pjohns
12-07-2012, 05:56 PM
I have been generally a supporter of Rep. John Boehner, as Speaker of the House. The rap that he is too "establishment" has not particularly fazed me, as he has been consistently true to conservative principles.
That is, until very recently.
Now, he appears to want to purge Tea Party supporters from their committee posts, in order to guarantee lockstep obedience to any fiscal-cliff plan that he may negotiate with President Obama.
And I find that quite disturbing.
From Business Insider:
Conservative Congressman Tim Huelskamp, one of three freshmen representatives ousted from top committee posts this week, slammed the House Republican leadership Thursday, and said that the purge was "a warning" to other members not to go against the party leaders on a fiscal cliff deal.
"I think that was clearly a warning from leadership that 'We're watching your votes, and if you don't vote the way we like it, you might be punished like these three people,'" Huelskamp told Business Insider.
In the days since the "purge" was reported, Huelskamp has taken the lead in demanding an explanation for why he and fellow Tea Party-friendly freshmen Justin Amash (R-MI) and David Schweitkert (R-AZ) were stripped of their coveted positions on the House Budget and Banking Committees.
So far, the reasons for the removals remain hazy. Republican leaders have insisted that the decision had nothing to do with conservative ideology, but was based on the perception that the three congressman have not been "team players." [Bold in original]
Here is the link to the entire article: Huelskamp: Boehner's 'Purge' Was A 'Warning' - Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/boehner-gop-purge-amash-huelskamp-fiscal-cliff-2012-12)
That is, until very recently.
Now, he appears to want to purge Tea Party supporters from their committee posts, in order to guarantee lockstep obedience to any fiscal-cliff plan that he may negotiate with President Obama.
And I find that quite disturbing.
From Business Insider:
Conservative Congressman Tim Huelskamp, one of three freshmen representatives ousted from top committee posts this week, slammed the House Republican leadership Thursday, and said that the purge was "a warning" to other members not to go against the party leaders on a fiscal cliff deal.
"I think that was clearly a warning from leadership that 'We're watching your votes, and if you don't vote the way we like it, you might be punished like these three people,'" Huelskamp told Business Insider.
In the days since the "purge" was reported, Huelskamp has taken the lead in demanding an explanation for why he and fellow Tea Party-friendly freshmen Justin Amash (R-MI) and David Schweitkert (R-AZ) were stripped of their coveted positions on the House Budget and Banking Committees.
So far, the reasons for the removals remain hazy. Republican leaders have insisted that the decision had nothing to do with conservative ideology, but was based on the perception that the three congressman have not been "team players." [Bold in original]
Here is the link to the entire article: Huelskamp: Boehner's 'Purge' Was A 'Warning' - Business Insider (http://www.businessinsider.com/boehner-gop-purge-amash-huelskamp-fiscal-cliff-2012-12)