Posted on 06/13/2014 5:01:09 PM PDT by Din Maker
Rep. Raul Labrador, a fiery conservative lawmaker from Idaho, will challenge House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy in next Thursday's special election to replace Eric Cantor as majority leader, according to Republican sources.
"I want a House Leadership team that reflects the best of our conference," Labrador said in a statement provided to National Journal. He later added: "I am running for Majority Leader because I want to help create a vision of growth and opportunity for everyone and start getting to work for the American people."
A sophomore representative from a heavily Republican district, Labrador's election would dramatically alter the dynamic atop the House GOP. The former immigration attorney is Hispanic and bilingual, and would add diversity to an all-white leadership team. Labrador is also a member of the enormous 2010 class, the members of which pushed the GOP into the majority—but have felt largely unrepresented since.
"I was stunned when Eric Cantor lost his primary election earlier this week," Labrador said. "Eric is a good friend and I have tremendous respect for him. But the message from Tuesday is clear—Americans are looking for a change in the status quo."
It's unclear, in fact, whether Labrador actually thinks he can win. As he pondered the race on Thursday evening, conservatives who know Labrador speculated that his entrance would be less about beating McCarthy and more about proving a point. The Idaho Republican frequently criticizes the GOP leadership team—dominated by members from blue and purple states—for not representing the geographical or ideological composition of the conference. With a powerful leadership spot now open, Labrador couldn't bear the idea of McCarthy moving up uncontested.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
How this can even be a contest is beyond me. But, the wimps with Rs after their name will vote for McCarthy. Hope the guys like Gohmert and Gowdy can rally the troops and put him and the rest of the eGOP to bed for at least a little while.
A US Rep in just his second two-year term is not a real challenger. Hopefully he can set an agenda though.
True conservative? Labrador is another amnesty guy:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/raul-labradors-complicated-history-immigration-reform
Labrador is the best choice. A fluent Spanish speaking true conservative, what is wrong with that? this will give the leftist media fits. Of course the brainless wonders in the leadership will not see this. If bonehead Boehner cannot see this, then he is the problem, but we knew that.
Wonder how well-liked McCarthy is. If not, they may vote against him out of spite, after all the rest of them have to take orders from the leader.
i hope so... but on an earlier thread, some FReepers said he is soft on amnesty--ugh.. but then how could he be Tea Party? better than McCarthy--i am sure...
Everyone should be contacting their Republican congressman at this point
I thought the GOPe have been telling everyone they need outreach to the Hispanics....but then they get behind the liberal California white guy?
Labrador was just on Levin...sounds like a solid guy who shares our concerns that leadership doesn’t represent limit government...and that he’s stepping up to do just that.
McCarthy is terrible...same old same old RINO
“How this can even be a contest is beyond me. But, the wimps with Rs after their name will vote for McCarthy. Hope the guys like Gohmert and Gowdy can rally the troops and put him and the rest of the eGOP to bed for at least a little while.”
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Gowdy claims to be “very good friends” with McCarthy, so it’s unlikely he (or anyone other than the true pure bred Conservatives) will offer much resistance at all. I’m thinking this is just another RINO ploy. Labrador knows he has no chance to win this - he’s only entered because Steve King (who counts Labrador as an amnesty supporter) has been raising hell about ramming this election through before any opposition to McCarthy can get some traction. Labrador is the table scrap here, to keep the House Conservatives quiet, and nothing more.
The people of this country despise its leadership. For Conservatives, they loathe everything about GOP leadership as it stands now. Take a look at all the House Leadership Team: Boehner & Cantor hail from - at best - Purple States, and McCarthy from a pure Blue State. Until that changes there is zero hope they will do ANYTHING to challenge Obama. Even McConnell hails from Kentucky which has had a long line of Democrat governors in its history. Unless Red State leadership is put in place, you won’t get anything but mealy mouthed compromising and appeasing from feckless politicians.
He wiped out the CA Gop to save his district in 2010!
He sold the CA gop to a sham Dem redistricting scam and rammed it thru before anyone was notified .
The Ca Gop lost multiple State districts and the Dems gained complete control of all three branches !
A zero term unfunded college professor against a House Majority Leader is not a real challenger.
Oh wait...
GO RAUL.....ANYBODY BUT KEVIN!!!
hehe
You seriously don’t see the difference?
I have heard Labrado is just as amnesty driven. I have also heard Gowdy is too.
That said electing Lab HML is not impossible and I'm tired of people giving up before the fact.
You seriously are going to give up while McCarthy runs??
Unless challenge to Boehner comes from somone who’s been around long enough to know how to avoid the meat-grinder, the challenge is just symbolic.
People giving up? A pol doesn’t want to stick his neck out and face retribution. That doesn’t happen individually to voters.
Think Joe Barton or some other Texans, or even Steve King of Iowa.
No Labrador is not a true Conservative if he was one of the Gang of Eight eight Rubio et al.
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