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The Tea Party Purge of 2012
Slate ^ | Dec. 4, 2012 | David Weigel

Posted on 12/05/2012 11:02:07 PM PST by neverdem

Republican leaders are punishing some of the party’s most conservative members. And they won’t go down without a yelp.

Everybody knew that Tim Huelskamp would make trouble in Washington. That was sort of the point of Tim Huelskamp. In 2009, when a safe Republican seat in western Kansas opened up, State Sen. Huelskamp established himself as the mad-as-hell candidate. He told conservative bloggers of his fight to defund Planned Parenthood, ban gay marriage, and keep Kathleen Sebelius out of the Obama cabinet. In one TV ad, as the mellow-looking Huelskamp climbed into a tractor, voters were told that he “went against his party leaders, and was kicked off his committee, for bucking the establishment and fighting wasteful spending.” He won easy.

History repeats. On Tuesday, the re-elected Huelskamp walked into a luncheon at the Heritage Foundation and told conservative activists how he’d just been booted from the Budget and Agriculture Committees. It was a “purge,” and his crime was being exactly as conservative as he’d promised.

“We’ve heard from multiple sources that someone walked in with a list of votes and said, ‘if you didn’t [fulfill] a particular scorecard on the ‘right’ votes—which by the way, in most cases, were not the conservative positions—we’re gonna remove you from committee.” The activists quietly chewed Chick-fil-A sandwiches as Huelskamp scorched his party leaders. “It confirms, in my mind, Americans’ deepest suspicions about Washington...

--snip--

On Nov. 14, conservative Rep. Tom Price lost a secret ballot election for a leadership post. The next day, the conservative Republican Study Committee gave its chairmanship to Rep. Steve Scalise, who’d been opposed by the group’s former leaders—like Tom Price...


(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gopcivilwar
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To: littleharbour

I have served in local government, and I can attest to the truth of your statement.

The reason is very simple, people naturally want to get along with those they work along side for a long period of time, and even the most committed person will eventually start to go along to get along.

This is why term limits are so critical.

We need a constant infusion of people with new ideas and the boldness to stand up for them into government and simultaniously need to be purging those who have been in government the longest who have consolidated power and who actively attempt to muzzle the thoughts and actions of the newly elected.


21 posted on 12/06/2012 5:20:25 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied .. the economy died.)
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To: neverdem

The sooner conservatives separate from the GOP the better for conservatism in America. At this point the best bet for us is to form a 10-20% presence in Congress on our own party not accountable to the GOP dolts.


22 posted on 12/06/2012 5:25:48 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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To: DISCO

I sent a strongly worded message to Boehner last night. I asked him, among other things, why is it he can be a hardass, dictatorial prick with his fellow republicans, but conciliatory and compromising with the democrats.


23 posted on 12/06/2012 5:28:01 AM PST by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706

Boehner does not represent me.


24 posted on 12/06/2012 5:32:43 AM PST by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: 2nd wave of attacks on America after 9/11)
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To: wastoute

LOL! My Samsung Galaxy pad does the same thing and drives me bonkers. I had to turn off intuitive spelling on the keyboard settings.


25 posted on 12/06/2012 5:47:06 AM PST by EricT. (The GOP's sole purpose is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party.)
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To: littleharbour
Where is Bachmann and the rest of the Tea Party caucus?

Tea Party Caucus ... you're our only hope.

26 posted on 12/06/2012 5:52:12 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: littleharbour

“RINO Boehner?!?”

How can someone be a “Republican In Name Only” if he was elected by the entire GOP caucus to be Speaker of the House?

People, there is no such thing as a “RINO.” They are just Republicans doing what Republicans do, lying about being conservative while playing their role as minority members of the Ruling Class.


27 posted on 12/06/2012 5:59:12 AM PST by EricT. (The GOP's sole purpose is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party.)
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To: Venturer; All
I don’t know the people Boehner busted, I don’t know much about why he busted them.

I do know it was a damned stupid move.

In other words you're happily ignorant but outraged anyway. That's come to typify "conservatives" and elements claiming the Tea Party.

The Left doesn't need to work hard to defeat us, they let us fight amongst ourselves and self-defeat.

28 posted on 12/06/2012 6:20:24 AM PST by newzjunkey (grr)
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To: SueRae; wastoute

You know you can shut off the “Auto-Correction” & “Check Spelling” features on your iPad and iPhone - go to General Settings then to Keyboard to shut off which ones that you want off.


29 posted on 12/06/2012 6:30:07 AM PST by PMAS (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing)
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To: ican'tbelieveit

This is why it is important to maintain control of the house and it parliamentary rules and get the 17th amendment repealed so senators actually represent the states as originally designed. That way the president being elected by the unwashed masses is not that big a deal. Unlike now where we have a want to be dictator in power being facilitated by the senate elected by basically the same demographic.

This should be the focus.


30 posted on 12/06/2012 7:00:53 AM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: newzjunkey

I love the way people in here jump to the wrong conclusion and put words into people’s mouths.

I am sure you are thoroughly familiar with the Representatives he busted you know their records through and through, and you feel people like me should just STFU.


31 posted on 12/06/2012 7:18:22 AM PST by Venturer
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To: wastoute

The rat bastard GOP still doesn’t get it! We are going to have to kick the hell out of them!..Then kick the hell out of liberals.


32 posted on 12/06/2012 7:19:07 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: EricT.

Hell, I suspect half of them are commiecrats who became Republicans to undermine the party from within. The others are bleeding heart libs for whom the commies are just a little too far left.

The Boner faction can’t win elections. They have to be pushed out of their leadership positions. But it all comes down to the votes - do you have enough to do it?


33 posted on 12/06/2012 7:28:58 AM PST by ichabod1 (Spriiingtime for islam, and tyranny. Winter for US and frieeends. . .)
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To: Truth29

Good for Michelle.

On the other hand, Coulter was on Fox last night saying that we have to cave to the Dems on certain things for PR purposes. That idiot has lost her mind.


34 posted on 12/06/2012 7:34:45 AM PST by CatherineofAragon (Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization)
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To: neverdem
Introduction to America's Party
35 posted on 12/06/2012 7:38:14 AM PST by EternalVigilance (America's creed: Our rights come from God, not men. Governments exist to secure those rights.)
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To: chemicalman

I agree. We already lost a month!


36 posted on 12/06/2012 7:49:48 AM PST by presently no screen name
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To: EternalVigilance

I understand that the house votes for leader on Jan 16. If a sufficient number of conservatives just don’t vote .then the house will have no leader for a year. To be elected leader you have to have 217 votes . Pelosi wont ever get there and if we can get 20 abstentions neither does boo hoo boehner. I would rather have no leader than Boo Hoo.


37 posted on 12/06/2012 8:05:09 AM PST by willowdean
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To: willowdean

I would rather have no leader than Boo Hoo.

Ditto! Find someone with balls who believes in individual liberty and the Constitution above everything else!


38 posted on 12/06/2012 8:22:25 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: willowdean

FUGOP/FUBO


39 posted on 12/06/2012 8:23:35 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: wastoute
F’n IPad!

I'm getting a top of the line iPad for Christmas instead of a mac laptop -- I sold the idea to my wife as the cheaper solution. Did I make the right decision? I hope so, it's a "done deal."

40 posted on 12/06/2012 8:32:02 AM PST by ExSoldier (Stand up and be counted... OR LINE UP AND BE NUMBERED...)
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