US House – Principle or More of the Same?

Are the Republican members of the US House serious about taking back the majority? … or saving their own skins and egos?

It’s obvious that Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is more worried about his ego.  Leadership under Boehner has been little better than that under disgraced former leader Tom DeLay.

If Boehner were half as principled as he claimed he would resign his leadership post.  Any attempt to move the GOP caucus to a principled position on the political spectrum will simply not be possible under Boehner.  His past willingness to sell out fiscal conservatives means that the public won’t trust a House caucus lead by him.

It is ironic that Boehner has jumped on the bandwagon endorsing Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) for Conference Chair.  I guess that Boehner believes that backing a real, live, principled conservative for the number three spot in the leadership will somehow make up for his betrayal of the principles that brought us to the majority in 1994.

While I would prefer to see Pence in the Leader’s role, I sincerely hope that the House GOP caucus has the gumption to jettison Boehner and replace him with a true conservative.  As of now, Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) appears to be that man.  Lundgren has a solid record on most issues and understands the difference between principle and a punchline.

I wish that I could also say the same for Whip candidate, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA).  Once a rising star among conservatives, Cantor chose ambition over principle when he crawled into bed with Boehner and outgoing Whip, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO).

Watching Cantor’s appearance on Fox News Sunday literally made my skin crawl.  Cantor talked the talk.  The only problem is that Cantor refuses to walk the walk.  He has betrayed those principles of fiscal conservatism that he claims to so vigorously promote.

How can we ever expect a majority of Americans to return the GOP to a majority in Congress when our leaders can only talk about fiscal responsibility when in the minority.  Put us in the majority and we make the Democrats look like pikers.  Medicare Part D, the DHS and the trillion dollar bailout are only the three biggest examples of Republicans using tax dollars like monopoly money.

Not only was Cantor a supporter of the Bush-Paulson bailout bill, he belittled the views of conservatives who opposed the bill in the House.  Cantor’s claim that many House Republicans voted against the initial bailout because of a speech by Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged many of his truly conservative colleagues.  It also proved that Cantor just doesn’t get it.

While many will claim that the election of the Republican House leadership is “inside baseball” nonsense, I couldn’t disagree more.  How are movement conservatives, those that will be the troops campaigning for a new GOP majority, supposed to make the argument when our Congressional leadership is clearly opposed to the principles that brought us victory?

I can only hope that a majority of the GOP caucus understands the cost of future victory.

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