not pass any more four thousand page trillion-dollar Omnibus spending bills? A balanced budget mandate? Term limits? Transparency on earmarks and a two-thirds vote to pass them? Seats in prime committees like Judiciary? The horror. No wonder the media hate the Freedom Caucus. Only people who truly love this country would want such things. The fact that agreements can’t be made on these items highlights the contrast between modern Conservatives and Republicans, terms that were once relatively synonymous.
Personally, I’ve never seen McCarthy as anything extraordinary and I certainly have no faith he’ll be able to work miracles with such a narrow majority. Regarding the ten failed votes he has suffered thus far, I must say, I like the idea of him having to earn his position like a would-be tribal king who must first climb a mountain or survive a gauntlet. Let the Democrats have their mindless coronations with soulless mediocrities like Hillary or the former crypt-keeping Speaker. A GOP Speaker should prove he can bring the party together as that will be his job description. If he can’t do it now, perhaps he is undeserving of the job.
The bottom line is many Republicans are not interested in another establishment swamp dweller ignoring the will of the people. Good for the Freedom Caucus for being more concerned with what is best for the country and not just lockstepping for appearance’s sake. Hopefully, McCarthy is sharpened by this experience and will surprise his opponents by doing more than just elbow-polishing his nameplate. If nothing else, the Patriots in his party have shown him one thing, that they expect results. If a coronation was what he wanted, McCarthy has come to the wrong party.
You nailed it as usual! Clear, concise, and to the point!
Joe – I 100% agree with you.
I would add that the idea that we have to pick a “moderate Republican” is deeply flawed. The archaic notion that there are fringe elements on the right and the left, but the “moderates” in the middle are the reasoned individuals who have all the answers is not true anymore. We have those on the right, and those who the biased main-stream media call the “far right” fringe (like the Freedom Caucus), who understand that this country is under attack from the entire left wing of the political spectrum that will destroy this country if left on challenged and unchecked. Although this has been ongoing for decades, since the Obama years they have made major inroads in the assault on the Constitution, the founding principles of our country, private property rights, the free market system & Capitalism, an independent judiciary, Federalism, and limited government. They profess, in Obamas words, to want to “fundamentally transform” our culture and economic system into a socialist utopia, but really are a group of unscrupulous grifters would redistribute wealth from the productive private sector to garner votes from those who become dependent on government; all the while, enhancing their own personal wealth through waste, corruption, fraud, and abuse in government. A major reason why they are currently gaining popularity is their control of information through the main stream written & online media, and censorship by complicit social media platforms. Their lies & propaganda have been demonstrably successful in influencing the thoughts & opinions of 18 to 24 year olds (combined with the effects of the deliberate left-wing infiltration of our educational system) and other intellectually vulnerable & naive demographic groups. This, in combination with the rigging of elections, if not changed, will lead to single-party rule, giving the left a clear path to the destruction of our economy, culture, and individual freedoms. In summary, one cannot now be a “moderate”, but has to take a principled position of a patriot who wants to preserve our liberty & prosperity, versus one who is complicit with, or acquiesces to, the communist/socialist left-wing force that will take over and remove the freedoms that we have all enjoyed and have fought for since the founding. In short, there are no far right or far left “fringes” with the only reasonable people being in the middle; but a cultural war between all leftists (including the so-called “moderate” Democrats) who control the larger share of the federal government, academia, entertainment, and the media; and a smaller group of clear-thinking courageous patriots like the Freedom Caucus who understand the danger that we are facing. Kevin McCarthy, and other so-called “moderate” Republicans, need to realize this, and hopefully have learned a lesson from the 19 conservative Republicans who truly understand what is happening and are demanding specific, tangible measures to counteract it. They are not a “fringe” group, and they and other constitutional conservatives should not be considered outside of the main stream of the Republican party. Similarly, the Democrats and other leftists are not a “fringe” group, but a powerful force that is gaining strength and needs to be stopped. One can’t be a feckless “moderate” and try to compromise with such a destructive force that is gaining influence & success with the ultimate goal of weakening, and eventually destroying, our country. We must defeat these people at the ballot box and politically, and we owe a great deal of gratitude to the Freedom Caucus and the admirable display of democracy in action that we recently witnessed. Let’s vote in more courageous conservatives who will keep the political fight going and eventually win it! Let’s hope Kevin McCarthy understands this and leads the Republican majority the right way.
Great comment, Bob. I completely agree that compromise is not an option with people who take a mile for every inch they are given. McCarthy has been more lion than lamb in his first two weeks. Happy with what I see so far. We need true conservatives to defend and preserve the republic. The McConnells and Jeb Bushes won’t do. They just serve the DC uniparty and themselves.