If Republicans Elect Tom Price as Speaker, They Will Be in Exile for a Decade

Last updated on February 7th, 2013 at 05:57 pm

Rumble in the House: ‘Price for Speaker’

That low rumble you’re hearing about a challenge to Speaker Boehner from conservatives now has a name attached to it.

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Representative Tom Price (R-GA); aka, “Boehner’s Biggest Threat”. Price is said to be considering challenging Speaker Boehner to the gavel should Boehner fail to make conservatives happy in fiscal cliff games. Price told The National Review, “My concern is that within our conference, conservatives, who are a majority, don’t have a proper platform. That’s true at the leadership table and on the steering committee.”

In case you are wondering what kind of “leadership” Price represents, “In recent days, Price has also huddled with Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist, at Norquist’s office.”

Price is also backed by FreedomWorks. So, that would be a no-change, corporatists’ agenda for the real conservatives in the house. Fiscal responsibility? Nope.

Price is a doctor (Republicans seem to believe that expertise in one area automatically extends to others) who voted to defund NPR, extend the PATRIOT Act, repeal health care legislation, is pro gun and rabidly anti-choice. Rather than work on job legislation, Price spends his taxpayer time doing things like drafting a resolution to scold Democrat Alan Grayson for saying something mean about Republicans’ healthcare plan (“Die quickly”).

If Libertarians think they’re getting a “real conservative” with this guy, they’re going to be even more disappointed than they are in Boehner.

Paul Ryan pledged himself to Price before he was tapped as Romney’s VP. The guy who wrote the fake budget thinks the guy who knows nothing about budgets is The One, if that does anything for you.

Ryan pledged himself to Price and Price lost. Ryan lost.

If these guys could do math, then they would realize that you can’t claim you are the majority when you keep losing, but whatever.

Price is from Georgia and sits on the Republican Policy Committee, making him the 5th ranking Republican in the House. He’s on the outs now, after he ran for Chairman of the House Republican Conference, but lost to a Republican woman, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) on November 14 amid more GOP in-fighting.

Rodgers is the ONLY woman on Boehner’s “leadership” team. The Republicans figured they better put a woman somewhere after the whole Binders War on Women issue. GOP Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana said of Rodgers’ election, “It does show our party values strong female leadership.” Yes, there’s nothing like giving one woman get a post because you just got schooled in a legitimate election post-rape-is-a-blessing scandals to really scream “valuing strong female leadership.” I’m sure the women of America have been appeased by this pat on the head.

Backed by outside interest groups, Price can mount a challenge to Boehner. But the potential embarrassment is far more damaging to the Republican Party than to Price. Amy Morton, PoliticusUSA contributor and activist with Better Georgia, is familiar with Price’s antics in Georgia. She notes, “If they elect him Speaker, the GOP will be in exile for a decade.”

Price is said to be eyeing up Saxby Chambliss’ Senate seat, so this may all be nothing more than posturing for a bigger profile. Price has the Big Money in his pocket, so it doesn’t matter what the Republican leadership thinks of him.

Price might not get leadership roles, but he’ll always have the cash to toady for the Kochs. That’s “change” Republican style. Losing elections because you’re unpopular? The answer is to give the gavel to someone who represents all of the extremism the voters rejected. Yes, please.



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