Boehner Panders to Tea Party

If the stakes weren’t so high, this would be laughable.  The GOP leadership can’t control the Tea Party movement and seem to be scared to death.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) simply doesn’t know what to do.  Commenting after the first meeting of the House Tea Party Caucus, organized by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN):

Mr. Boehner, who said he has attended several tea party events throughout the country, acknowledged the gatherings typically include smatterings of "disaffected Republicans," Democrats and "a couple of anarchists who want to kill all of us in public office."

But "75 percent of these people who show up at these events are the most average, everyday Americans you’ve ever met," he said. "None of them have ever been involved in the political process, and I would guess half of them have never voted."

Mr. Boehner added that tea party activists represent "the tip of the iceberg" of Americans disenchanted with their government.

"They represent the same values, concerns, frustration, anger and fear that you see from tens of millions of other Americans who aren’t in the streets yet," he said. "They should not be dismissed, they shouldn’t be mocked."

75%?  The Tea Party movement is far more independent than Boehner believes.  Sure, the vast majority will vote for Republicans this fall, but that has nothing to do with the GOP’s lack of a genuine conservative message and everything to do with what they’ve witnessed since Barack Obama was sworn in.

Boehner and his buddies better understand that this fall is like a free pass.  If the GOP can’t show that they can actually lead, it’s game over.  Either it’s back to the minority or conservatives and libertarians in the GOP will be demanding that Republican candidates pledge to purge themselves of a leadership that simply cares more about power than philosophy and policy.

The time for pandering is over John.

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Delaware Kicking Candidates to the Curb

Tuesday, Libertarian cum Republican Brent Wangen filed for the GOP primary to replace Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE).  Wednesday, the Delaware Board of Elections appears to have kicked Wangen out.

This isn’t unique.  Delaware House candidate Will McVay also has been dropped after filing.  Celia Cohen also provides some background on this issue.

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The Left’s Strategy to Defeat the Tea Party Movement

Attacking the grassroots conservative / libertarian coalition of Tea Party activists hasn’t worked after a year.  Calling us names or claiming that we’re bigots hasn’t worked.  Ridiculing us hasn’t worked.  So, the left (through their allies in the mainstream media) have found a new tactic – let us destroy ourselves.  Shamefully, the tactic just might work.

Can Tea Party activists band together around the issues which they agree on AND agree to disagree on others?  That is the core question facing us as the media attempts to prod Tea Partiers into an internecine war.  Their first target – former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, his FreedomWorks group, and the issue of immigration.

The success of the Tea Party movement has been that it is a loose coalition of individuals and groups focused around economic and tax issues.  We opposed the stimulus.  We opposed TARP.  We opposed “cap and trade”; not because we support pollution, but because we question the science upon which “climate change” is based and we are worried about the economic impact of such a measure.  We opposed ObamaCare.  Some of us opposed the measure solely because of its probable negative impact on the world’s greatest health care system and on our economy..  Others opposed it because of its assault on our individual and corporate liberty.  Many of us fought the measure for both of these reasons; and a few more.

To date, the Tea Party movement has not come together around social issues or other issues that don’t have a direct economic impact on our nation.  However, there is one issue which has an economic impact AND on which many of us within the Tea Party movement disagree.  That issue is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

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Paulistas Aren’t Lying Down in 2012

Devotees of Republitarian congressman Ron Paul aren’t planning on sitting out the 2012 election without running a candidate.  Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson appears to be that candidate:

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The Reagan Myth???

Whether at Q&O or The Next Right, we at Delmarva Dealings have always been a fan of Jon Henke.  Unfortunately, today’s piece over at The Next Right forces us to examine several factors in evaluating future Henke commentary on the future direction of the GOP and the conservative movement.  Perhaps:

• I’m simply too old (I was born in 1960).

• Henke is too young to adequately grasp the history of the modern conservative movement (Jon was in kindergarten when I was knocking on doors for Reagan in 1976).

• Henke has swallowed the foolishness of political “branding” and abandoned his (former?) libertarian philosophy.

I always considered Henke to be a better student of history:

The conservative movement that arose in the 60′s and 70′s reached maturity in the 1980′s.  That period became the conservative movement’s frame of reference; the experiences, lessons and skills learned up to that point became the Republican Party’s hammer, and when all you have is a hammer…

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Public Servitude

Is making a requirement of “public service” really service … or is it servitude?  This is a question posed by many; particularly those of us who live in states where our children are required to “do good to graduate”.

Thomas Sowell presents a typically articulate argument against such requirements.

“What lessons do students get from this, except submission to arbitrary power?”

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The Left over the Right on Campuses

It’s no secret that the left have learned how to win, have been winning, and will continue to do so unless properly challenged. I saw first hand why this happening at it’s starting point, college campuses. The largest farm system for political engagement.

All over college campuses the tradition has been between College Republicans up against the College Democrats. Now single issue groups and specific philosophical groups, such as libertarian groups, have been popping up on both sides of the aisle.  Obama clearly won this year, but by how much and how big?

Team Obama wiped the right on campuses this year. Why? The left took the initiative to win.  Students for Obama groups popped up everywhere simply to fight for and elect Barack Obama. They advertised, signed up voters, held events, organized and involved

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Big Brother Ed Rendell Is Watching You

Delaware Curmudgeon informs us that PennDOT, and Pennsylvania Ed Rendell have instituted a biometric drivers license under the guise of the federal Real ID program. Pennsylvanians are evidently in a snit. Class action suit to follow.

While I don’t consider my self a libertarian to the point of being paranoid, I say go get ‘em guys. In my view this isn’t so much a civil liberties issue as the fact that the law did not permit Rendell to allow the collection of biometric data. Of course, Ed Rendell is your typical Democrat. The rules only matter when it suits.

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Conservative / Libertarian Principle – AMEN McQ!

Amen Bruce! QandO‘s Bruce McQuain gives his take on Melanie Scarborough’s excellent piece in the Examiner. I threw in the “Libertarian” because that what the great guys at QandO are. As far as I’m concerned, it’s pure Goldwater.

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Club for Growth Endorses Andy Harris

The Club for Growth, a leading fiscal conservative national organization committed to economic freedom through lower taxes and less wasteful government spending, endorsed Andy Harris’ bid to unseat Wayne Gilchrest  The Club for Growth press release stated: “Wayne Gilchrest, has accumulated a definitively anti-growth record during his sixteen years in Congress. Gilchrest is clearly one of the most economically liberal Republicans in the House of Representatives.” Read more

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