Forum: What’s Your Take On The Speaker Of The House Controversy?

The Watcher’s Council

Speaker of the House

Every week on Monday morning, the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher’s Forum with short takes on a major issue of the day, the culture or daily living. This week’s question: What do you think about the Speaker of The House Controversy?

Maggie’s Notebook: Grateful and thankful that we have a chance of moving Boehner out of Congress.

I am against anyone currently in leadership staying in leadership.

I say ‘no’ Paul Ryan. For all his fiscal creds, his voting record hasn’t led us to fiscal change. His position on illegal immigrants and his push for amnesty should take him off the list for any conservative’s choice for Speaker. Some reports are saying that the Freedom Caucus will support Ryan. Discouraging, if true. I haven’t seen a move in the Freedom Caucus position away from Daniel Webster, but perhaps that’s coming.

Webster’s voting record is not as conservative as Jason Chaffetz,’ but Chaffetz removed a House chairman for voting against Boehner. He corrected his mistake, so there’s that. Perhaps what the Freedom Caucus sees in Webster is integrity. We could certainly use some integrity. Someone who will actually allow bills to get to the floor. Someone who will not make secret deals.

Marsha Blackburn has been endorsed by the American Conservative Union (ACU), but she jumped out and supported Kevin McCarthy without giving any time for other candidates to make a decision to step forward. Why would Marsha Blackburn support Kevin McCarthy, and do it so quickly? I say ‘no’ to Marsha Blackburn.

Would love to see Jim Jordan in the position, but that isn’t going to happen, apparently. No one in the House has more courage than Jim Bridenstine. He’s smart, convicted and principled. He is probably the ‘Ted Cruz’ of the House, hated for being smart, convicted and principled.

I hear pundits referring to the Freedom Caucus as “crazies,” “radicals,” “out of touch.” I suggest we all try to get in touch with the Freedom Caucus and do what we can do to keep them focused on “freedom.” Let them know we support them. If Ryan runs, and the FC doesn’t support him, we have to hope the FC is strong enough to stare it down, and find the votes it needs.

There’s talk of electing someone from outside of Congress. I’ve heard former Senator Tom Coburn’s name mentioned. While I’m sure he is a good man, and I know he is fiscally very conservative, I can remind some of statements he has made that make a conservative see red. I don’t want Coburn for Speaker and am doubtful he would accept anyway. Newt Gingrich? Moderates would never turn-over power to Newt.

The media talks about “uniting.” Republicans and Democrats talk about “uniting.” We are at a crossroads. We cannot unite behind a debt ceiling increase without making the necessary cuts to pay for the increase. Cuts in the past have been few, and done nothing to solve the problem. Is there a uniter to get serious about stupid spending? There are several, if given the chance.

May God bless the man or woman who steps into this important position, because he/she will need the blessings to stay strong and principled.

GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD: Oh, it’s hardly a controversy – or chaos. As Skippy Waynewright points out, it’s democracy baby.

“GOP, which has within it a steep disagreement about tactics, priorities, pace, and style, has decided to settle some of those questions through an authentic democratic process. There is, apparently, going to be a real race for the speaker’s gavel, rather than a negotiated settlement among party leaders organized around the question of whose turn it is. A real democratic fight instead of a backroom party-machine process.”

Personally hoping for a ‘radical conservative’ to get the gig. Many of of them in the Freedom Caucus haven’t been in DC for long and that is a good thing. That insurgency — “a force that moves conservative policy making away from donor service and toward genuine reform — rather than the purely nihilistic force they often threaten to become” is what is needed . And now.

Congressman Barry Loudermilk from Georgia looks really cool in that regards.

Since the Speaker doesn’t have to be in Congress, GOP insurgents could try for and insurgent from else where. SEN Mike Lee (UT) or SEN Ted Cruz (TX) or even ancient cats like former Congressman Newt Gingrich may be just what GOP needs.

Laura Rambeau Lee, Right Reason: Conservatives in the Republican Party are making their voices heard.  In spite of the establishment’s unwillingness to accept the fact that those who make up the Freedom Caucus truly represent the majority of their Republican constituents, they must acknowledge the momentum that has been building as conservative voters, through their elected Representatives, are taking control of the party.  In 2014, Majority Leader Eric Cantor was defeated in his primary bid for re-election by Tea Party challenger David Brat.  Speaker Boehner is stepping down and retiring and this week Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy withdrew his bid for Speaker. We should recognize these events as victories for the conservative movement.

The American people delivered the Senate and the House to the Republican Party on their promises of restoring the balance of power, repealing Obamacare, curtailing out of control spending and regulations, and shrinking the size of government.  We intend for those promises to be kept and are extremely dissatisfied with the leadership in the party.  While I do not know who will be chosen as the new Speaker of the House this is an opportunity for the Freedom Caucus conservatives to challenge the establishment Republicans to represent all of us.  Whoever is chosen, it is good the Republicans are taking note that they serve at the pleasure of we the people and have come to understand the people are not pleased.

JoshuaPundit: A couple of things that show the state of affairs….

First of all, it should be noted that Rep. McCarthy was entirely correct in what he said, unfortunately phrased as it was.  It was the Benghazi committee that broke the scandal of Mrs. Clinton’s illegal server and her violation of the Official Records Act wide open, and yes, that did affect her poll numbers.

Even most conservative congressmen whom were interviewed gave McCarthy high marks for his willingness to meet with them and work with them (unlike Boehner), and there’s a possibility that he just might have  been a decent Speaker. But when Hillary and her media sycophants started whining about the Great Rightwing Conspiracy, instead of rallying around McCarthy and hitting back at this falsehood they cheerfully threw him to the wolves. Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment seems to be just a distant memory.

Further proof of this is the fact that all kinds of conservative members of the House are now lobbying for the job instead of meeting behind closed doors and rallying behind one candidate. This display of childish ego is exactly why Boehner wasn’t tossed out months before. The opposition was split among many different candidates and they all lost.

I’m honestly not certain where things go from here, and of course the president and his creatures are running rampant and chortling with glee as they continue to destroy the Republic.

I’m not certain the  GOP caucus is actually interested in stopping this rot, but if they are, they need to find a small cubbyhole or a hotel hall to meet and thrash some strategy out amongst themselves, including whom the next Speaker will be.

One person they ought to consider IMO is Newt Gingrich. If nothing else, he’s articulate, smart, has balls of brass and a track record of success in dealing with a dysfunctional Democrat president. They could do far worse.

The Razor: I can’t believe I vote for this party. It’s like the our representatives are arguing about what color to paint the walls of a house that’s on fire. Putin is reimagining a victorious Soviet Union. Eurabia is in full swing. China is picking off our Asian allies, and the Democrats are worried about what the weather’s going to be like in 2100. People miss Reagan but at this point I’d take a Jack Kemp, a Bob Dole or any Republican from the Reagan era. Grown ups, not these children that we are stuck with. If I didn’t think the Democrats were keen on making America commit suicide because of global warming, slavery, or some such shame du jour I’d vote third party. But since the Democrats are as psychotic as the Republicans are petty, I’ll just utter an ancient curse when I cast my vote.

Well, there you have it.

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council and the results are posted on Friday morning.

It’s a weekly magazine of some of the best stuff written in the blogosphere and you won’t want to miss it…

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter… ’cause we’re cool like that, y’know?

Share:

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *