Republican Civil War Turning To Cannibalism?

DWT is for Raul Labrador

Angry right-wing populists struck out blindly against Eric Cantor last week-- and scored a knockout. But to the victors do not go the spoils, not Inside-the-Beltway. David Brat will become a largely ignored, probably short-term, backbencher; he will not become Majority Leader. Nor will any teabagger who celebrated Cantor's political demise. They won't even have a say in who replaces Cantor. Next in line in Boehnerland is the #3-ranking Republican, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). A couple of ambitious standrad-issue GOP politicians-- Jeff Sessions, Jim Jordan, Jeb Hensarling-- made some muffled "Hey what about me, me, me" noises, but there was never any serious challenge to the status quo in the House leadership.

Free-thinker Justin Amash (R-MI) voiced frustration teabaggers feel about their inability to capitalize of Cantor's defeat: "The grass roots just removed our majority leader and we're going to replace him with someone who's part of the same system? I don't think that's going to satisfy conservatives at home."

The McCarthy forces-- i.e., the Republican Beltway Establishment-- had it all wrapped up before the angry/jubilant teabaggers had finished patting each other on the back. He had all the commitments he needed even before Amash's "whacko-bird" contingent put Idaho Republican Raúl Labrador, who was back home-- fortuitously enough, with Rand Paul-- for the Idaho Republican Party convention. Voicing the seething anger many backbenchers feel about the Boehner-Cantor-McCarthy top-down leadership style, Labrador explained he's quixotic run this way: "It's the leadership that makes every single decision, and we as members of Congress just have to abide by what the leadership tells us to do. And I think this is why I'm doing it." That's the most the teabaggers will get out of their defeat of Cantor.

One of the big Tea Party groups, Matt Kibbe's FreedomWorks, which is pretty much despised among Establishment Republican corporatists, is backing Labrador. "Americans," said Kibbe, "deserve a choice in leadership, and Republicans should have learned by now that 'the next guy in line' isn’t entitled to the next rung on the ladder. Raúl Labrador is the perfect leadership choice for constitutional conservatives who are ready to shake things up in Congress. He has an authentic commitment to rejecting special interests and defending limited government."

Former National Review editor Robert Costa, now at the Washington Post, is one of the best sources of behind the scenes news from the GOP. Friday he wrote that "McCarthy’s apparent easy ascent as unrest swirled around him underscores how the tea party, even with its strong pull in congressional primaries and ability to dictate the Republican agenda, remains a limited force in the insular and relationship-driven sphere of House GOP politics. Though sizable in numbers, they lack the organization and preparation, the battle-tested aides and the Machiavellian instincts to take over. That has left the tea party in the paradoxical position of being powerful enough to take out a majority leader in historic fashion but powerless to replace him. As a result, a blue-state Republican who is more moderate than the one he is likely to replace-- McCarthy supports giving legal status to undocumented immigrants, for instance-- was set to rise… On Twitter and elsewhere, conservative activists were in disbelief, wondering how McCarthy had so rapidly become the presumptive victor."

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele predicted that the conservative base outside Congress could soon revolt, potentially lashing out against McCarthy as the latest example of hubris by a leadership team that should have been more humbled by Cantor’s defeat: “The grass-roots conservatives aren’t going to sit back and let this moment pass them by. Whether that happens next week or in the next few months is the question.”

Regardless of how they react or how the whip race plays out, the lingering question for House conservatives will be why they weren’t ready for an opening they’ve been fighting for since they helped Republicans regain power in the tea party wave of 2010

The most the congressional and grassroots teabaggers can hope for would be for one of their own to replace McCarthy in the #3 slot as Whip. The Establishment candidate is Peter Roskam-- from a vulnerable R+4 Illinois district and who would be fighting for his political life if DCCC Chairman Steve Israel wasn't protecting him. A couple of further right candidates, Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) are trying to wave the Tea Party banner in the race. Sessions is also making noises about jumping into this one now that he jumped out of the Majority Leader race. They're all disparaging Roskam as another untrustworthy blue state Republican. He responded with a dear colleague letter:

In my three-and-a-half years as Chief Deputy Whip, I have worked and learned alongside you in the difficult skirmishes on spending, on healthcare, on taxes, and above all on government intrusion and heavy handedness in a dizzying number of areas of our public and private lives. We haven’t always played smart. We haven’t always worked as a team. In some situations, we haven’t scored any points, or won the match. This has been a deeply frustrating experience to watch our economy and our core values backslide under the onslaught of President Obama and Harry Reid’s class warfare and welfare state agenda. But I’m here to tell you, we don’t have to live this way.

Yes, I am from Illinois, the birthplace of Reagan and the Land of Lincoln and I’m a passionate, committed conservative from a red district. By definition, the Whip job is collaborative, and has to draw on relationships that transcend boundaries and groups. At this tumultuous time for our Conference, I think it is more important to have the skills necessary to line up votes than to check a geographical box. We can and should ensure the broadest possible voices in the Conference are heard and get the best candidate with the best abilities in the Majority Whip post. That’s why I am committing to you that should I be entrusted with the Majority Whip responsibility, my Chief Deputy Whip will be from a red state. The Chief Deputy position is essential to winning on the Floor against the Democrats, and to winning in the Congress against President Obama, it isn’t a mere bargaining chip. Additionally, I intend to organize a Deputy Whip operation taking careful consideration of regional balance to ensure robust dialogue and representation. The Majority Whip race is about the person who has the best ability to engage our Members, to advocate for conservative ideas, and to drive our colleagues in the fight to stop Obama Administration policies and to enact our smart, conservative ideals.

Amash made his support for Labrador official yesterday in a press release:

"The majority leader’s main job is to set the agenda for House Republicans. We must have a solid conservative set that agenda, or we’ll risk being out of step with our constituents," said Amash. "Raúl Labrador is uniquely prepared to be a conservative voice on the Republican leadership team and to articulate and defend our principles in the media. I can think of no one more qualified to be our next leader."

"Washington Republicans can bury what happened last Tuesday with piles of excuses. But if they view Tuesday as an anomaly, they do so at their own peril," continued Amash. "Ordinary Americans are frustrated that their representatives aren’t listening to them. They desperately want Republican leadership they can identify with, that speaks to their beliefs, and that will forcefully make our case going into the next term."

"We can’t respond to a stunning loss by giving a pat on the back and promotion to the same team. It’s time for someone new, someone conservative, someone who will put forward a fresh agenda, and someone we know is a proven and talented spokesman. That man is Raúl Labrador."

It's worth noting that Boehner's top political allies, the Chamber of Commerce, is working against Tea Party incumbents and is campaigning against 2 in Michigan, Kerry Bentivolio and, not surprisingly, Amash.