Joe Gerth Unexpectedly Finds Gold

Joe Gerth writes for the Louisville Courier Journal that watching Thomas Massie is "going to be interesting".  And though I'm sure Joe knows exactly what he was saying, I'm not sure the Tea Partiers which Joe says "are more than abundant" in the fourth district know exactly what he was saying.

Recent reports from The Hill have exposed what is now being understood as a "loosely organized" coup attempt to oust John Boehner from the speaker's chair.  One of the leaders of that confused effort was Justin Amash.  You will recall that Ron Paul, Rand Paul and Thomas Massie have all pointed to Amash as their kind of guy.  He is clearly a Paulite.

In fact, Massie gave Amash the only vote he got for Boehner's seat. But there is a reason for that.  Apparently the plan was to give votes to a variety of people in order to conceal who was really behind the goofy coup attempt.  But, and this is important, the plan was to derail Boehner on TV rather than gather votes in a caucus meeting in private.

And that's what Gerth has unearthed, the truth about these Ron Paul groupies.  As Joe Gerth observed about Massie, he voted against the Fiscal Cliff legislation, against Hurricane Sandy Relief and has now proposed to eliminate federal requirements that no one may bring a gun into a school.

All three are the things that tea partiers, who are more than abundant in his district that runs from Oldham County, along the Ohio River, to Ashland, absolutely love.

But those same positions drive liberals, moderates and even some conservatives absolutely crazy.Failure to pass fiscal cliff legislation would have caused major economic upheaval world-wide. Experts warned that the layoffs that would have taken place because of $1.3 billion in automatic, across the board spending cuts that could have thrown the U.S. into a second recession had a compromise not been reached.

Massie didn’t issue a statement on his vote against Hurricane relief but some tea partiers have said they opposed the measure because it had a small amount of pork and because the cost of it was not offset by $9.7 billion worth of spending cuts.

Let’s hope that the 4th and 6th Districts aren’t struck by natural disasters anytime soon, because legislators in the Northeast, both Republican and Democrat, aren’t at all pleased by what they consider a lack of empathy from their colleagues.

So in other words Massie has been on the losing side of his first three votes of the new Congress and has filed a controversial bill regarding federal rules on guns in schools.  What does this accomplish?  Gerth nailed it.  Massie's game plan is to become "interesting to watch".

It's obvious what the Ron Paul school of success in politics has taught his loyal students: Media attention and millions of dollars go hand in hand.

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Comments

[Mr. Scott Ryan]

Let's forget about the ideology argument (which I will assume that you very, very, very, broadly agree with Massie for now) and the obvious personal issues you have with Massie.

And let's assume that Massie is an absolute idiot when it comes to politics.

And let's further assume that Ron Paul has this ability to brain wash people and that Massie is a cool aide drinker like the rest of us blind followers.

What is your point?

I am going to assume that your only point is to be a critic of Massie in order to pave the way for a competitive Primary the next go around.

I cannot see any other alternative.
Am I missing something?

If I am correct in this, can you answer one question for me?

Hypothetically speaking, when Massie, Amash, Lee, and Paul are the defacto leaders of the national party 6 years from now ... will you still be a member?

I mean your membership survived the Trey Grayson years right?

In my mind you are still sticking to your hypocrisy. Your priority is party loyalty and yet you endorsed the idea of voting for the Democrat over a Party nominated candidate. So how can you ease my mind? I am stuck. I need you to throw me a bone. I literally cannot comprehend how a lawyer can be sincere and irrational in the same breath.

You need to either give up your party loyalty creed, or you must admit that you are a closet "status quo", establishment, big government advocate ... ah la Nathan "cornbred" Smith.

Your answer to the question I posed above will clarify things greatly for me.

Thank you for your time and response (in advance).

God Bless.

[Marc's Reply: As you know I appreciate your comments. This one is perhaps your most insightful. You have finally gotten sufficiently perplexed that I can now attempt to offer clarity.

First of all I do not think Massie is an idiot. I think he is a very smart guy who has missed the opportunity that his intellect has offered him in exchange for the feel good gratification of fawning attention. I know alot about him. I have spent a lot of time with people who knew him as a child. I understand what motivates him. I will keep that to myself, except as I roll out bits and pieces as circumstances require. You might ask why I would do things this way. I'll ask you to think about that.

I am certainly not planning a primary challenge against him. Look at my record. I do not challenge incumbents. I run when the field is clear. People count on paychecks and they have won their positions. Unless they are rabidly dangerous they will grow or wither in their own time. I am a patient man.

You are a funny interrogator when you ask me if I will still be a member of a party when it is led by Paul, Amash, Lee and Massie as the defacto leaders. In my mind that is like asking me if I will climb in the basket if the Wizard of Oz decides to leave. Pure fantasy.

But let me clear up one thing that you said. You assume I have personal issues with Massie. I don't. I've heard the narrative that I am bitter that I didn't get a job on his campaign. Don't be a fool. I never asked for a job and when the idea was floated by Massie himself I made it very clear, he couldn't afford my hourly rate.

And I don't know where you get the idea that I endorsed voting for the democrat over the party nominee. Never.
I made this abundantly clear.

Now, in so far as your confusion is concerned, let me try to clear this up.

I am a strict constructionist when it comes to the Constitution. And I am a well read student of American History. I am doggedly convinced that our founders despised democracy as much as they did tyranny. Legalized mob rule was not the solution to the passions of a new nation.

They saw wisdom coming from many quarters. They respected the various viewpoints of the individual colonies. They protected the rights of those people to live their lives as they saw fit, protecting the right to move between colonies for people who no longer found the one in which they started a good fit.

But our founders did not form this nation on dogma. They formed it on compromise, respect for differing opinions and on the one thing which they all believed which was that God had opened the path for us and it was upon that path that we must try to stay.

Massie is like so many others. He has given in to the temptation of his ego. He has responded to the cheers of those longing for recognition. He has not risen to the challenge of being a statesman settling instead for the comfort of acceptance.

What is it that motivates him? I feel sure I know. I've heard it spoken by many who have known him for years. I've privately interviewed lots of people with insights far beyond what a Super PAC can paint.

Are my feelings personal? Not really. Actually I wish bigger things for him, but I am convinced that he is blinded by a light that keeps him from seeing his full potential.

If he fails to reach for that, then he will fade. That's all I'm about.

A harsh critic, maybe. But my motives are not as negative as your cynicism might otherwise inform.

I wish the best for everybody. Some find it by showing it to them. Others by showing them their missteps find it on their own.

Thanks, as always, for the comment.]

[Frank Harris]

More drivel from a neocon, Marcus? Marcus, if you HAD any conservative values, you might champion the ideas of smaller, limited government yourself. Why do you want to promote a big-spending, big-government party hack like John Boehner? What values do you see in him that are good for the country? Do you think that maybe it might be time to slash government, or do you think that a $16 trillion debt with an upward trajectory is just good conservatism?

[Marc's Reply: Frank your comment is blinded by the kind of rage I see all the time in the TEA party. I have been championing the cause of smaller government, I do not promote big spending or big government. What I recognize is that the intemperate behavior of people who want what they want and want it right now is the recipe for failure. Our system may have failed us but we cannot throw out decorum and process in order to accomplish these goals without armed revolution. Men who go to Congress to express the frustration of the people fall into two categories: those who know how to work the system to get something done, and the charlatans who play the system and play upon the emotions of the discontented in order to advance their own ego driven political careers. Impatience is not a virtue. Thanks for the comment.]