The Courier Journal quotes Sarah Durand, president of the Louisville TEA party as expressing dissatisfaction with Mitch McConnell over his part in negotiating the fiscal cliff bill. “We weren’t happy with what came out of that,” she said “Republicans had one card in their hand and they folded and gave it up for nothing.”
What is obvious here is that the TEA party, which has no real seat at the table where the cards are being played, doesn't seem to realize that the named organization itself is what is being played.
Criticism of Mitch McConnell is something that Barack Obama would surely like to hear more, particularly from McConnell's own state. Efforts to undermine his strength in the Senate only makes Harry Reid and the Obama gang stronger. Threats to run someone against him in the primary means that he will have to raise more money than if he only had a November race to contend with.
So what the TEA party is doing, I think unintentionally, is helping the democrats, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, which explains why complaints about McConnell from these folks makes the top of the news in the Courier.
It is also obvious from the comment by Ms. Durand that though they might complain that the republicans only had one card to play and folded, that in reality the TEA party only has one note to play and it is becoming mere noise.
No one likes higher taxes. Some because they don't want to pay them, some on principle because they feel taxes take away liberty and others because taxes are the fuel upon which the engine of a more invasive government runs. But do those who question the republican vote on this issue realize how many tax breaks were at risk of expiring and were saved and made permanent by this bill?
It's one thing to demand that things go 100% your way but unrealistic to expect that to happen, particularly when your party doesn't hold the White House, is in the minority in the Senate and is being torn in half in the House. That's the environment in which these things must currently be negotiated.
McConnell didn't fold after going "all in", he won a pretty big hand by making the Bush tax cuts permanent and got up with his winnings instead of playing until he had bankrupted the rest of the table, the kind of strategy some of the more zealous TEA party members seem to want to pursue.
Look, I've been critical of Mitch many times myself. But we are in the kind of war that requires we have very powerful people on our side in order to compete. Sniping at Mitch helps the other side. Unless and until the TEA party becomes a REAL party or puts up and funds a stronger, more viable candidate (not going to happen) this type of complaining will result in nothing more than helping the liberals by scattering our troops.
Are any of the naysayers prepared to run for office, raise the millions necessary to win and then step into the arena of huge egos, sharp elbows and entrenched alliances and really get anything done? ***crickets***
I didn't think so.
So ...
You are hoping that a U.S. Republican Congressman gets primaried in 2014 and you think it will be great for the party if he does.
And ...
You are hoping that a U.S. Republican Senator does not get primarried in 2014 and you think it will be bad for the party if he does.
I think I got it.
You believe in being arbitrary.
And the only thing that matters is a Republican Party that reflects your views.
I thought party loyalty was a priority for you.
And not with the caveat, "as long as the party agrees with me."
God Bless.
Posted by: Mr. Scott Ryan | January 14, 2013 at 11:58 AM