The Rule-or-Ruin Faction of the GOP: Republicans take aim, not at Democrats, but at each other

National Review ^ | 03/18/2014 | Thomas Sowell

[SeekAndFind]

At a time when polls show public opinion turning against the Democrats, some Republicans seem to be turning against each other. Even with the prospect of being able to win control of the Senate in this fall’s elections, some Republicans are busy manufacturing ammunition for their own circular firing squad.

A Republican faction’s demonization of their own Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, is a classic example. If you listen to some of those who consider themselves the only true conservatives, you would never guess that Senator McConnell received a lifetime 90 percent ranking by the American Conservative Union — and in one recent year had a 100 percent ranking.

Ann Coulter — whose conservative credentials nobody has ever challenged — points out in her column that Mitch McConnell has not only led the fight for conservative principles repeatedly, but has been to the right of Ted Cruz on immigration issues.

Someone once said that, in a war, truth is the first casualty. That seems to be the case for some in this internal war among Republicans. As the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “You are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts.”

Why should those of us who are not Republicans be concerned about any of this?

Fortunately or unfortunately, we have a two-party system in this country. And — very unfortunately — we are at a crucial point in the history of America, and perhaps approaching a point of no return.

The unfolding disaster of Obamacare is only the most visible symptom of a far deeper danger from a lawless administration in Washington that unilaterally changes laws passed by Congress. President Obama has nearly three more years to continue doing irreparable damage to the fundamental basis of American government and to Americans’ freedom.

Only Republican control of the Senate can rein in the lawless Obama administration, which can otherwise load up the federal courts with lawless judges, who will be dismantling the rule of law and destroying the rights of the people for decades after Barack Obama himself is long gone from the White House.

Once that happens, even a future Republican majority, led by people with the kind of ideological purity that the Republican dissidents want, cannot undo the damage.

The Senate’s power to confirm or not confirm presidential nominees to the federal courts is the only thing that can prevent Barack Obama from leaving that kind of toxic legacy in the federal courts, including the Supreme Court.

Only Republican control of both houses of Congress can repeal, or even seriously revise, Obamacare. And only Republican control of both houses of Congress plus the White House can begin to reverse the many lawless, reckless, and dangerous policies of the Obama administration, at home and overseas.

This year’s elections and the 2016 presidential election may be among the most important elections in the history of this country and can determine what kind of country this will be for years — and even generations — to come.

Those Republicans who seem ready to jeopardize their own party’s chances of winning these two crucial elections by following a rule-or-ruin fight against fellow Republicans may claim to be following their ideals. But headstrong self-righteousness is not idealism, and it is seldom a way to advance any cause.

Politics, like war, is a question of power. If you don’t have power, you can make fiery speeches or even conduct attention-getting filibusters, but that does not fundamentally change anything. And it has accomplished nothing in this case.

No doubt there can be legitimate differences of opinion about tactics and strategy on particular issues. But if you don’t have power, these are just empty clashes over debating points.

Certainly there has been much for which the Republican leadership has deserved to be criticized over the years — and this column has made such criticisms for decades. But when the question is whether Mitch McConnell is preferable to Harry Reid as majority leader in the Senate, that is not even a close call.

If the rule-or-ruin faction among Republicans ends up giving the Democrats another Senate majority under Harry Reid, not only the Republican party but the entire nation, and generations yet unborn, will end up paying the price.

— Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

[ilgipper]

I hate to say it but Sowell has been compromised or age has set in.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Okay, so I was wrong. Sowell isn’t done taking cheap shots at the Tea Party.

[Paine in the Neck]

So disappointing to hear Sowell still beating the drum for us to ‘unify’ behind, feckless, incompetent and pusillanimous ‘leadership’.

[Gaffer]

So. Sowell has moderated his recent columns of condemnation for the recalcitrant conservatives to one of specious reasoning.

It boils down to him saying, “you have to elect[re-elect]them to see what they might do.” Sounds very similar to something someone else [unnamed] said, doesn’t it?

Frankly, holding up McConnell as a 90% conservative is bullsh!t. Were these ratings organizers truly independent or considered Cloture/Show Vote discrepancies, his rating would be abysmal.

Please don’t anybody try and tell me Sowell is a conservative. That dog just don’t hunt.

[Flavious_Maximus]

VERY DISAPOINTING!

After what Mitch said about the Tea Party, there is no way any “true” conservative should support or endorse him. McConnell is a snake. The RINO of RINO’s. Do not trust him for one second, and that goes for John Boehner as well.

[Iron Munro]

Republican elites don’t want to restore a constitutional republic.

They just want to win elections so they get first dibs at the pig trough and the taxpayers money.

[greene66]

Thomas Sowell is really losing me here.

But then again, the GOP itself lost me when it started backstabbing Palin.

[TEARUNNER14]

Goppies have finally turned me off and my wife and I wish that we can vote out every single one of these politicians and replace them all with good conservatives who will uphold the constitution.

[headstamp 2]

I’m really getting tired of this lesser of two evils crap.

[VRWCarea51]

Three? Questions for you Mr. Sowell.

1) What is McConnell’s position on Scamnasty?

2) How did Mitch vote on the Budget Deal last fall (And how much Pork did he get in return)?

3) How did Mitch vote on the Debt Ceiling this spring?

NUFF SAID!

[workerbee]

only Republican control of both houses can repeal or revise O'care

Gee, wonder which one the RINOs would opt for?

[chris37]

I’m not interested in your awful fail party, Tommy.

You are wasting your bad breath.

[amnestynone]

The only thing we have accomplished from a Republican majority is to loer the taxes on the rich. We have no other accomplishment. Even our welfare reform ha slargely been undone by obama. Does this tell you something? Even our house leadership is actively suporting amnesty to make the dems the majority party. Word is that McConnell actually recruited Rubio to the gang of 8. Enough is enough.

[nathanbedford]

To lecture conservatives that a Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader of the Senate is preferable to Harry Reid as Majority Leader of the Senate is to insult us with a tautology. The question is not between McConnell and Harry Reid, the issue is between a Rino and a conservative.

On issue after issue McConnell has failed conservatism and the nation. He disguises his treachery by voting along conservative lines after he lines up sufficient number of Republican Rinos to combine with Democrats to defeat conservative causes. The last example of this occurred when Ted Cruz forced a vote that counted on the issue of the debt ceiling. McConnell then returns to his state running for reelection claiming his fraudulent conservative bona fides.

Anyone who believes the Mitch McConnell will actually repeal Obamacare even if he enjoys a Republican majority in the Senate is a fool.

Anyone who believes the Mitch McConnell will a deal effectively with the national debt, the deficit, tax reform, and restructuring the military, is a fool.

[workerbee]

Amazing how only TEA Party types are criticized for being critical and “tearing down” other Repubs. Sowell conveniently omits GOPe types trashing Palin, Cruz and other assorted “non-club” candidates and organizations. Sowell continues to disappoint.

[Lazamataz]

Ann Coulter — whose conservative credentials nobody has ever challenged —

Thomas, when you start a sentence with a lie, you end up with nothing but a paragraph of lies following it.

[Graewoulf]

There are those who have learned from the lessons of History, and then there are those who refuse to learn from the lessons of History.

After nearly five years of expert trial and error, the perfect Federal Nationalized Medical Insurance Policy, commonly known as OSHIT, (Obama Socialized Health Insurance Tax), has taught those who can learn from the lessons of History that the best that the Federal Government can do in Medical Insurance is the worst thing that can happen to millions of Americans.

Thomas Sowell has proven that he has not yet learned that lesson.

Thomas Sowell has chosen to stay on the sinking RINO tugboat as it pushes the doomed barge called the “RINOcare Insurance Revision” down Sellout River, and always closer to the thundering waterfall known by Conservatives as “Boehner’s Boneyard.”

[Linda Frances]

I thought it was only leftist who were delusional. To say that no one questions ann coulters conservatism is like saying no one questions whether the pope is a Protestant. Wonder if Sowell is collecting extra cash from rnc so he can retire.

[Liberty Wins]

Thomas Sowell has always been a small-government advocate. Now he is teaming up with Ann Coulter to join the big-government idiots. What has captured his thinking?

Ronald Reagan said, "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers."