McCarthy Delenda Est

History is repeating itself in not a good way.

After the Tea Party revolution of 2010, conservatives vocally complained that John Boehner was not the guy who should be speaker.  Conservative organizations, conservative pundits, and the conservative movement ignored the conservatives in the House.  The tea party members came in new and fresh and didn’t want to rock the boat.

Within a year, conservative organizations were grumbling and the pundits were complaining.  It took till October of 2015 to convince the House GOP to throw Boehner out.  He was last seen yesterday crying tears with Nancy Pelosi.

Now, conservatives in the House are loudly saying Kevin McCarthy should be opposed.  Yet again, the same outside groups and voices are criticizing the conservatives instead of listening to them.  McCarthy is an opportunist who finds conservatives expendable.  Even now, he is plotting with moderates to strip conservative congressmen of their committee seats if they oppose him.  Keep an eye here on this threat.

Just two weeks ago, moderates were threatening that they’d side with Democrats to put a Democrat in the Speaker’s Chair. It was never serious, but a bunch of Republican talking heads attacked the conservatives claiming they were just helping the Democrats.  Now, those moderates have given up that play and are now just threatening to punish conservatives by stripping them of committee chairs.  With who?  McCarthy can’t become Speaker without these conservatives.  Why should any conservative side with a group threatening retribution for standing for principle?  This is what we’re getting with McCarthy — first threats to side with Democrats and then threats to punish conservatives for their convictions. 

Conservative groups, conservative pundits, and the conservative movement should listen to men like Andy Biggs and others and avoid another John Boehner moment.  It’d be far better to put a principled moderate in the chair than a rank opportunist whose finest principle is sticking his finger in the wind.  At least with any man or woman of principle, you’d know what you are getting even as the winds shift.