Whoa, waking up to these two paragraphs is enough to take the place of coffee, tea and Postum:
#1:
"Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson says fellow Republican Rep. Raul Labrador has forever undermined his effectiveness with an “irresponsible” role in plotting to defeat GOP House Speaker John Boehner. “I think there are 15 or 16 members of our conference that have substantially lost credibility,” said Simpson, one of Boehner’s closest friends in the House"
#2
In response, Labrador called Simpson a “bully” and “an old-school legislator that went to Washington, D.C., to compromise. That’s how you get to a $1 trillion deficit, by just tinkering around the edges,” Labrador said. “But I think we live in a new world where we have some very serious fiscal issues in America, and you need to have people who are willing to say ‘no’ to a lot of things — things that are very popular back home — and that are willing to put their political careers on the line.”
A Family Feud of sorts, based on Congressman Labrador's strong family values?
No, not at all.
To put it in terms Congressman Simpson would understand, this is a barfight.
And I think Simpson "brought a knife to a gunfight", to quote Sean Connery from The Untouchables..
Here's why:
Mike Simpson supports John Boehner. He's made a great friend of John Boehner's, so he SHOULD support the Speaker of the House, if the vote is based on friendship.
But it isn't.
Raul Labrador didn't come to DC to make friends.
Refusing to vote for someone he saw as a compromiser was NOT what he was sent to DC to do.
And he has stood firm on his principles.
The DC insiders didn't want Raul Labrador even from the start of his first campaign.
I know.
I was there as his campaign spokesman during the GOP primary of 2010.
What's happened since his taking office, though, is that Labrador has gained a national following of principled people all across the land. Even national media outlets like Face the Nation have acknowledged his leadership on so many tough issues.
Idahoans couldn't give a rip for that kind of friendship-leadership in our nation's Capitol, among the GOP - especially in the shadow of national financial collapse. Principled-leadership is needed of both parties.
With a 9% positive approval rating among the American public right now, congressmen may indeed need friends, but failing to boldly lead, even at symbolic moments, such as casting one's vote for Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives, tells folks at home that a congressman cares less about the 9% and more about the 100% approval of his friend, The Speaker.
So it is no surprise that Rep. Simpson, who has carefully cultivated his insider approach to politics, both in Idaho and In Washington DC would be scathing of Rep. Labrador's Idaho way.
Most Idahoans don't support John Boehner's approach; many of us don't even like his style.
And that's where Simpson has shown his colors. He likes his friend. He fights for his friend.
Labrador fights for Idaho.
And against the drunken sailor approach to spending that the House, the Senate and the President have foisted upon the families of America.
We are in debt up to our grandchildren's eyeballs and no one seems to be able to stop using the credit cards.
Well, Raul Labrador's willing to use budget scissors on the public's plastic.
It would be great if the Speaker of the House would as well.
Den
If it were an action movie, or even a round of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, I might take your point and join the chorus in favor of our junior member of the House. "Cut spending" is a great battle cry, but the devil is in the details, and Labrador never gets to that point. He just says no, no, no, and looks for the nearest camera and microphone.
His criticism of Simpson's legislative career is facile and unproductive. Oh, and "principled," yes. The principle, as described in my take on this family feud ( http://fortboise.org/blog/201301.html#p01150 ) is "I am right, so compromise is fallacy."
It gets us nowhere, Dennis.
Posted by: fortboise | January 15, 2013 at 09:46 AM