For years, conservatives have voted for the Republican Party, even as the Republicans were in a race to outspend the Democrats, slowly surrender in the culture war, and throw conservatives under the bus to be seen as reasonable to the media.
We keep seeing them foist moderate presidential candidates while telling us that the conservative candidates were “unelectable.” They’ve done the same thing with Senate candidates. They’ve gone to great lengths to erase the differences between them and the Democrats.
Representative Justin Amash
But now, any pretense of the GOP Establishment being on our side is going down in flames as yesterday it was learned that conservatives are being booted from key financial committees in the House. Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), and Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) have been purged from the Budget Committee and the Financial Services Committee as revenge for standing up for conservatism. As we watch the “fiscal cliff” negotiations, it is a national embarrassment as John Boehner and company trip over themselves to surrender to Obama and his merry crew of tax-hiking weasels.
While Boehner is the Speaker of the House and his party is in the majority, you’d be hard-pressed to find him acting like it. In the 112th Congress, Boehner surrendered on the promised $100 billion in cuts to the 2011 Continuing Resolution, raising the debt ceiling, the payroll tax cut extension, stopping Obamacare, and now, he is preparing to give Obama another victory in the form of economy-crushing tax increases.
Speaker Boehner
The Republicans in the House returned the gavel for the 113th Congress to a man who cries at the drop of a hat, who bows and apologizes to Democrats on cue, capitulates without a moment’s hesitation, and who throws away his trump car in the never-ending quest to surrender. As Mark Steyn once said, “We have a two-party system and it doesn’t work if you make it a one-and-a-half party system.” Boehner and the GOP leadership is doing its part to make us a one-and-a-half party system. And now purging House committees of real budget hawks like Amash sends the signal: it’s time to lay down, again.
It’s not enough that we get steamrolled by the Democrats and the media on a regular basis; we also get it from Hollywood and academia. Every single institution in this country is stacked against Conservatives, but we go in and fight anyway. And to make matters worse, we can’t even trust the people who are PAID TO BE ON OUR SIDE!!! Instead of embracing the Tea Party that swept them into the majority, Republicans are throwing us under the bus so they can be embraced by the Democrats.
We squandered our opportunity to send Boehner packing so we’re stuck with him for another 2 years. We need leaders who will fight the Democrats and not us. It would nice if conservatives had more than a few people in the House working on our behalf. Sean Hannity reminds Republicans every day that they were not sent to Washington to rubberstamp Obama’s tax increases and reckless spending.
They were elected to be conservative. that means to advocate for lower tax rates, for fiscal discipline, to fight the culture war, and to restore the Constitution.
For once in my lifetime, I’d like the Republicans to remember whose side they’re on.
Gamling tells King Theoden before the Battle of Pellenor Fields: “But sire, we cannot defeat them. They are too many, and we are too few.”
Theoden responds: “No. We cannot. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless.”
There’s a terrific pastor, Derek Prime, who taught me to first determine what is true, and only then can I decide what is the right thing to do.
What I believe to be true is this:
– Things–the economy, the culture, and our place in the world as the world’s (perhaps former) leader–are going to get worse in America before they get better;
– People act in their own self-interest, even if they were elected to act in the best interests of others;
– Principled people who consistently act in a way that is above their own self-interest are rare, and priceless–our elected leaders are generally not in this category;
– The Administration acts for its own ends, which are antithetical to what I believe is best for America, and the world;
– The old-school-media acts as a mouthpiece for the Administration. Think of the Soviet Union news source Pravda;
– Neither the media nor the Administration is our source of truth.
Based on these things, I’ve decided the right thing to do is this:
– I will, in thought, word, and deed remain true to my conservative principles;
– I will engage my fellow citizen at every opportunity and at every level–from my neighbor to my Congressman) with a well-articulated argument for these principles, and will attempt to persuade them that historically and morally these principles cannot help be lead to greater prosperity and happiness for the majority of Americans, and citizens throughout the world.
I can neither read Speaker Boehner’s mind nor his heart. What I can see and react to and plan for is his behavior, which, generally speaking, isn’t to my liking. I think it is more helpful to our cause to promote what is right and true and desirable rather than lament, justifiably so, on the Speaker’s lack of adherence to conservative principles.
For me, the time to depend upon or trust my elected representatives to consistently do the right thing is over. The onus is on me, and on people like you, to write, and speak, and persuade our neighbors–that 47% who think using the power of the State to take our money and giving it to the unproductive chosen few, is acceptable. We must elect new leadership, knowing that we are in the right, and that eventually, the principles we stand for will win.
And never, ever, ever give in to the tide of popular politics or culture. Churchill faced worse odds than these. What we fight for is worth everything we have to give.
“… But we will meet them in battle nonetheless.”
Excellent article, Tami J. Got me inspired to write back.