In January 2023, I watched with great joy as the House GOP
conference withheld the Speakership from Kevin McCarthy. I never wanted him to
be anywhere near leadership, and I wrote as much when the House GOP revolted against
John Boehner eight years ago.
McCarthy did not earn the Speakership then, and he deserved
to lose it now. McCarthy has a pretty diverse reputation, in California and
throughout the country. A red wave turned into a red trickle in Election 2022,
in part because Republicans did not put forward a real vision, and McCarthy
killed conservative challengers in key districts, and strong conservative
candidates basically got the boot during the general election.
What’s the point of raising big money, when you can’t make a
big difference once elected? Money talks, but actions walk, and now more than
ever this country needs action. McCarthy presided over a nine-seat majority
after his election as Speaker. He should have known he was on thin ice from the
word “Go.” He made promises, he agreed to a comprehensive rules package which
made sure that he played by the rules as much as possible.
And yet, he still did not deliver on what was promised.
He promised to introduce a balanced budget amendment. He
didn’t do it.
He promised to bring up term limits. He didn’t do it.
He was supposed to deliver twelve separate appropriations
bills, and yet only four were brought to the floor, and with the impending
budget deadline of September 30th, 2023 looming. Business as Usual
was booming back into play.
Thankfully, eight Republicans stood up and said “Enough is
enough.”
Rep. Gaetz’ motion to vacate was not narcissism, suicide, nor
chaos: it was following through on conditions unmet. Aren’t we all tired of bad
politicians doing bad things and not being held accountable?! McCarthy didn’t
play by the rules, nor play to win. It was time to take him off the field.
What astonishes me, though, in the whole Vacate Fight is the
hand-writing from many conservative influencers across the country. They sound
like battered women so used to failure from their leaders, convinced that
“well, this time he won’t hurt me. He promised he would be different.” Have all
the influencers, pundits, and commentators become so desperate, that they would
tolerate yet another set of betrayals?
Ann Coulter claimed that the House GOP should focus on
winning more seats, taking back the US Senate, and also winning the Presidency.
She commented that voters don’t care about spending, and that the House GOP
should focus on issues like immigration, keeping men out of women’s spaces, and
protecting people’s appliances from broad government bans.
And all of the above issues she mentioned are important.
Yes, they poll highly with voters. However, what’s the point of winning elections
next year if the incumbents don’t do what they promise to this year?
And inflation is a serious issue, as well. All over social
media, you have parents, consumers, and commentators showing, explaining,
shouting how prices are doubling from six months ago to a year ago. The high
price of fuel, housing, and other goods is beyond calculation.
We have inflation because of too much spending, and
Republicans have complained about the spending for decades. Yet for decades,
Republican candidates promised to “stop the spending.” And they simply haven’t.
The Reagan Administration slowed the growth of government, but they did not
reverse it. The Bush 43 administration bragged about reducing deficit spending
(but there were still deficits!) The Trump Administration followed the two
trillion dollar CARES Act with the massive Corrupt-ibus passed at the end of
2020, exacerbating the inflation that is eating away our savings.
Part of good leadership, good governance is taking care of
real issues, even when they are not popular or polling well, and then letting
voters enjoy the benefit of good decisions. Cutting spending, stopping the
borrowing, ending the waste in Washington will cool off the inflation and stop
the necessary rate hikes which have followed for the last six months.
Then there was Mike Levin and Sean Hannity, who were all
cheer-leading for McCarthy from the get-go. Why? Because Trump did. But that’s
not a good reason to support anyone for anything anymore. Leadership means
getting the job done (too much of which Trump failed to do when in office.) And
for too long, voters have had to stuff their rage and keep voting GOP because
“the alternative will be worse.”
Well, this time that excuse didn’t protect McCarthy, nor did
it protect the rest of the political class which had gotten favors from him or
expected to cash in on more money into the swamp. Finally, there’s some
accountability! You make a promise, you better keep it, or you will lose your
job!
“But what’s the gameplan?”
With McCarthy out of the way, a better Speaker can emerge.
Jim Jordan could be a compromise candidate, better than Scalise, who is too
close to the McCarthy regime at this point. Many of the grassroots wanted Jim
Jordan at the outset, but he refused (wisely, I might add, because the time was
not right). Now, the big-spending moderates have no choice. They have to go
along with a more fiscally prudent leader.
“Now we will lose seats in the House!”
I don’t believe it. Frankly, if Republicans continued with
McCarty, and they continued the reckless spending without putting forward any
of the promised amendments, bills, and reforms, Republicans would not have
turned out. They didn’t get the GOP across the finish line in 2022, in part
because Republicans delivered more money to Ukraine than relief to American
citizens. What would make anyone believe that things would have been
differently if … McCarthy and company continued with business as usual?
The general punditry class is all wrong on this one. The
Motion to Vacate was a necessary course correction to stop Business as Usual in
Washington DC.
