John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Speaker of the House John Boehner’s 2011 spending deal has generated echoes of Bob Michel. I think we should get rid of him if the debt limit negotiations don’t go well.
Representative Bob Michel, R-IL served as the House Republican MINORITY leader from 1981 to 1994. He was a perpetual compromiser, subservient to the beltway establishment and best friend of the Democrats. He had no stomach for confrontation, conservative values (even during the Reagan Revolution), or showed any interest or skills in taking political actions that would end the Democratic Party’s 40 year domination of the House of Representatives. Having read the tea leaves that he would not be speaker over Newt Gingrich after the 1994 election due to his ineffectual leadership, Bob Michel didn’t run for reelection. Fittingly, Dennis Hastert, the successor to Newt Gingrich and future budget buster, looked upon Bob Michel as his role model.
‘Bob Michael’ Syndrome has infected Republican elected leadership, every hack political consultant, as well as media elites such as Tucker Carlson and David Brooks. Reagan’s “happy warriors” are in select governorships, the tea party and on talk radio, not in Washington, DC.
Who are the current shooting stars of the Republican Party, and what do they have in common? Donald Trump, Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, Scott Walker, John Kasich, Paul Ryan, Rand Paul. I submit that they are popular because they are fighters—taking on directly President Obama and the left wing establishment. Courage drives supporters to their side.
The current Speaker of the House has yet to demonstrate courage.
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Feb '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Boehner was just the guy who was picked to replace Tom Delay when Delay was Alinskied out of congress. There were three possibilities if I recall. The reformer favorite- Mike Pence?- the establishment favorite- I forget who - and the middle-of-the-road Boehner.
Whatever. The real problem for the GOP is the success of the leftist Alinsky tactics. Any successful GOP leader will face the full force of that. GOP Nonentities won't.
Hence the endless attacks on Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay- and the peaceful eras of Dennis Hastert and John Boehner.
You'll know the GOP has an effective leader and potential threat to the left when they start to attack that person as a new Hitler, evil traitor, vile this, hateful that, with the same intensity they attack Sarah Palin or George Bush.
Boehner doesn't rate that treatment, unfortunately.
Apr '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Ken and Xennady, I think, as you stated Ken, that the biggest draw for the folks you named is that they seem to be unafraid of a good brawl. In talking to many of my conservative friends, the most common sentiment seems to be "I'm getting sick and tired of the Republicans who just keep "making nice" with the Democrats, who keep "making nasty" with us!".
I've felt for a long time that we need to take the Dems on straight up! No holds barred! Give as good (or bad?) as we get. Absolutely snow them with the facts, but in the same manner that they dish it out!
We've complained for ages about the nasty way we're treated, so I think it's about time to take off the gloves. I hate mudslinging! Hate it! BUT, no matter how we try to explain, cajole, encourage, compromise or in any way show consideration, we get our heads handed to us in the media. I realize that the MSM isn't going to try to cover both sides fairly...they never will. So, stop trying to give them a measured, realistic answer.
Apr '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Continued:
As far as Boehner is concerned; he's from my state, and he's a genuinely good guy. I really do like him, but what is the old saying about good guys?
When I hear Hannity or Greta or Shep make a point, the token Dem, on whatever panel, responds with some bit of excrement that seems to come from left field. I'm left wondering if they even heard the point/question!
Too often the Republican "spokesmen" seem to be acting in the capacity of Ed McMahon...the straight guy just giving the lead-ins for the main act.
Mar '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
'Fighters' is, I think, the key. I suspect that the problem with many conservative politicians is that they feel they have to convince, or at least get on with, the media, which is of course to the left.
Here in Australia former Prime Minister John Howard overcame this in part by regularly making himself available to talkback AM radio -- this is as PM, mind you. He still did his duty, mind you, with the usual political shows and interviews, but by this method was able to at least partially sidestep the gatekeepers in the media.
More recently, the current leader of the Liberal Party (the name of our conservative party) -- Tony Abbott -- came very close to winning the federal election (after just one Labor term) simply by deciding to oppose Australia's proposed cap-and-trade scheme, which his predecessor had supported.
Conservative politicians: be forthright!
Oct '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
That is a brilliant point! Last week, Rush Limbaugh talked about his frustration with the Washington Republican establishment and their unwillingness to stand up and fight. And in one sentence you explained it perfectly.
Feb '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Geoff- if I may be so familiar- I think you've hit upon an important element of the failure of the GOP.
That is, GOP politicians have learned that if they want to have lucrative and lengthy careers they need to shut up and toe the leftist line - or else they get special attention from the media.
I'll never forget a brief top-of-the-hour news headline I heard about Mark Foley. You remember him, right?
Anyway, as the end result of the whole "Foleygate" affair, it was summarized as that Foley had "skirted breaking the law." I'll never forget that phrase. Foley had "skirted breaking the law." In other words, he hadn't broken the law. But his career was ended anyway.
That's the sort of treatment republicans get. They'll be condemned even if they don't break the law- just because they are republicans.
So they may as well put up a dirty, nasty, fight. They'll get the same treatment regardless, if they actually want to accomplish anything. Otherwise, they can just mark time as Bob Michel once did. And be irrelevant failures.
Oct '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Jonah Goldberg’s column last week ended with this:
I am saddened that the current Republican leadership appears to be fighting the last war (1995), and not facing the new dynamics of today. I do like John Boehner as a person (he's from my state of Ohio, as well). But if he walks into a negotiation by himself again, I don't think he's up to the task.
Edited on Apr 18, 2011 at 1:32pmOct '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Tim Pawlenty at the Boston Tea Party rally on April 15: “I give the president credit for at least one thing. He’s proven that someone can deserve a Nobel prize less than Al Gore.”
I’m beginning to like Tim Pawlenty.
Apr '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
It's time for President Lincoln to fire himself a general or two, so to speak, and let's get someone who is willing and able to bring the battle and carry the day!
What was it that Teddy Roosevelt said about that "Gray twilight" of being on the sidelines and not in the fray. The Republican leadership think they are fighting the battle for speaking about slowing down the Progressive juggernaut.
We have brave men and women fighting for freedom and American ideals in hostile places around the globe, risking their very lives.
We need our leadership to display a fraction of this same courage and risk all, as the founders did in giving birth to our nation, in preserving it.
Sep '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Yesterday one of my leftie friends sent me a link to a TED(?) talk about "how to restore civil discourse in America". (It was by a Harvard prof and contained the usual drivel about the evils of cable; ie, Fox, news and talk radio.) My thought was exactly in line with your Michel sentiment; ie, the lefties would love to go back to the days when the right was nothing but their lap dog.
Jul '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Ken Sweeney
That is a brilliant point! Last week, Rush Limbaugh talked about his frustration with the Washington Republican establishment and their unwillingness to stand up and fight. And in one sentence you explained it perfectly. · Apr 17 at 6:01pm
I made that same point some time earlier here.
It is the Defining Quality of a RINO (in my opinion) that they somehow think they are there in Washington to please the Media rather than those who actually elected them.
Sep '10
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
You guys are a little trigger-happy. The CR was in the big picture a trivial detail. We made a few points, got a few cuts, that's good enough. The time for courage starts now, when we're arguing about trillions of dollars and the future of the republic. And short-term, we ARE going to lose that argument. There is no way Democrats are going to go along with anything that would actually address the problem, and the public will support them, for now. This is Lincoln-Douglas: we've got to stake out the high ground this time, even though it means taking a beating. It will be all to the best that we go into this fight with the aura of reasonable people trying to do what is possible rather than zealots, which is what we'd look like if we had created a shutdown over the remains of the 2011 budget.
Feb '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Bruce mentioned Lincoln, and I think this quote is relevant to our situation:
"It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, "You toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it." No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle."
"You work and toil, and earn bread, and I'll eat it."
That's how the government treats the American people: We work and toil, and they take from us to give to their friends, while they lecture us that we owe it to them.
I reject that, and the GOP should also.
Jan '11
Re: John Boehner is Bob Michel in Wolf’s Clothing
Ken - you are on fire with your posts today.
I'm with the others on this thread - we need to engage them and fight. What the conservatives noted as leaders above all have in common is their willingness to engage the fight. Look at those names - none of them are in congress.
There can be no movement without friction.