Time and again last year, House Republican leaders faced a nearly intractable opponent: the very freshman class that propelled them into the majority with the historic 2010 midterm elections.
Rebelling from the outset of the 112th Congress and later wreaking internal havoc during talks to increase the Treasury Department’s ability to borrow funds, the freshman class repeatedly created problems for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), according to a new book.
The freshman resistance caused feuds among Boehner and his lieutenants that led some to fear a mutiny, heightened several showdowns with President Obama and eventually led to fissures among the rookies, pitting those who seldom trusted the leaders against those who reflexively did, according to “Do Not Ask What Good We Do,” an account of the freshman class’s impact by Robert Draper.
The infighting reached such a point in the fall that some newcomers requested that the weekly freshman meetings be disbanded because they had turned into shouting matches, with freshmen loudly criticizing the leaders.
'You can't beat up on Grandpa. You shouldn't beat up on Grandpa. But still, there comes a time when it's time." So declares Richard Mourdock, the Indiana treasurer who is trying to unseat 80-year-old Sen. Dick Lugar in the May 8 GOP primary.
It's hard to find a better symbol of the "Washington establishment" than Mr. Lugar, who has lived in D.C. since he was first sworn into office in 1977. But the avuncular senator is beloved by many Hoosiers—and for the very reason that tea partiers want to send him home: He's a statesman, not a warrior.
An early test of the tea party's strength this year will be whether Mr. Mourdock can unseat the iconic incumbent. At 60, the challenger is no spring chicken, nor is he a national rock star like freshman Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. But he's "capable, competent, and conservative," as he says.
Mr. Mourdock spent 30 years in the energy business as a geologist, executive and consultant. A heightened sense of civic pride spurred him to run for Vanderburgh County commissioner in 1995. Ten years later, impressed by his business background and political service, Gov. Mitch Daniels recruited him to run for treasurer. "I am known as a hard-working politician," says Mr. Mourdock. "I go everywhere in Indiana to help the local Republican parties."
The state treasurer catapulted into the national spotlight in 2009 when he sued the Obama administration on behalf of public pensioners for giving preference to the United Auto Workers over bondholders in the Detroit bailout. Not long afterward, members of the state GOP asked him to run for Senate.
His initial reaction: "What did I ever do to you guys?" Mr. Lugar has won re-election by 30 points or more every cycle since 1982. But the consensus among tea partiers and 70% of Indiana county chairmen was that it was time for Mr. Lugar to go.
As I search out conservative candidates throughout the country on behalf of the Madison Project PAC, I’m struck by how few candidates truly grasp the problems at hand within the Republican conference.
The YG [Young Guns] Action Fund, which is run by ex-Cantor aides, has spent $22,750 on a mailer supporting Richard Hudson for the Republican nomination in North Carolina’s 8th District, currently held by Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell. The GOP race also includes Scott Keadle, a dentist and former county official who is one of six House candidates who received endorsements from the Club for Growth this cycle.
Okay. I'll take it. With reservations. It's not her, specifically, it's just the way I roll these days. Disillusionment is a mean futhermucker and it causes lasting impressions.
I'm going to enjoy this topic.
Another one to keep an eye on is Ilario Pantano in NC 7th district (southeast NC) currently held by Demorrhoid Mike McIntyre.
2012 will be less effective.Not necessarily so, half of the Republicans elected in 2010 stayed true, if half of the elected in 2012 remain true we will have twice as many conservatives in 2013 as we had in 2009.
There are no protest marches from the Tea Party.
Most of the worthless class of 2010 will be re-elected.
What will change?
Do you want to know what is really extreme? The creation of the Department of Education, after surviving almost 200 years without it. Since the DOE was created, the cost of college tuition has increased over 439% adjusted for inflation! The rate of increase is almost exactly commensurate with the rate of growth of DOE subsidization. As you can see from this chart, the government-induced housing bubble pales in comparison to the government-induced Big Education bubble.
Cantor-allied group slams Mourdock as 'extreme' (http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/04/cantorallied-group-slams-mourdock-as-extreme-121908.html)
Here's the rest of the mailer I wrote about earlier, in which the Young Guns Network targets Democrats and independents who can vote in the GOP primary and hits Indiana state treasurer Richard Mourdock for taking an 'extreme' stand on wanting to eliminate the federal Dept. of Education.
...
...American Action Network, which Alex reported earlier canceled its ad buy supporting Lugar, were unhappy with the way the money was being spent, since a number of them have privately said they think Mourdock is the favorite at this point.
Yeah, the Young Guns are shooting rubber bullets.
Yeah, the Young Guns are shooting rubber bullets.
Here is more hope (http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/04/black-conservative-mia-love-wins-utah-gops-4th-congressional-district-nomination/) for you...Mia Love - Give Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnPI3Yo2b0#ws)
More here. (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/04/22/Haitian-Daughter-Tea-Party)
Scott Keadle NC 8 (http://www.redstate.com/dhorowitz3/2012/04/27/eric-cantor-tries-to-stop-stalwart-scott-keadle-in-nc-8/)
...Quote
The YG [Young Guns] Action Fund, which is run by ex-Cantor aides, has spent $22,750 on a mailer supporting Richard Hudson for the Republican nomination ...
Today, Cantor’s Young Guns PAC threw $53,000.00 into the race for a media buy.[/quote]
Link (http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/05/02/eric-cantors-cage-is-rattled-so-im-giving-100-00-to-scott-keadle/)
The tea party is rattling Eric Cantor’s cage today. In response to this post this morning and the outcry from conservatives, Eric Cantor has decided to flood the zone in North Carolina to help congressional staffer Richard Hudson beat back local doctor Scott Keadle.