After weeks of obnoxiously promoting his support for a taxpayer-funded automaker bailout, Rep. Thad McCotter (R-Mich.) voted for the bill last night. Erick has already explained why McCotter is just plain wrong and Michelle Malkin points out the hypocrisy, but I want to take it a step further.McCotter was reelected chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee last month. Why is the No. 4 ranking Republican serving as the leading crusader for the automaker bailout? Does this not send the wrong message for a party trying to get back to the principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility? For the past several weeks, McCotter has aggressively campaigned for the bailout’s passage — even launching an online petition on his congressional website. As a Detroit native and Michigan congressman, it’s not surprising that he feels an affinity for the Big Three.But when McCotter was elected Republican Policy Chairman, he became more than just your average congressman. He’s a member of the Republican leadership — and his actions are more meaningful than most other members. If he strays on important votes, it becomes much harder the GOP whip operation to impose discipline on other members.If this vote is a sign of things to come, Republican Leader John Boehner is in for a rocky road in the 111th Congress. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
It is because of positions like this that the Libertarian party can now rightly claim itself to be the legitimate heir to the ideals of limited government, smaller taxation and personal responsibility. It is because of Republicans like Rep. McCotter that conservatives, constitutionalists and libertarians are leaving the party in droves. The Reagan Coalition will not work if all that is left is the neoconservative Republicans.
Redstate notes: We can still stop this- call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and urge him to vote no.
I will take it a step further: No matter the outcome of this bill Rep. McCotter needs to resign or be otherwise removed from the GOP Policy Committee. It is quite simply unacceptable for any Republican, who claims to represent limited government, smaller taxation and personal responsibility, to support taxpayer funded bailouts of any private sector company.
There can be no compromise on this, very soon we will only have 41 votes in the Senate to block objectionable legislation. The GOP cannot afford McCain, McCotter, Rudy or Arnold. We cannot afford RINO’s in the party when even one defection vote could give the Democrats enough votes to push their agenda through.
If the GOP will not clean it’s idealogical house then our slim ray of hope with the 41 Republican senators will be meaningless. If conservatives can help steer McCotter out of this important policy position it would set us up nicely for the GOP Chairmanship election to be held in late January. The GOP cannot afford another “reach out to moderates” compromiser.
The GOP must take strong decisive action to make sure that in at least the key leadership and policy position that Republican ideals are being represented. It is because we have failed to do this that we lost our edge in recruiting, fundraising, polling and most importantly, the elections themselves.
Update 10:00 Am:The Senate defeated the bailout bill on a clouture vote. YAY, right? Nope. As is typical with government, they are proceeding to bailout the automakers anyway.
Wake up people- there is no Democratic rule anymore. Voting for your representatives is meaningless. Government will do whatever it wants, no matter what the people or our representatives say. I am coming to the conclusion that challanging the constitutional authority of government may be the only way to stop the insanity. I am furious, livid and pist off that despite being voted down, the Treasury Secretary thinks he has the authority to dole out loans to the automakers anyway.