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Why I Won't Support The NRCC

Submitted by MichaelTurk on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 12:53

The Politico today covers the decision by the NRCC to pull funding from Congressional races for good, conservative challengers so they can prop up the campaigns of flailing Republicans.

Under normal circumstances, I would expect the NRCC to behave this way.  They are, after all, a campaign organization run by friends and colleagues of those currently serving.  They will protect their own first, and build our numbers second.

What makes me uneasy with that now, is the specific names the Politico mentions.

GOP Reps. John B. Shadegg of Arizona, Lee Terry of Nebraska, Henry Brown Jr. of South Carolina and Dan Lungren of California are all fighting for their political lives, a reversal of fortunes that has caught even the most astute campaign observers by surprise.

Frankly, it hasn't caught me by surprise.  All of those listed voted for the $700 billion - or is it $850 billion or $1.5 trillion, I guess it depends on whose scoring it - boondoggle foisted upon the taxpayers.  These guys are solidly Republican living in solidly Republican districts, and they're suddenly at risk of losing their seats just two short weeks after pissing on the taxpayer? Hrrrrmmmm... I wonder why.

What should stand out in particular are the names Shadegg and Terry.  They're among the sellouts who switched from No votes to Yes votes.  Apparently they guessed wrong.  That vote for political expediency may cost real conservatives - like Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, perhaps the best candidate we have running this cycle - a seat.  It may guarantee that the one chance we have to hold a seat - any seat - in NM is lost.

It is unfortunate that the NRCC feels it's better to protect weak Republicans than to elect strong ones.

Well I won't be supporting the NRCC until we see a new Chairman - one who is willing to support good candidates, not just good friends.

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Comments

I'm with you on this one, big time.

Submitted by davidfarrar on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 20:22.

This election is not about choosing between a Democratic socialist and a free-market, fiscal conservative Republican, it's about choosing which front-man we would like to represent us before the moneyed elite.

McCain had the chance to turn this election around prior to selling out to Wall Street. Now, the only real difference between Barack Obama and John McCain is that Obama doesn't have the political chutzpa to accuse McCain of selling out to Wall Street like McCain is accusing Barack of doing. 

McCain's campaign, apparently, believes conservatives are so stupid that if they don't mention the bailout, and if the stock market temporarily bounces back up due to all the Fed money now flooding the market, these Walmart moms and NASCAR dads will forget all about his own role in the Wall Street bailout debacle, at least until after the election when the market will be allowed to find its real bottom in this recession.

God help us.

 

ex animo

davidfarrar

 

The GOP Cream Has Risen to the Top....

Submitted by Darvin Dowdy on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 17:19.

...this is just another opportunity to present the list of those in the congress and senate who opposed the bailout.  These are the folks we really want to keep our eyes on.  Especially the Repub's.   I know all 3 congressmen from the Houston area, Culberson, Poe and McCaul voted against the bailout.   I'm very proud of this fact.  Sad part is both of our senators voted for it. Boo Hoo!  

Again, these valiant ones who voted against the bailout are going to be pushed out of the process.  Ostracized. Alienated by their own party.   So they're going to need our help, support and praise.  We can't just forget what they did.  DD

You are so right.

Submitted by davidfarrar on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 18:48.

That is why I have been passing around on the blogishpere the list of Georgia's "Honorable Nine". 

It is always important to honor those who did the right thing. I hope others will create a  "State Honor Roll" of their House members from each state who had the right stuff, who didn't panic; who did the right thing, and distribute their list to its widest limits on the boundless public stage of the internet.   I hope by doing so, all those other politicians who did panic; who didn't measure up;  who didn't see their way through to do the right thing,  will understand we will not forget come election time. It is very important that we do this.

I will start with my own State delegation from Georgia, who numbered an amazing nine(9) Representatives who voted against the Wall Street bailout give away-- God bless them all!

1. Rep.   John Barrow           (D GA 12th District)        

 2. Rep.   Hank Johnson       (D GA 4th District)           

  3. Rep.  Paul Broun            (R GA 10th District)       

 4. Rep. Nathan Deal            (R-GA 9th District)          

5. Rep. Phil Gingrey              (R-GA 11th District)        

6. Rep. Rep. Jack Kingston  (R-GA 1st District)           

 7. Rep. John Linder               (R-GA 7th District)         

8.Rep. Tom Price                  (R-GA 6th District)          

9.Rep. Lynn Westmoreland  (R-GA 3rd District)            

Please create your own "State Honor Roll", or I will work with anyone who would like help in creating their own for their House Reps who did the right thing. Positive re-enforcement is a very powerful tool yet seldom used in politics. It is time we used it in conjunction with the power of the Internet do demonstrate to all those who didn't do the right thing their mistake in a positive way.

So I would ask all those who can post these "State Honor Rolls" to do so one their own websites, or where ever and when ever you can on the vast public stage of the Internet. 

ex animo

davidfarrar

A contrary view

Submitted by Ironman on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 18:59.

I'm not going to diss principled opponents of the bailout.  They did what they thought was right and dammit, those folks in DC are few and far between..

The GOP leadership---once it decided this bill was the best deal they could get---had to pass it on the first try , though.

This bill was dealing with a very painful wound. Pulling off the bandage quick would be politically painful enough. Causing this debacle to play out for another week did nothing but to draw more public attention to the gaping wound, which was only going to inure to the detriment of Republicans.

It;s a sad irony that supposedly Pelosi's tirade cost the bill enough GOP votes to fail.  And the upshot is that probably some of the folks who took unbrage at this pathetic partisanship are going to lose their own seat by voting out of their spleen, not their brain.

 .  

I have been upset with the GOP long before the bailout.

Submitted by Big Ben 4 liberty on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 19:11.

Just look at their pathetic behavior in the last election cycle.  I could somewhat understand (if not agree with) the endorsement of former Sen. Chaffee (who currently supports Obama) over Lafferty in the RI Senate primary two years ago but why give that worthless RINO any campaign money when other real conservative candidates in other races could have used it.  That man was going to lose to Sen. Whitehouse and good riddance, if RI wants a socialist sentator then let then have one who is a Democrat. 

That was just the tip of the iceberg of what is wrong with the GOP right now.  If we are going to have to lose more seats then I hope it results in a change of leadership real soon.

The problem this year isn't losing RINO's in RI

Submitted by Ironman on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 20:29.

it's going to be losing usually reliable conservatives in districts which in any other year would be easy to hold, but once lost, will be a real pain in the butt to win back  

I disagree.

Submitted by davidfarrar on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 21:07.

Barack Obama will turn out to be the best Republican party-builder we can possibly imagine. The only problem is, he just might be too good of a Republican party-builder.

 

Allowing the party to regain political strength by the 2010 elections simply by receiving disillusioned Obama supporters without significantly reforming itself would be a political tragedy of unspeakable irony.

ex animo

 

 

davidfarrar

 

well, I do hope you are right on this one

Submitted by Ironman on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 21:32.

You need to have a party first to reform it.

You mean "proponents" of the bailout; don't you?

Submitted by davidfarrar on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 20:05.

Because I am certainly not proposing that you diss anybody.  I am simply suggesting we honor (positive re-enforcement) those who didn't let Wall Street panic them.

One of the things many should realize about this debacle is that by the time Paulson first met with the President on this issue, it was already too late. The bottom was dropping out of the market and even if the House had supported the bill on their first attempt, the market still would have crashed.

I think it is worth noting here, nobody has to date actually received any of the $700 billion bailout money. The idea that this bailout needed to be done by the weekend was just another ruse.

Sure, does the Fed need to do something when a recession threatens our livelihoods? Yes, they do. But there is no need to panic. We can deal with a serious recession without raiding the taxpayers. At the very least, we can insure that Wall Street pay the money back to the Fed, plus interest, when the market improves, as is finally being thought of with the banking industry.

Those who voted to oppose the bailout didn't allow themselves to be panicked by Wall Street, and for that reason alone deserve to by recognized, in my book.

ex animo

davidfarrar

 

You know with that post, I'm really starting to like you,

Submitted by Big Ben 4 liberty on Tue, 10/14/2008 - 21:37.

I wasn't at first but now with that comment you have really hit the nail on the head.