Posted on 11/04/2012 9:16:35 AM PST by nickcarraway
If Mitt Romney wins the election on Tuesday, he can expect another battle to begin almost immediately: The fight to block his moderate allies from key administration positions.
Conservatives are quietly making preparations to begin lobbying for these posts to be filled by reliable conservatives. Of course, this may also entail opposing some of Romney’s first choices — a fight whose opening salvo has already begun.
Sen. David Vitter is already sending signals he would attempt to block James Connaughton – Romney’s likely choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
(This is significant; Vitter is in line to become ranking member in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.)
According to The Hill, Vitter cited “emissions limits, potential restriction of offshore drilling and green energy funding — reflect an increasingly uniform GOP energy platform that Romney also has embraced,” as concerns about Connaughton.
Vitter also said “he could not support Connaughton’s previous backing for cap-and-trade rules for various types of emissions.”
This isn’t a case of Vitter merely having a personal vendetta. Connaughton would be bitterly opposed by movement conservatives.
As Cato’s Patrick Michaels noted, while serving as George W. Bush’s chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Connaughton “was flat-out for cap-and-trade legislation (or regulation) of carbon dioxide, advocating a ‘stringent’ target.”
I’ve previously noted that conservatives worry Romney transition chief Mike Leavitt will pack a future Romney administration with moderates and personal loyalists — and Connaughton is a prime example of the kind of appointment conservatives would attempt to derail.
Of course, blocking Romney (and Leavitt’s) more moderate picks won’t prove easy. At the upper echelons of the Republican world lies an incestuous network. Consider this: Romney consultant Ron Kaufman is married to the sister of former Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card. Card was replaced as Chief of Staff by Josh Bolton — whose sister married … James Connaughton.
Did you expect George W. Bush’s revolving door to close so soon?
Why not just shut the son-of-a-bitch down?
Vitter?
Exactly. The individual states all have their own versions of the EPA anyway.
That makes at least two from the Senate vowing to black Romney...sounds like they’re scared $hitless.
The next EPA administrator should be there to shut that fascist organization down and indict the criminals who infest that Nixon abomination.
Not likely from a Cap&Trade president.
The EPA is part of Nixon’s rancid Big Government legacy. What a disaster it’s been to the development of our nation!
Good enough issue an executive order, roll everything back, and then defund the sucker.
A Senator can’t issue an executive order.
I was talking about Romney when he wins.....I don’t give a crap what Vitter does or doesn’t do. You need another cup of java this morning your brain isn’t engaged
Hell yeah!!! I for one will be happy to get back to RINO Romney mode here at FR come November 7th. Till then, FUBO!!!!
A glimmer of hope that conservatives won’t just roll over. That’s always been a big concern of mine. Romney’s advisers/moneymen and early boosters are rife with those who supported cap-and-trade, homo-marriage, Obamacare, amnesty, and any number of pro big-government agendas. As great as it will be to be rid of Obama, conservatives and Tea Party folks are still going to have massive, wearying battles lying ahead.
I think Mike should go on a Mission to Kazakhstan.
Great.
How about Mittens bring back people from the Reagan Administration, beginning with Mark Levin?
Mark Levin should be the "transition chief".
I agree. Romney needs to include conservatives.
“Not likely from a Cap&Trade president.”
Exactly. He’s hardcore cap & trade. Sounds like your mind is engaged.
Isn't it nice and heart warming how the Dems care so much about Conservatives.
Set the EPA back 30-years by gutting it 80%, for starters.
Vitter is a prostitute using family values hypocrite
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