Boehner Re-Elected House Speaker, But Loses Amash, Some Other Liberty-Leaning Support

In the forthcoming March issue of Reason, I interview four Republican Congressmen--three new, one second-termer--with libertarian-leaning bonafides and the endorsement of Ron Paul. They are Justin Amash (Mich.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Ted Yoho (Fla.) and Kerry Bentivolio (Mich.) A preview of them speaking out on the "fiscal cliff" appeared here last week.

Today, in John Boehner's re-election to House speaker, three of the four refused to vote for him. (One, freshman Kerry Bentivolio of Michigan, did. NBC reports 10 Republicans voted for people other than Boehner.)

Justin Amash, who has been publicly feuding with Boehner since last month when he was booted from the Budget Committee, voted for the guy sitting next to him, Idaho's Raul Labrador. Florida's Ted Yoho voted for Eric Cantor of Virginia (though Cantor himself, rumored to be the coulda-been next Boehner, voted for the existing Speaker), and Kentucky's Thomas Massie voted for Amash himself.

National Review's Robert Costa is tweeting that Rep. Walter Jones told him that Amash was the "quarterback" of the move to deny Boehner some votes.

Comments

[Pro Libertate]

What is it with Speakers sucking so bad? And no one doing anything about it?

[Episiarch]

Shit floats? Not all shit, of course, just the loose, airy kind that JJ puts out all day.

[Pro Libertate]

It's weird that so many want to place so much trust in institutions that so obviously suck.

Explain this to me: Everyone hates Congress, yet a majority want the government to have more power.

[JW]

If history is any guide, most people don't like being off the leash.

[generic Brand]

Everyone hates Congress, yet a majority want the government to have more power

This!

I suspect it's "the devil you know rather than the devil you don't". Everyone knows how terrible government is, so might as well let them continue sucking it up... meanwhile, "less government" is unknown in today's society, and therefore SCARY!

[A Serious Man]

Explain this to me: Everyone hates Congress, yet a majority want the government to have more power.

Everyone thinks government would be better if their team had absolute power, so Congress doesn't suck because its Congress, it sucks because of the evil Rethuglicans and Koch Brothers.

[Pro Libertate]

I'd agree, but Congress had an even lower approval rating when it was all Democratic.

[Episiarch]

Most people fear the unknown. Sure, they all agree Congress is terrible, but...what's the alternative? Unknown candidates? Frightening. An unknown, new system of government? Terrifying.

Also, the politicians and the media constantly scaremonger about less government, less spending, and the absolute need for the parasite politicians, because they realize that fear exists.

[RG]

Posted this on Morning Links, but here's an example:

http://blogs.reuters.com/nicho.....overnment/

Basically, opposition to government has cost the country an enormous amount of money, made health care more expensive, and led to Sandy Hook.

After you're done reading this excrement, visit the comments.

We're doomed.

[Raston Bot]

hilarious! seriously. i lol'd.

Such uncompromising absolutism has led to the dampening of business confidence and investment that would have created jobs.

sounds like my father-in-law verbatim.

[Matrix]

Ask any small business owner if they are more worried about expanded government interference into the market or less government interference in the market. What do you think they would answer?

[An0nB0t]

"Since Republicans regained control of the House in the 2010 mid-terms, when the Tea Party tide was in full force, they have attempted to freeze the size of government, coincidentally putting a brake on economic recovery. They have vetoed attempts at further economic stimulus, encouraged America's economy to be downgraded by the ratings agencies by threatening not to extend the debt ceiling, and tried to veto any and every tax increase in the fiscal cliff talks. Their aim is to shrink government by starving it of funds. Such uncompromising absolutism has led to the dampening of business confidence and investment that would have created jobs."

Sometimes, but not often, one encounters individuals with such breathtaking ignorance of the world that he must take a seat on the curb, stunned by humanity's infinite capacity for idiocy, until he's tased and dragged away for loitering.

Doherty, who may or may not have written a book about Ron Paul, offered a very polite savaging of this limey illiterate's Hayek/Keynes book a few months back.

[Pro Libertate]

Well, if you simply must hand stupid, evil people power over you, it seems to me that the best bet is to give them less (or no) power, if you can't make them less stupid and evil.

[Paul.]

Explain this to me: Everyone hates Congress, yet a majority want the government to have more power.

We hate congress because they aren't amassing enough power quickly enough.

How hard is that to understand?

[Pro Libertate]

Nothing makes the slightest sense to me in American politics anymore.

[Paul.]

It's because we're Europe. Once you understand that, it starts to make sense again.

[Pro Libertate]

I tend to agree, but I don't understand Europe, either. And how did we get here?

[Paul.]

tend to agree, but I don't understand Europe, either. And how did we get here?

Free stuff.

[Paul.]

Here, try it. Close your eyes, and imagine a well-dressed, wealthy socialist in the white house...

See? Makes sense now, doesn't it?

[Pro Libertate]

Nope. Seriously, I'm totally lost when it comes to our politics now. I used to be pretty good at understanding it all.

[Paul.]

Nope. Seriously, I'm totally lost when it comes to our politics now. I used to be pretty good at understanding it all.

Let me try another tack:

Government is now your parent. We're the (spoiled) child. Government promises us everything we want, all the time. And many of us get whatever we want then works overtime to shield us from the consequences. But we're perenially unsatisfied. Prone to tantrums, etc.

If you've ever seen spoiled children, those whose parents bend to the whim of every child, you notice that the spoiled child is never really happy.

But the child that isn't spoiled, knows what his limits are and understands that there are consequences to his actions is often very happy, satisfied and well adjusted.

Even if you don't buy the premise that government is the parent (which I don't buy into-- but except for the quick analogy), people left to make their own decisions and suffer the consequences in a forum of relative freedom will always be happier and more satisfied.

[Pro Libertate]

It's not working. Maybe I need some re-education.

[Gladstone]

How about this: people want free shit. Governments can never provide enough free shit of sufficient quality so people get mad at their government for providing too little bad stuff for free. This is how people can hate their government and want more of it. In other words: TOP MEN.

[Pro Libertate]

But why is that different now compared to ten years ago?

[Paul.]

But why is that different now compared to ten years ago?

Because free shit used to be food stamps. Now it's cars and college educations and houses. Not housing like in Cabrini Green, but houses with 3300 sq ft, three car garages and two and a half baths houses.

[Pro Libertate]

Fuck.

[Gladstone]

People want MOAR free shit. The more they want the less efficient the system gets.

[Corning]

Nope. Seriously, I'm totally lost when it comes to our politics now. I used to be pretty good at understanding it all.

Our old and wise are all babyboomers.

[Matrix]

We don't hate all of Congress, just the ones that don't represent us. We love them, because we keep voting for them. It's not them that's the problem, it's everyone else... especially those of the red/blue team!

[Stormy Dragon]

Because we don't vote for congress as a whole, we vote for one guy from our district. And the same polls that show everyone hates Congress in general, a significant majority like their congressional representative anyways.

[Killazontherun]

Loose stool makes for happier intestines. At my age I like to keep them happy. I would wonder why old people looked so relieved after a fart when I was a kid. Nothing like getting there to explain it all.

[Tim]

That's a crying shame.

[Drake]

They had CNN on in the cafeteria today showing Reps and Senators being sworn in. The anchors were giddy.

I could feel the hate flowing through me.

[NeonCat]

Good... good...

[edcoast]

Keeps you warm at night.

[protefeed]

I watched at close range during some maneuvering to try to oust the Hawaii State Senate President. What happens is, everyone counts votes privately, and favors are bartered for votes, and the vote isn't held until the outcome is known, and then almost everyone in the majority caucus votes for the winner except a handful of disgruntled rebels.

So, it could have been closer than the vote indicates.

[protefeed]

Also, this vote is final only if there continues to not be enough dissidents to topple Boehner. If he pisses off a few more Rs enough, they could throw a coup mid-session.

[Brett L]

This is how all of politics works.

[Stormy Dragon]

Don't forget as well that the second place vote getter was Nancy Pelosi, which is going to put a limit on how much rebellion Boehner was ever gonna face. It's one thing to cast a protest vote against Boehner, quite another to give the Democrats control of congress.

[mad libertarian guy]

The re-election of Boehner show just how serious Team RED is in reducing the debt.

[wareagle]

ultimately, Amash and the others - no matter how well-intentioned - were pissing in the wind. I suppose folks could have sent Boehner enough of a message that Pelosi wound up being Speaker. Alternatively, someone could have mounted a credible opposition campaign to Johnny. As it was, it was the next act in an increasingly stale play.

[Killazontherun]

Some days the wind just needs to be pissed on.

[Hugh Akston]

So the only alternative to Crying Johnny is Nancy Pelosi?

What's it like living in such a binary universe? Is it the most incredibly awesome thing ever, or is it utter shit and madness all the time?

[Xenocles]

Indeed, their feeble attempt at a protest coup will probably strip them of any positions of consequence for the next two years.

[SugarFree]

OT: Good riddance.

[Pro Libertate]

Yeah, but who is going to replace him? Someone even worse, I'll betcha.

[SugarFree]

We can't let the future keep us from savoring the present.

I'm sure he'll go on to make millions being a shitbag in the private sector, instead of what he really deserves: being used as an elephant condom.

[BakedPenguin]

I'm sure he'll go on to make millions being a shitbag in the private sector...

VP of government relations at Intuit, no doubt, lobbying to ensure that tax regulations are kept Byzantine so that people need to keep buying tax prep software.

[nicole]

Elephants do not deserve that, Sug.

[Brett L]

Manual elephant de-constipator?

[SIV]

He might get Bernake's job. My money is still on Janet Yellen but Geithner is in the running.

[Brett L]

I don't know, but I'll bet we can discount everyone who hasn't worked at Goldman Sachs.

[DaveAnthony]

I'm not sure which is more terrifying... Geithner continuing as TreasSec, or him being the next Fed Chairman.

[Paul.]

He's quitting while he's ahead. Never before has a Treasury Secretary been so successful in keeping us out of a depression.

[Raston Bot]

Yes, but what Government Sachs exec will replace him?

[SugarFree]

What about Slate's whoremonger-in-chief?

[Pro Libertate]

Ah, yes, the Fucking Steamroller. Perfect.

[Raston Bot]

Slate? What are you, some sort of masochist?

[Randian]

Seriously, stop reading Slate.

[Bardas Phocas]

Goldman Sachs is warming up a new cyborg to replace him.

Or will Obama go off the reservation and look beyond his Wall Street cronys? Perhaps one of those other 300 million americans could fill the post?

[Jordan]

Good. Fuck him. I have no more use for him now that Tim Cavanaugh is no longer around to post the Eraserhead picture.

[Tim]

Where can you find a highly qualified tax cheat when you need one? America cries out for a swindling bastard.

[Pro Libertate]

How about Buffet? He's good at government scams, so why not bring that talent in-house?

[Brett L]

I guess Wesley Snipes doesn't count because he got popped for it.

[Rich]

Well, he's not a tax cheat per se, but how about William "Freezer Cash" Jefferson? Obama could pardon him.

[Drake]

There is nothing but white hot hatred coming from comments on Conservative Republican sites.

[SugarFree]

But they will still fall to their knees when he unzips.

[Drake]

Who is "he"?

[SugarFree]

Boehner. They can scream and bitch all they like, but will fall in line when the time comes by voting for whatever piece of crap Republican makes it through the retard crucible that is the GOP primaries.

[Rich]

white hot hatred

RACIST!

[R C Dean]

Jeebus, has there ever been a more demonstrable failure as Speaker? Outmaneuvered time and again by Obama, Pelosi, and Reid. Pathetic.

Forget his politics or "principles"; just on the basis of competence and effectiveness alone, you'd think he'd be a non-starter.

[Matrix]

you don't know the powah of the dark side!

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

Oh come on. I don't recall any Speakers successfully pushing their agenda when they had to deal with both the Senate and the President opposing.

Last time that happened was 1981-82. Tip O'Neill was screaming to can Paul Voelker and his non-inflating ways and couldn't do shit. And that was Tip friggin O'Neill.

[Raston Bot]

I look forward to reading the NFL-esque update on Timmy and other former White House execs who are bankrupt after spending all their cash on their entourage and bling.

[KWillow]

Keep up the great work and stay strong Justin Amash. One of the only republicans out there who has our backs and cares about the future of our children. Boehner is absolutely useless and has become a neutered Obama yes man like many of his fellow congress people. Hopefully Bentivolio will quickly align himself with Amash and other libertarian leaning repubs which is why many of us in his district voted for him and not the candidate endorsed by the big government repubs in our area. I am surprised he went with Boehner but I guess we don't need any other true conservatives kicked off of committees for standing up for our future.

[jacob]

+1

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

I agree with him on most of this stuff, but all he's accomplished is rendering himself irrelevant.

[waaminn]

OK I think I am going to like the sound of that. Wow.

http://www.otAnon.tk