Congressman Mick Mulvaney |
Mick Mulvaney, who represents South
Carolina's Fifth Congressional District, is the only Congressman I know of --
apart from Kentucky Congressman Ed
Whitfield --who has told off LA Congressman Henry Waxman to his
face. Henry "The Taxman" Waxman is running for reelection in the
newly-drawn 33rd Congressional District, and from the moment I witnessed his
blunt and unapologetic incompetence, I was motivated to get him out of office.
Waxman has not run a real campaign every since he came to office, and for all
intensive purposes, he does not live in his LA constituency, either.
Looking for more information to
indict this long-term incumbent, I came across a YouTube
clip from a June 1 budget committee hearing which featured South
Calorina Congressman Mick Mulvaney. This guy just wiped the floor with
Congressman Waxman, giving the former "Eliot Ness" of Oversight
Committee fame a taste of his own medicine, all while exposing the waste and
corruption which had gone unnoticed while bailiing out the auto industry in
this country.
I never knew about the secured bond
holders of Indiana, retired teachers and police officers, whose pension fund
lost millions of dollars in order to help out GM, while Chrsyler, a private car
manufacturer, went bankrupt.
When Mulvaney asked about the
General Motors bailout, following its bankruptcy -- the second largest in
American History, Mr. Waxman replied "I don't know."
I was astounded. This man wanted to
run for reelection in my district, and not four months ago he admitted in open
committee that he did not know whether GM went bankrupt or not. Like Mulvaney,
I was surprised.
I loved how the South Carolina
Congressman tore into Waxman, refusing to let him castigate the
"1 %" and play up the
harships that labor unions face. Frequently, the Mulvaney slammed Waxman, even
asserting "I'll ask the questions. It was like watching the CNN version of
"Taming of the Shrew."
After watching that YouTube clip, I
contacted Congressman Mulvaney's office in his home state and Washington. I was
impressed that his staff were still quite knowledgeable about the heated
exchange. I for one am glad that I could get in touch with someone on the other
side of the country who cared about fiscal matters with an assiduousness
sharper than sound bites and little cuts.
When I saw the YouTube clip of
Congressman Mick Mulvaney tearing up Henry Waxman over the auto bailouts, I
knew that a new generation of Congressmen were rising up to take down the Old
Guard of party bosses and machine politicians who feel that they can choose
their voters instead of the other way around. I was glad to see a new
legislator stand up to the old. I was surprised that this exchange eviscerating
Waxman had received so little press. I hope that my sharing my appreciation for
the South Carolina Congressman will bring more attention to his aspiring skill
while also exposing the declining competence of the formerly formidable Henry
Waxman.
Not
afraid to fault the Bush Administration, Mulvaney cares about the spending that
is ending this country, and he supported the Cut, Cap, and Balance bill that
would hold everyone accountable. He is willing to discuss cutting military
spending and "willing to put everything on the table." He does not
shy away from tackling entitlements, even complimenting President Obama for
revealing -- albeit, unintentionally -- that balanced budgets require entitlement
reform.
Congressman
Mick Mulvaney would be a great senator for the Palmetto State, replacing
weak-tea conservative Lindsey Graham, who has spent more time working across
the aisle on issues that continue this country down the tubes of tax-and-spend
statism. Mulvaney is bipartisan without bypassing spending increases as
"compromise" -- he stands up to his party by demanding that they live
up and live out the principles of limited government and fiscal discipline.
Mick
Mulvaney is the Man -- Mulvaney for US Senate 2014! I wish Congressman Mulvaney all the best.
In the end, Mulvaney decided against running against Graham, because he only wanted to invest in a race that he would win. With a primary fight tying up marginal numbers among Tea Party challenges, it looks as if Mulvaney made the right call. Here's to his throwing his hat in the ring when Graham retires.
ReplyDelete