Wednesday, December 08, 2010

To the GOP: We don’t want more of the same (No MOTS)

House Leadership Appointments Good and Bad

A week ago I wrote an article, "Two Key U.S. House Chairmanships in Play," about two key committee leadership positions which the GOP must fill. Well today those positions were filled.

THE GOOD

Congrats to Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), the newly elected Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman, who will lead the conservative caucus in the 112^th Congress.

I am happy for my Representative, Jim Jordan’s recent election as chairman of the conservative caucus for the new Congress. This will be an important position because of the makeup of the conservative makeup of the 60+ new representatives elected on November 2, 2010. The RSC functions as the conscience of the conservative movement. Hopefully Rep. Jordan will wield a powerful influence for good on his fellow Republicans. That said, I would have preferred to see Louie Gohmert (R-TX) as chairman of this group. Only because he has more experience and boldness to stand up to the entrenched Country Club Republicans that his hold a lot of power.

THE BAD

I don’t especially like the election of Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) as Chairman of the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee. After all, he is the ‘brain’ behind the move to get rid of the incandescent light bulb in favor of the mercury-laden CFL bulbs. This may be a very unwise move on the part of the Republicans. It seems to me to be a business-as-usual move not in keeping with the change demanded by the November 2^nd election. I am very disappointed. I would have preferred to have Cliff Stearns (R-FL) elected as chairman of that committee. I think he would have provided stronger principled conservative leadership.

Upton: A Bad Idea

The GOP also selected another entrenched good old boy, Hal Rogers, to lead the very powerful House Appropriations Committee. I join the Club for Growth who were disappointed that Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) was not selected. Kingston would have been a fresh face with good ideas to cut spending. The Democrats, commenting on the selection of Rogers in a Poltico.com story, called him a “King of Pork” claiming he brought in over 130 earmarks totaling ¼ billion dollars for his district. Not a good sign.

Hal to the King?

I imagine that both Upton and Rogers had the blessing of incoming Speaker John Boehner. These two selections are not boding well for the change that the American people voted for in November.

The GOP was given a second chance by the American people. Compromising with the President on the extension of the unemployment benefits for 13 months at a cost of $120 Billion, and the selection of men like Upton and Rogers are not in keeping with the expected change Americans are wanting. Let’s hope the GOP wakes up before the gavel opens the 112^th Congress …

If there is one message I would like to get through to John Boehner and the GOP leadership it is this. We don’t want more of the same: No MOTS! The GOP must appoint the brightest and most conservative of the new Congressmen and Congresswomen to the key committees to offset the appointment of the likes of Upton and Rogers. Otherwise 2012 will be a repeat of 2006 and 2008!