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Posted: 04 Jan 2015 08:08 PM PST When push comes to shove, it is now time for the GOP to separate the talk from the walk … The first test will be the consideration of the GOP’s leadership in the Congress … In the House, we find John Boehner (R-OH) is a mainstream country-club Republican who appears to be a traditionalist. A conservative, but one that is malleable when the time comes. Listening to the lobbyists, bringing back pork to his district, and trying to improve the positioning of his GOP party, at least the ones who are not self-described as belonging to the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party wing of the GOP. Unusually emotional for a politician, Boehner has cried openly on a number of occasions. The chameleon changes his colors ... There was a time when Boehner did the right thing. He was part of the 1994 Contract with America that saw the Republicans assume control of the House for the first time in four decades. In 2006, Boehner openly campaigned to reform earmarks and to reduce government spending. However, his true feelings as a country club Republican were revealed in his 2014 appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When asked if he would consider running for the Presidency, he replied: “I like to play golf. I like to cut my own grass. I do drink red wine, I smoke cigarettes. And I'm not giving that up to be President of the United States.” A glib answer, but a reminder that many a truth is spoken in jest. Boehner had a number of opportunities to put forth strong opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and to put forth a comprehensive immigration bill, but Boehner appears to run away from his own legislation as he appears to want Barack Obama to drive the agenda and take the heat. Boehner openly declared that he would fight Obamacare, and yet when the latest CRomnibus (Continuing Resolution-Omnibus) bill was offered, Boehner gave President Obama almost everything he wanted to be funded. Here are a few additional samples courtesy of Politicususa.com …
Challenges to Boehner … It appears that many are reluctant to stand up and challenge John Boehner for the speakership, perhaps because they know that the GOP must perform to condition the 2016 presidential election battlefield; and that their careers will be on the line if they fail to demonstrate strong anti-Obama positions. So far, only two brave Republicans have stepped forward: Louis Gohmert (R-TX) and Ted Yoho (R-FL). The vote for the House Speaker is not a lock for the GOP … Boehner won the 113th Congressional Speakership in a 2013 with a vote of 220 votes, a margin of just 6 votes from the 214 he needed to win. If some Republicans vote “President,” the speakership could be lost. It should be remembered that a GOP Speaker of the House is not guaranteed if some Republicans break ranks with the GOP and vote for a Democrat to be Speaker. Therefore, one should be mindful of the vote as many mainstream Republicans do not want to be associated with conservatives, right-wingers, or TEA Party activists. And in the Senate, we find Mitch McConnell …
How many people remember Senator Mitch McConnell’s Remarks at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)?
An then turned around and voted to fund Obamacare along with his buddy Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Even the aisle-hopping RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) John McCain and his BFF Lindsay Graham voted against the legislation. What can the GOP do? Thanks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the Republicans could use the very same mechanisms that the Democrats used to push their agenda. That is, passing bills using the reconciliation, which allows major changes to be made to the legislation with only a majority Senate vote that isn’t subject to filibusters. President Obama has suggested that he might be putting down his “executive order pen” and picking up his “presidential veto” pen as legislation arrives on his desk. However, if that legislation is truly bi-partisan and reflective of the majority will of the American people, Congress can override a Presidential Veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate, whereas a normal Act is passed with a simple majority. It should be remembered that Presidents usually threaten a veto to move the legislation closer to the President’s desired position and that Congress is often willing to compromise to get a majority of their legislative points passed. It is similar to allowing amendments to “must pass” legislation that deals with budgets, military appropriations, or other bills needed to keep the government functioning. Regulatory agencies that put forth nonsensical rules and regulations can find their budgets cut and their personnel unpaid. Reduce corporate welfare and shut down money-suckers like the Export-Import Bank. Promote energy independence and more revenue by opening the Keystone Pipeline; and removing or retarding environmental initiatives that are economy-killers. Put forth a balanced budget or a net negative budget. Presidential appointments would languish until he is out of office or could catch the Senate in a real recess. Treaties and other agreements with foreign sovereign nations might fail the ratification process and the President would take a major risk trying to implement a major piece of foreign policy – like a nuclear Iran – without the advice and consent of the Senate. But the most dangerous threat to the Obama Administration are the investigations of criminality and unconstitutional behaviors. While the President could provide blanket pardons for all criminal wrongdoing, it may require full disclosure of those acts and would be a stain on his presidential legacy. Congress could also defund his library, prevent presidential documents from residing there, and possibly defund many of the president’s after-office perks. Bottom line … It is now time for the GOP to step up and prove that they can govern and put bi-partisan legislation in the President’s in-box. If he chooses to accept this bi-partisan legislation, that’s a stain on his personal legacy. And, under the right conditions, the bi-partisan legislation can be passed with a two-thirds majority vote in Congress. It is now time for the GOP to put up or shut up. -- steve |
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