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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Dear John Boehner and Eric Cantor

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  November 17th, 2010 at 03:23 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Hi guys,

Just a short note. If either of you support as Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee any of the damn fools who supported killing the incandescent lightbulb we’re going to have problems.

That rules out Fred Upton. Sorry guys. I’m told you’ve been leaning toward him. But sorry. That may rule out some of the others too. But still — how many people have been put on the unemployment line in Pennsylvania alone because of that decision? More than a few hundred.

Oh, and Jerry Lewis and Hal Rogers? I know you guys are thinking of leaving Jerry in place, but he has been part of the problem. Just because he’s suddenly whistling a different tune, doesn’t change that. And Rogers will start a fight with the tea party movement you don’t want to have because you’ll wind up like the guys in the Senate.

Just saying . . .

Thanks,
Erick

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  • bigredone

    a snake who will earmark, spend, lie, and cheat.

    I wish the late Ky. Gov. Louie Nunn could speak to the Congressman’s honor. ‘Course Louie was a bit challenged ethically too. Just sayin’.

  • itrytobenice

    And Jerry Lewis gets Appropriations, I want to see two things:

    1. Primary races forming up in the next four weeks and

    2. Tar and feathers delivered and applied in DC.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/bdpaasch Brian Paasch

    You know those fish that live in subterranean streams and lakes, those fish that don’t have working eyes? It is dark, they can’t see, they don’t need eyes so through genetic selection or through atrophy the functioning eyes just go away.
    Members of Congress are pretty much the same. They don’t need to hear anything outside the beltway so their ears, through selection or atrophy, just go away. Can’t hear a thing….

  • bcochran1981

    n/t

  • http://changingwind.org Toddy Littman

    Show me where power of the national government over this is under Article I, Section 8 please, otherwise, disband the committee entirely.

    Get government out of “regulating” in the meaning of “control” and in the business of “making regular.”

    The fact that government sees it’s every form of “regulation” as a means of control and thereby revenue IS the problem–and is akin to the activities of a gang shaking down businesses for “protection”–, and the very reason we do not need government involved in assuming authority over private enterprise that isn’t part of their Constitutional Powers as revocably delegated.

  • rdelbov

    “I washed my hands in muddy water”. I looked over the list of members with clean hands but everyone looked like they had washed their hands with muddy water.

    My best suggestion on apporiations would be Kingston or Latham but both have been earmarkers. So I say lets look forward and put the apporiation committee on a tight lease.

    I take the same attitude with Shimkus -Upton. Neither one has been perfect. Going forward who will be best for conservative cause.

    I say let the members look these gentlemen in the eye and vote for who will be best for going forward.

  • howardbeale

    If choosing the best person possible to be Speaker of the House can be likened to hitting a home run, then Boehner is an infield single.

    That there’s any possibility of having Upton chair Energy and Commerce proves that Boehner is less than ideal as SOH. Much less.

  • chbroussard

    so take a little time and give this very serious consideration. Republicans have been given a golden opportunity to not only show that you have heard the voters but also give them a reason to want to vote for you again in two years.

    I would be extremely wary of any congressman who has suddenly “found religion.” Coming off the block on the wrong foot is not a good way to start the race.

  • fpete13527

    Rep. Boehner and Cantor, the fact that you are even still considering Upton speaks volumes of negativity about you both.

    Is this what you want?

    Joe Barton is the appropriate person. What don’t you get about that?

  • red_oakster

    But let’s see Flake and a few freshman on the committee. It seems as if Kingston is the best choice.

    Also, I would like to see the weighted voting on the Steering Committee at least trimmed back a bit.

  • deevee

    Just saying…

  • rdelbov

    with 80 or so Freshman. If we want to boot anyone out of leadership or committee chairs or subcommittee chairs anyone who find fault with–that means we don’t anything. The Freshman have no expirence and the 160 plus returning folks either voted for earmarks-ethanol-No child left behind -some Bush budget-Tarp or something that we would object to.

    Yes Boehner might not be my 1st choice and Upton might not be nor for that matter Barton or Shimkus. These guys are at best 90% and if you want to put more emphasis on the lightbulb vote thats fine. I personally think Barton’s 10 billion dollar atom smasher was the biggest boon doggle that I have ever heard of. Shimkus loves Corn and Ethanol which I consider the second biggest boon doggle of all time. In energy matters at least.

    So Upton has his light bulb–Shimkus has his corn and Barton believes in billions for science in Texas.

    I say its how they respond to 2010 elections from Boehner on down is what that counts.

    You can spin what you want about what happened in the past–its the future that counts. Upton or whoever needs to look people in the eye and tell them they get it. Going forward is what matters.

  • http://itsaboutfreedom.proboards.com IronDioPriest

    We’ve seen by the actions and words of the Senate GOP since the election that what “we” want is nothing more than a damned inconvenience to politicians in DC. I’m not expecting anything better from the House. I’ll be glad if I’m wrong.

  • annas

    Do we email these guys? You can’t get through the gate if not in their district?!

  • http://www.buckforcolorado.com bjwilson83

    How about we just dispense with the formalities and make Erick Erickson GOP Party Chair. He knows what I’m going to think before I think it.

  • rsexteriors

    one more election cycle to get the message accross and get rid of those Republicans that do not want to do what is best for the country

  • rsexteriors

    one more election cycle to get the message accross and get rid of those Republicans that do not want to do what is best for the country

  • edstate

    This is THE sleeper issue of the next 2 years. We must must must save the incandescent light bulb!!!

  • volunteerstate

    amen , amen, AMEN.

  • IJB

    If either of those guys get those committees, it’ll tell me everything I need to know about the current Republican leadership, and their commitment to bedrock principles.

    Ditto Upton.

    This is ‘make or break’ time for the House leadership. If they blow it, a third party will be the *least* scary outcome for them. They had better get this right.

  • Scope

    Hasn’t this old guy served his purpose all ready? Isn’t it time to replace him with someone who really is a conservative?

  • Scope

    If the next in line gets the important seats, I will be about done with the Republicans, and there promise to shake things up. It will portend business as usual.

  • joecollins

    that we are watching closely.

  • popdaddy

    It aggravates me that Boehner is presumed to be the next Speaker of the House. He is just too slimy for my taste. I honestly don?t trust his integrity.

    The Speaker?s race needs to wait to be opened when all the new representatives of the people of the November 2010 election are in place.

    There should be no question that Joe Barton is named Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Good Grief ??We Won?!

  • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

    Barton or a similar conservative would certainly be preferable, but I don’t think having Upton as chair would be as big of an issue as we’re making it out to be.

    Fred Barnes wrote an interesting blogpost on the subject that has changed my opinion some (though, as I said, Upton still isn’t my first choice). Take a look:

    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/fred-upton-chairman-house-energy-and-commerce-committee_517972.html

    Of special note is this passage:

    “Upton has been faulted for voting for the light bulb bill that annoys so many people, including me. It was passed by voice vote as part of an energy bill in 2007. It banned incandescent bulbs, the kind everyone prefers over those more expensive, fancy ones that environmentalists cherish and the bill requires. ‘Nobody [on the committee] opposed it,’ Upton says. As chairman, he?s for reconsidering the light bulb law.”

    Personally, I think keeping Jerry Lewis off of the Appropriations committee.

  • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

    Meant to say this:

    Personally, I think keeping Jerry Lewis off of the Appropriations Committee should be our biggest concern of those mentioned. Upton’s no RINO even if he isn’t as conservative as I am (or, presumably, the rest of us).

  • E Pluribus Unum

    In my personal experience with Upton, the more you dig, the squishier the ground gets.

  • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

    Though I am curious what your personal experience is with him. All of what I know has come from secondhand sources.

  • http://jakespeaks.wordpress.com/ Jake W

    But appointing him to chair the committee wouldn’t be a “deal breaker” for me personally.

  • NHConservative0227

    Honestly Jake W, I do not understand why both you and Fred Barnes want to give this guy a second chance? Just because as committee chair he’d be for “reconsidering the light bulb law” you want to sit back and let him get nominated??

    What’s to “reconsider” about the light bulb law?? The fact that he’d only be for reconsidering it bothers me, almost as much as the fact that he voted to ban incandescent light bulbs in the first place. He should at least realize that CFL’s are nothing but a joke that add any real benefit, they’re just more expensive and a pain to clean up.

    You either are a conservative who believes in individual freedoms are you’re not. Upton clearly is not. He’s exactly the type of establishment RINO we need to fight against.

  • henryhiggins

    OK, I may be the only one who can’t decipher RMSP, but help me out…it’s early morning.

  • Scope

    a group started for the moderate/Progressive Republicans.