Posted on 06/27/2020 5:38:52 AM PDT by RandFan
Rep. Thomas Massie isn't in a forgive-and-forget kind of mood.
The libertarian-leaning House member on Tuesday crushed his Republican primary opponent 88%-12% in the northern Kentucky district he's represented since 2013. That despite several high-profile House Republicans initially backing, and sending campaign contributions to, his primary opponent.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming in the spring criticized Massie over delaying tactics on passage of a coronavirus economic relief bill. The proposal became law, but not before Massie used parliamentary tactics to force lawmakers to return to Washington as the pandemic worsened.
The feud was an extension of tensions between House Republican leaders and Massie, an MIT-trained engineer and multiple patent holder who frequent dissents from the party-line on votes. Particularly when, he says, party leaders disregard Republican principles of small government and limited spending.
Questions linger over “whether the Republican leadership is going to actively and openly back primary opponents to incumbent Republicans. I think it's a dangerous precedent that Liz Cheney set as a member of the GOP leadership team, to try and cull the herd while we're still in the minority,” Massie told the Washington Examiner.
“You don't cull the herd when you don't have enough herd. And yet she's trying to use politics to influence the policy of the members in her conference. and I think it's wrong," Massie said. "Especially when we're in the minority. The money that she spent financing my opponent could have been used for taking back the majority.”
Republican leadership made no indication that it will openly endorse further primary opponents over incumbents.
Massie angered Republican leadership and President Trump in March when he demanded a roll-call vote for the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package. However, his attempt failed after party leaders brought 216 members to the floor and gallery in order to establish a quorum.
The parliamentary stand taken by Massie, though, caused Trump to call for the Kentucky Republican to be ousted by his own party in the upcoming primary — an unusual action by the leader of any party. But Republican Party lawmakers such as Cheney, and Reps. Mike Turner of Ohio and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois followed suit and gave money to Massie’s primary opponent, Todd McMurty.
The same lawmakers ultimately rescinded their support of McMurty not long thereafter when controversial social media posts of McMurty’s emerged.
Cheney's office declined to provide the Washington Examiner with a comment.
Massie says his concern relates to the openness of the Republican Party choosing a primary opponent over an incumbent. He compared it to hardball tactics employed by the past two Republican House speakers against dissidents such as then-Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, now Trump's White House chief of staff.
“John Boehner and Paul Ryan had their super PACs and their c-4's and their dark money that they would try to use against members. They used that against Mark Meadows, and it didn't work out too well for John Boehner,” he said. “They've always told lobbyists up here, 'Don't give to this member, give to his opponent, or her opponent.' It's common knowledge that they extort members with their committee assigbnments.”
Massie said he believes party leaders used the opportunity of Trump’s tweet to attack him for years of his criticism of the party’s congressional campaign committee’s dues, which Massie has often referred to as “extortion.”
“When they saw the tweet from President Trump, they saw that as the signal to charge that it's time to go after Massie," he said. "They've been holding their fire or supporting my opponent behind the scenes, but they decided they could engage in open warfare against another member of the GOP with the president. Who they, by the way, have a miserable record of supporting.”
they are still passing massive spending bills and trying to pass PATRIOT act etc. Dem and GOP working together.
Nohing has changed since the Boehner days (remember him?). Just that Pelosi throws a bone to her liberal base every now and then with a show vote on a bill that will die in the Senate (i.e DC statehood this week)
And I warn people, if Trump loses. The Democrats will have to then follow and discredit Trump.
That’s why the moment Trump leaves, BLM and Antifa disappear. All the kneeling stops, Democrats will even appear to be conciliatory towards Trump and Trump voters, everything will be “peace and love”.
While behind the scenes, they tighten their grip over every institution and complete the transition to a “One Party State”, any opposition will be crushed at the lowest levels.
This is not a good time.
Not a great comparison. The “They” who took out King were the voters in his district who know him best. King unfortunately would have put the seat in danger in November. The guy that beat him is a solid conservative.
Yeah right. I’ll wait to see his voting record. I bet you $50 to this site he votes for big spending bills and with Liz Cheney. Do you want to take the bet ?
The Washington GOP are truly uneducated idiots. When communist seize power there are no more free elections, there is no bipartisanship, there is no negotiations on policy or issues. Communist kill members of the opposition party period. GOP you better wake up and grow a spine. Trump may not be the person you want but the alternative is death, death of the GOP, death of the republic, probably your own personal deaths at the hands of your good friends across the aisle.
I bet he’s a Cheap Labor Express stooge.
He was backed by the Chamber of Cheap Labor and the Club for Cheap Labor.
I’ll tell you what, if my good friend and scholar, RINO hunter Fieldmarshaldj, determines after his first year that Feestra is a dirty dog, I’ll take that bet.
OK lets do it!
Make a note of it. i’m happy if you prove me wrong :)
Judging them both for 2019 as follows:
Steve King got an 86% rating from the ACU, but a 90.72% lifetime score.
Randy Feenstra got a 96% rating from the ACU (Iowa Senate), but a lifetime score of 85%.
Now these aren’t an issue-for-issue comparison. But it still shows Feenstra as 6% more left-leaning than King for a total lifetime service, albeit in different bodies.
Feenstra will have to vote a minimum of 91% Conservative going by the ACU to match King in 2021 (depending upon how both are rated a year from now for their final year in their respective bodies). Because, alas, the ACU is slow as molasses in reporting their ratings, you may not be able to collect on the bet either way for 2 years.
The ACU are not very good imo.
If he votes for big spending bills with leadership you need to count that against him!
That’s s true TEST in my opinion.
ACU are cosy with leadership and let too many GOPers off the hook.
Better scorecards:
http://congress.freedomworks.org/
https://www.clubforgrowth.org/scorecards/app/
https://www.thenewamerican.com/freedom-index
I will let you judge (independently) if he turns out to be as conservative as King or if he sells out to his new masters which I suspect he will.... that’s the bet struck with Impy ($50 to FR).
Make a note and we’ll review in 18 months! :)
I may be kind of biased, but in your favor because I supported King.
Liz is woke ish
That’s OK. we’ll review it at the time and make a decision. Just a bit of fun. I do hope i’m proved wrong and he’s alright.
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