MEET JOE BARTON
With the assuming of majority status by the Republicans in the House, there will come any number of opportunities that will reveal, and rather quickly, in what direction it is that they intend to head. One of those opportunities that will provide us as early indication will be who it is that is selected for the various committee chairman positions. There are several committees that are seen as being key to the implementing of necessary road blocks to the policies what Barry is working so diligently to put into place, as he remains focused on his agenda of "radically transforming" America. While I am sure that we can all agree that Boehner has, in recent months and especially since the election, managed to say all the right things, the jury remains out and will remain so until we see exactly what actions he intends on taking up in the House. Actions that are designed to combat what have been outrageous Democrat expansions of spending, regulation, debt, and a virtual pandemic level of intrusion into the personal lives of every single American. Because as they say, actions speak much louder than words. And who it is that is appointed to head the various committees will go a long way and tell us a great deal, regarding just what kind of stamp it is that Mr. Boehner intends to put on the 112th Congress. And who it is that he backs as chairmen of these various and very important committees will provide a made to order litmus test that will indicate if anything has been learned from past Republican errors in judgment. So the question is, will the House Republicans stand with America and against the Barry/Pelosi Democrats, or will it once more betray the American people and cave, compromise, negotiate away, and outright surrender their principles, all in order to be on the receiving end of a few crumbs from the table? Well, we shall see what we shall see.
Being that it was we the people who were doing the voting, we know what this election was all about. The question yet to be answered is, do those in the Republican Party, especially those who were victorious in the many electoral contests, realize what this election was all about? Do they realize that it was in no way a vindication for them regarding errors made in the past, or that it was also not an endorsement of them politically? Do they understand that what has been granted to them is a reprieve, of sorts, provided to them as an opportunity to prove themselves, that this was much less a vote "for" them than it was a vote "against" Barry? They should consider themselves as being on a two year contract with no option for automatic renewal or extension. Now you would think that it would be painfully obvious since the last time such a monumental shift has taken place was back in 1938. What occurred last week was the electorate throwing things back into the face of those who perceive themselves as being less the servant of the people and more of an overseer of the people. Barry told America that the reason for this "shellacking" was all because he had not communicated his policies clearly enough, or because the economy was not recovering fast enough. But I think we all know that which brought this seismic shift about, was something quite different. That being that we the people were more than a little tired of simply being ignored. And if the trend continues from this new majority, then I'm afraid the tenure in the majority will end on a much more somber note than the one on which it began. What people will be expecting from the new Speaker is the developing of a serious strategy that will define the intended mission of this new Republican majority. They will also be expecting the transparency that was promised but so sorely lacking over the course of the last two years.
With the electoral tsunami that swept Republicans back into control of the U.S. House, the time for determining which people need to occupy which key positions, is now. In an effort to do that, over the course of the next few weeks the Steering Committee will be assigning chairmanships to the various committees. It should go without saying that whatever incoming Speaker Boehner wants in that regard, he’s very likely to get. As such, those who are selected for such positions will provide an excellent indicator regarding the seriousness with which the new Speaker will be approaching the legislative agenda in the new Congress. Which brings me to Energy and Commerce, one of the committees that is sure to be one of the more important, possibly even critical, over the course of the next two years. There are presently two individuals who are up for the chair of that committee: the current Ranking Member Joe Barton (TX-06); and the second-in-seniority Fred Upton (MI-06). Now I'll be honest in that I must confess that I wasn't all that sure what The Energy and Commerce Committee even deals with. But as you would guess, it deals with all matters related to energy and interstate commerce, particularly the regulation and management of same. In practical terms it means that in the near future the Committee is tasked with:
1. reining in EPA abuses of power and attempts to enact the carbon tax policies of the Waxman-Markey Bill, even though it has never passed the Senate or been signed into law.
2. repealing or significantly crippling Obamacare
3. repairing damage done to the oil industry and overall domestic energy industry and working toward sensible energy independence.
4. dismantling a system-wide regulatory cancer based on Global Warming…. Climate Change…. Global Climate Disruption…. whatever they’re calling the global warming hoax these days.
5. putting the brakes on the proposed ‘net neutrality’ scheme, which means government regulation of the internet by burying it legislatively and thwarting the FCC’s attempt to bypass Congress and implement it anyway.
The critical role to be played by this committee over the course of the next two years, will require that we have as its chairman, a leader who firmly believes in and fully supports small-government principles, and a person not afraid to fight against Barry's administration, the Republican establishment, or a massive and totally out of control federal bureaucracy.
Of the two individuals who are presently up for the position of Committee Chairman for this specific committee, the differences between them could not be more stark. Candidate number one for consideration by the Steering Committee for chairman, is Fred Upton (MI-06), who, as previously mentioned, is the second-ranking Republican presently on this committee. What I've been able to discover leads me to believe that Mr. Upton would not be the wisest choice for the position of committee chairman, as he is not the conservative he portends himself to be. And just because he may now he posing as such, like every other Republican in search of a powerful position, doesn't make it so. He is not the man for this position, nor any other leadership position for that matter. He loves to claim that he’s ready willing and able to take on the Democrats, and to demand explanations from EPA head Lisa Jackson and “Energy Czar” Carol Browner. And so on. However, the facts tell a different, and rather telling, story regarding just where Mr. Upton's sentiment may truly lie. He is not what he would like us to believe that he is. You see, apparently he doesn't find all much wrong with the Democrat agenda of Nancy Pelosi and Barry, and very little that could be considered as hazardous to America. For example he was:
1. one of 29 House Republicans to support creation of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. This empowered federal bureaucrats to impose strict zoning and land-use rules and made it more difficult for the U.S. Border Patrol to do its job in blocking illegal immigration through federal wilderness areas.
2. one of 20 Republicans to vote against an amendment offered by Rep. Jim Jordan that would have reduced the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 funding to 2008 levels.
3. one of 9 House Republicans who voted against Rep. Dave Camp’s substitute amendment to the $787 billion Obama-Pelosi economic stimulus bill in March 2009. The Camp amendment would have substituted a GOP stimulus alternative made up primarily of new tax cuts for individuals and business.
4. one of 16 Republicans to support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2009 omnibus spending bill that included an 8.4 percent spending increase over and above the stimulus package, as well as $7.7 billion in earmarks. The measure also canceled the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program for 1,900 students in the nation’s capital.
There's more..
5. He co-wrote, along with Jane Harman (D-CA), the bill in 2007 that outlaws incandescent light bulbs in 2014.
6. He is a founding member of the Republican Main Street Partnership. If that sounds familiar to you, it should. It is a group of liberal Republicans dedicated to thwarting and marginalizing any and all conservative influences on the Republican Party. John McCain is a member.
7. In 2005 he voted against the extension of the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends.
8. He voted for oil and gas drilling bans off the coast of Florida and in the Great Lakes, as well as for blocking millions of acres from new oil and gas leasing, logging, mining, and other business activity.
So is it me, or does this guy need to be as far removed as possible from any position of leadership? Does anybody seriously think that when the American people spoke on November 2, they were saying, yeah, what we need is guys like Fred Upton in charge of things? I guess more importantly, does Speaker Boehner think that is what the American people were asking for? Only time will tell.
Now for candidate number two, who is Mr. Joe Barton. It was earlier in the week on Greta that I first saw Congressman Joe Barton. I must admit that I know very little about him, but I heard enough from him on Greta to cause me to go in search of more information about him. What I did know about him is the fact that he was the guy who in a recent committee hearing accused the Barry administration of a “shakedown” and actually apologized to the CEO of British Petroleum for the despicable treatment from Democrats and the Barry's administration while BP was going to extraordinary lengths to stop the spill and do right by the people in the Gulf. I also remember it somehow being portrayed as some major “gaffe” committed by an ignorant and bumbling back-bencher who was quickly and publicly put in his place by GOP "leadership." But I wanted to find out more about this guy.
And find out more I did! Congressman Barton was first elected in 1984, and served as Chairman of this committee in the 2005-2006 session, and as the Ranking Member (leader of the minority party) ever since. Now while 26 years is certainly a long time and may, for some, conjure up an image of his being one of the “good old boys” of the Republican establishment that drove the Republican Party to ruin, nothing could be further from the truth. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is a great admirer Joe Barton with stories that include :
1. As a freshman in 1985, he was the sole vote in favor of President Reagan’s proposed balanced budget, at 350-1, with 5 minutes left in the vote, before Republicans joined him in droves. GOP leadership threatened him that DCCC would target his seat if he did not cave.
2. Early in his career he dogged Hewlett-Packard and eventually nailed them for using illegally gained phone records to spy on employees, and using spyware to spy on journalists. He eventually went on a crusade to stop the online gathering of private consumer information, and has ever since made personal privacy a matter of great importance. [You can imagine that Google is no fan of Joe ]
3. Over time Barton has become known on the Hill as one who is unabashedly relentless in his conservative and pro-growth goals, and yet a notable team builder who has won the respect and admiration of political opponents like John Dingell for being open, decent, and fair. His first act as Chairman was to gain passage of the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
4. In 2006, NBC Chairman Bob Wright unleashed nitwit shock jock Don Imus on Barton, because Barton insisted that the NIH be allowed to decide, free of lobbying, whose research it would fund (Wright’s pet project being autism). Barton withstood daily nationally broadcast smearing from Imus, and was called every disgusting name imaginable. Needless to say, the NIH was granted its autonomy. Guys like Barton are not moved by the likes of Donald Imus, or the likes of Bob Wright for that matter.
5. Barton gained a name for himself by moving the debate rightward and getting legislation passed, while being evenhanded and respectful to the other side, always behind the scenes and rarely in front of a microphone. Nevertheless, since the Democrat takeover in 2007, he has been a veritable thorn in the flesh to the Democrats. He has incessantly called for Obama EPA head Lisa Jackson to testify before the committee. The Democrats have not heeded, but he hasn’t shut up about it. He has written letters and filed motions, keeping her name in constant view.
In July 2009, Democrats desperately wanted to blow through committee hearings and get quick passage of Obamacare before the August recess, so as to not have to face angry constituents before the vote. Those hopes were pretty much dashed by none other than Joe Barton. In spite of being outnumbered 35-23, Barton’s forces subjected the bill to 17 days of markups, and forced the Democrats to a 10-day retreat. Republicans offered 350 amendments and debated 54 of them. It was this committee’s protracted and brutal hearings that exposed the details of the disastrous bill to the World. The bill passed out of Energy and Commerce 31-28 on Friday, July 31, as members rushed home for the August recess. I'm sure we all remember what fun the August 2009 recess was with all of those rather exuberant folks attending, as well as all of those deer in the headlights expressions we saw coming from any number of Democrats, during all of those townhalls. And all of the outpouring of emotion that came from the people and was directed at those who were viewed as invading their privacy and robbing them of an ever increasing amount of their liberties. I think it very safe to say that it was during that August recess was when the Tea Party found its voice, and became a movement unto itself fully aware its own power. It was in the townhalls, that the seeds were first sown for November 2, 2010. I think it also safe to say that Joe Barton may have played an unheralded role in it. Congressman Barton has plans for this session too. Not content just to be the “party of no”, he’s published numerous statements and propounded to-do lists. Among them is Ten ways to start cleaning up the mess. To borrow a phrase from a supporter of Mr. Barton, "He’s shovel ready, you might say."
If there is any lesson to be learned from Republican congressional rule from most of 1994-2006, it is how quickly and easily the Republican establishment can become Democrat-Lite once it has power. We can only hope that those who comprise this new Republican majority in the House know that the best they can say about this most recent election, is that they have now been provided with a golden opportunity to redeem themselves, an audition of sorts, and a chance to do better. As of this point in time there is no guarantee that they will be asked to come back for a return engagement come 2012. They must now back up all of the election-season talk with clear and concise action and begin leading this Republic back from the brink. They must be focused on a return to Constitutional rule, to sanity, to accountability, and to freedom. Failing that, they will suffer the same fate as was suffered just four short years ago. Joe Barton is a truly effective leader, an unswervingly conservative, as well as a savvy and smart veteran who knows no fear. Hopefully we will have many more of his caliber who will be able rise to the occasion for the sake of their country. He knows exactly what to do, and exactly how to get it done. Upton, on the other hand, is not even worth a second look. So we will see on whose side it is that Speaker Boehner comes down on, and this one key position will be very telling in its providing us with an indication of where the Speaker is headed and what his priorities may be.
The November election was one of the most important in our lifetimes. The 112th Congress needs every one of our ace pitchers, our closers, and our clutch hitters to step up to the plate. For Commerce and Energy, that is Joe Barton. But there are also many other committees that will need their own versions of Mr. Barton. Let's hope we have a sufficient level of commitment from a sufficient number of individuals willing to properly take care of the necessary business at hand. The course embarked upon will determine what the future may hold not only for the Republican Party but our nation as well, with 2012 is hanging in the balance.
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