Posted on 01/07/2015 8:11:41 AM PST by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Mick Mulvaney released the following statement:
“There was an attempt to oust John Boehner as Speaker of the House today. I didn’t participate in it. That may make some people back home angry. I understand that, but I’ve got some experience with coup attempts against the Speaker, and what I learned two years ago factored heavily in my decision today not to join the mutiny.
First, I learned two years ago that people lie about how they are going to vote. And you cannot go into this kind of fight with people you do not trust. We walked onto the floor two years ago with signed pledges – handwritten promises – from more than enough people to deny Boehner his job. But when it came time to vote, almost half of those people changed their minds – including some of those who voted against Boehner today. Fool me once, shame on you … Today was even worse: there were never enough votes to oust Boehner to begin with. On top of that, some people who had publicly said in the past that they wouldn’t vote for Boehner did just that. This was an effort driven as much by talk radio as by a thoughtful and principled effort to make a change. It was poorly considered and poorly executed, and I learned first-hand that is no way to fight a battle. This coup today was bound to fail. And in fact, it failed worse than I expected, falling 11 votes short of deposing the Speaker. At least two years ago we only failed by six.
I also learned that the Floor of the House is the wrong place to have this battle. The hard truth is that we had an election for Speaker in November – just among Republicans. THAT was the time to fight. But not a single person ran against Boehner. Not one. If they had, we could’ve had a secret ballot to find out what the true level of opposition to John Boehner was. In fact, we could’ve done that as late as Monday night, on a vote of “no confidence” in the Speaker. But that didn’t happen … and at least one of the supposed challengers to Boehner today didn’t even go to the meeting last night. That told me a lot.
Some people wrote me encouraging me to vote for Louie Gohmert. I like Louie, but let’s be clear: Louie Gohmert was – is – never ever going to be Speaker of the House. I respect his passion, but he isn’t a credible candidate. That was proved today by the fact that he got three votes, despite all the national media attention he managed to grab. My colleague who got the most anti-Boehner votes was Daniel Webster of Florida who got 12 votes. I like Daniel. He is a nice guy, and a good thinker … but his lifetime Heritage Action score is 60 percent (by comparison, mine is 91 percent). And this was supposed to be the savior of the conservative movement? Would the House really have been more conservative if he had won?
The truth is, there was no conservative who could beat John Boehner. Period. People can ignore that, or they can wish it away, but that is reality.
Some people tried to argue that voting against Boehner would give conservatives leverage, or somehow force him to lead in a more conservative fashion, even if the coup attempt failed. All I can say to that is that the exact opposite happened two years ago: conservatives were marginalized, and Boehner was even freer to work with moderates and Democrats. My guess is that the exact same thing will happen again now. And I fail to see how that helps anything that conservatives know needs to be done in Washington.
I understand people’s frustration and anger over what is happening in Washington. And I also acknowledge that John Boehner may be partly to blame. But this was a fool’s errand. I am all for fighting, but I am more interested in fighting and winning than I am fighting an unwinnable battle.
Finally, the most troubling accusation I have heard regarding the Boehner vote is that I have “sold out” my conservative principles. All I can say is this: take a look at my voting record. It is one of the most conservative in Congress. And I was joined today by the likes of Jim Jordan, Raul Labrador, Trey Gowdy, Mark Sanford, Trent Franks, Tom McClintock, Matt Salmon, Tom Price, Sam Johnson, and Jeb Hensarling. If I “sold out” then I did so joined by some of the most tried and tested conservative voices in Washington.
I can say with 100 percent confidence that I have done exactly what I said I would do when I came to Washington: fight to cut spending, stop bad legislation, work to repeal Obamacare, and hold the President accountable for his actions. That will never change, and neither will I.”
“Just among Republicans”? Oh yeah? Like Cochran’s campaign reaching out to ‘rat voters, in a run-off, to defeat a conservative? These people with their disingenuous lies make me puking-sick.
Finally, the most troubling accusation I have heard regarding the Boehner vote is that I have “sold out” my conservative principles. All I can say is this: take a look at my voting record. It is one of the most conservative in Congress. And I was joined today by the likes of Jim Jordan, Raul Labrador, Trey Gowdy, Mark Sanford, Trent Franks, Tom McClintock, Matt Salmon, Tom Price, Sam Johnson, and Jeb Hensarling. If I “sold out” then I did so joined by some of the most tried and tested conservative voices in Washington."
Did you really just say the coup failed by 11 votes, and name 10 people (plus yourself), who were "conservative" yet voted for Boner????????
Nothing could be worse for the Republicans OR Conservatives. The speaker is inert and by definition unresponsive, out of touch, compromised and tone deaf. If he EVER spoke for us, he doesn't NOW and hasn't done so for a very long time.
He’s getting hammered on Facebook
It’s dead to me, for sure. I’m not even sure that I’ll vote for candidates touting themselves as “conservative”, because look what happens to most of them once they get to Congress. What difference does it make? Sick of the whole corrupt process of politics.
I know it’s tinfoil hat area, but I’m really thinking that Boehner is an infiltrator. He couldn’t be more helpful to the ‘rats’ agenda if he was one of them in name.
Very comforting to know that this member of Congress can’t trust members of his own party. Where exactly does that leave We The People?
One other thing...
If all so called conservatives had the fiscal voting record of McClintock (and that is what we need to be fighting for) then Boehner would not even be an issue.
Rep. McClintock Earns the Highest Score in the House from the National Taxpayers Union
By ADMIN on September 18, 2014
For the second year in a row, Rep. Tom McClintock received the highest score in the House of Representatives from the National Taxpayers Union, for his votes in the 113th Congress. NTU also named Rep. McClintock a “Taxpayers’ Friend.”
NTU’s annual Rating sets the standard for fiscal scorecards by not simplistically focusing on only a handful of equally weighted “key votes”, but on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy – appropriation, authorization, and tax bills; budget target resolutions; amendments; and certain regulatory or procedural votes that could affect overburdened taxpayers.
The National Taxpayers Union is the largest and oldest taxpayers union in the nation with over 362,000 members nationwide.
I don't think he's an 'infiltrator' in the sense of being controlled by and reporting to covert demonicrat operatives. He may be, I just see no evidence of it. I think he IS a leftist, and that for the most part the Republican Party leadership are all leftists. The Republican Party is the party of Big Government. Reagan was an anomaly, Bush was the "real Republican". The "Republicans In Name Only" are us conservatives, who oppose the socialism supported by the GOP Establishment.
We, the People can trust our elected officials ...
to stab us in the back.
Well they can continue to grow government and shrink liberty and freedom without my help. After the Cochran fiasco, I don’t really even see a reason to vote anymore, though i went ahead and voted in the last congressional election. Even the so-called “conservatives” get turned. What’s the point? I’d rather just be off the grid, completely.
The hard truth is that we had an election for Speaker in November – just among Republicans. THAT was the time to fight. But not a single person ran against Boehner. Not one.
True statement. But remember Mike, there was an incredible betrayal by Boehner after this 'election' took place when he gave 0bama a $1.1T budget package with no cuts for 0bamacare or executive amnesty. That alone justified a new 'election'.
The truth is, there was no conservative who could beat John Boehner. Period. People can ignore that, or they can wish it away, but that is reality.
I believe that this is sadly true as well. But it does not justify not trying and just giving up in the face of Boehner's betrayal.
And in fact, it failed worse than I expected, falling 11 votes short of deposing the Speaker. At least two years ago we only failed by six.
So Rep Mulvaney, 11 votes short is embarrassing and yet you end your Facebook post by NAMING 11 Representatives, including yourself, who COULD HAVE TURNED THE TIDE, but voted for Boehner?!
And I was joined today by the likes of Jim Jordan, Raul Labrador, Trey Gowdy, Mark Sanford, Trent Franks, Tom McClintock, Matt Salmon, Tom Price, Sam Johnson, and Jeb Hensarling.
Unfortunately, the person you voted for to be Speaker of the House isn't going to go along with anything in that list. So good luck fighting the good fight when your own party is against you.
Bottom line we where one vote short of having another vote, that second or even third vote would have had a much different outcome, now if Rino Webster eventually won he would not be boehner, he may be much easier to handle since he would be facing the writing on the wall as to how a Speaker should function, but for better or worse he is not boehner.
Mick Mulvaney is a coward among cowards he could have made history but turned traitor, nothing worse than hearing a traitor attempt to justify his treason, his conservative ratings mean nothing when he quits his principles and runs away at hottest moment of the battle.
Lucky you; I have Patrick McHenry. Small minded RINO
My new rep David Rouser had a Facebook post on why he supported Boehner. I posted that he failed his first test.
What a BS artist. The crap he peddles doesn’t cut it anymore. If he is unwilling to fight unless he wins, he is worthless in my book. Truth is he is a traitor to the Conservative cause and his song and dance line means nothing at this point.
OMG, his argument is so stupid. Don’t fight because we won’t win. Don’t vote against Boehner because other ppl lie about who they will vote for. Don’t fight Boehner because Conservative will be marginlized like before. Haven’t he realized that Boehner is NOT one of US. Whether you fight or not won’t change Boehner at all
It doesn’t matter if you’re the most right wing out there. Cowards EXIST IN ALL IDEOLOGY.
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