With Districts As Gerrymandered As They Are, Primaries Are A Last Vestige Of Democracy And Accountability

To the chopping block!

Yesterday we talked a little about an upcoming primary against North Carolina Blue Dog Mike McIntyre-- and we hope he'll be the next Tim Holden/Silvestre Reyes character to be forced out of Congress by a progressive challenger. I'm hearing some excellent rumblings about NYC corruptionist Joe Crowley as well. And, as you know, Republicans also encourage primaries against some of their own corrupt barnacles and troglodytes. If Spencer Bachus doesn't decide to retire, he's likely to have a primary opponent again next year; Jo Bonner, also in Alabama, as well.

Club for Growth has gone so far as to start advertising for candidates to run against incumbent Republicans who aren't living up to their ultra-conservative standards. It's pissing off a lot of mainstream Republicans. They have 9 in their sites already, Aaron Schock (R-IL), his heart throb Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Steve Palazzo (R-MS), Renee Ellmers (R-NC), Larry Bucshon (R-IN) and a major Boehner crony Frank Lucas (R-OK), new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

If you have a suggestion for Club for Growth about who to primary, they have a page for that. Let's look at their case against Aaron Schock in order to see what the criteria they're interested in. There is no mention, for example, of his ethics problems or tendency to wear bizarre and unstylish gay outfits and spend more time in the gym than anyone else in Congress.

Aaron Schock likes to portray himself as a defender of economic freedom, but his record is not consistent with that portrayal. His website claims that he’s focused on “fighting the massive expansion of government spending and debt.” However, one of the first votes Schock took in the House was against cutting all of the spending projects from Obama’s failed $800 billion stimulus bill, joining only 43 Republicans. He voted for the August 2011 debt limit deal that gave Obama a $2.1 trillion increase in the national debt, and he’s been a consistent supporter of keeping Davis-Bacon wage requirements for federal projects, nothing but an anti-free market giveaway to big labor.

CHECK THE RECORD:

• Voted to increase the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion. (RCV #690, 2011)

• Voted for a budget extension that funded ObamaCare (RCV #579, 2012)

• Voted to keep all of the spending in Obama’s stimulus (RCV #42, 2009)

• Voted for the “fiscal cliff” deal that raised tax rates and delayed automatic spending cuts (RCV #659, 2012)

• Repeated votes against the budget proposed by House conservatives. (RCV #189, 2009; RCV #275, 2011; RCV #149, 2012)

• One of only 13 Republicans to vote against blocking funding for a National Labor Relations Board lawsuit that would have infringed on a worker’s right to a secret ballot in union elections. (RCV #229, 2012)

• One of only 41 Republicans to vote against cutting $1.2 million from the Botanic Gardens. (RCV #371, 2012)

• Repeated votes for Davis-Bacon wages on government projects, which are nothing but giveaways to Big Labor. (RCV #122, 2009; #414, 2011; #395, 2011; #144, 2011; #585, 2011)

• Voted against numerous spending cuts that would have reduced the size of government

The Club for Growth gang got into an online tiff with lobbyist and retired GOP Congressman Steve LaTourette, according to the Daily Caller. LaTourette doesn't like Club for Growth encouraging primaries against mainstream conservatives. He called the Club "a cancer." They called him a "liberal Rino."

“The Club for Growth is a cancer that has attached itself to the Republican Party.” LaTourette added, “The Club repeatedly backs candidates who espouse bizarre views on rape, incest, immigrants and even witchcraft. … The left wants to caricature the Republican Party as out-of-touch and extremist and the Club spends millions to help them do this.”

LaTourette told the Daily Caller that the Club for Growth is waging an “online game” that will hurt the Republican Party, both in the short term and in the long run.

“I don’t know who’s funding it, and that’s the problem,” LaTourette said. “They should reveal their donors so that people can look at them and decide whether or not these are people worth listening to.”

A Club for Growth spokesman quickly shot back at LaTourette in an interview with TheDC.

“It’s not surprising. He’s a liberal,” Club for Growth spokesman Barney Keller said. “He’s defending his fellow liberal RINOs. He’s never met a bailout he didn’t like. Primarymycongressman.com is designed exactly so voters are aware of the other Steve LaTourettes out there.”

If anyone knows someone who's willing to run against Steve Israel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz or any Blue Dogs, please let us know. We can't let the Republicans have all the fun democracy.