Bonehead screwed up.
That was my first thought.
If it turns out to be so, Boehner should be forced from his office. We all expected McConnell to do something boneheaded with this committee, but he made much more effective picks...and a smaller pool of good options. The House members leave much to be desired. If Boehner let Mr. Lightbulb not only get a coveted chairmanship but also be a trojan horse on this committee, he needs to be dismissed thoroughly by our party. I will withhold further judgement until we see the results of this stupid committee.
Tan Man and Rollover Mitch need to both go.....
Folks, this was the purpose of the committee. Both sides are annoyed at the upstart Tea Partiers getting in their way. This committee is meant to side step them.
Hensarling has contributed through his leadership PAC to a bunch of questionable candidates. He's the one who went all in for Scozzafava in NY23 back in 2009. He and his leadership PAC (and the NRCC) opposed a number of "TEA Party" candidates last year in the primaries. He's may seem conservative at times, but he is "Party over Principle," and was a bigtime supporter of the George W. Bush agenda.
Camp is about the same. Again, his "leadership PAC" has been a big donor to establishment RINO types.
Upton is the most "progressive" of the bunch, and the most willing to work with the other side. His light bulb bill is one example, but he really likes to get along with the opposition and share power.
The Republican Leadership has learned nothing from the 2010 elections.
They've also increased budgets in most (possibly all) of the 7 appropriations bills that were passed before the summer recess.
We won't have a Conservative Congressional Leadership and actual reductions in the reach and size of the Federal Monstrosity until the Republican leadership is primaried out with better, more conservative, TEA Party types.