Are GOP Congress Critters Really RINOS or Conservative Chameleons?

After the way that Establishment Republicans acted in their profligate  $1.3 TRILLION  for the remaining six months of FY 2018 in the Omnibus spending bill, one wonders if how Republicans ought to be portrayed.

Traditionally, the Grand Old Party's symbol is an elephant (remember?).  Cynics charge that they should be exposed as RINOs.  But considering they way many Congressional Republicans change from being a fiscally conservative party when they strive for power and then profligately spend when they are in charge, perhaps they would be better depicted as conservative chameleons.  But can they survive if the proverbial swamp is drained in the District of Calamity (sic).  

Mika Brzezinski on Talking About Gun Control Immediately After the Florida School Shooting

Less than a day after the Parkland Florida School Massacre, in which at least 17 people were killed, MSNBC Anchor Mika Brezinski was insistent about having constructive talk about solutions.  Considering the midtown Manhattan mores of the mainstream media, this mean venting about gun control. Brzezinski threatened to unbook any guests on the Morning Joe who wanted to defer this constructive talk to either wait for confirmed details or out of respect for the victims' families. 

It is natural as members of the media cover this travesty live, they will opine supposed "answers" to make sense of the mire.On Fox News, conservative Sean Hannity got on his hobby horse for his entire hour in prime time to push for all schools to hire armed veterans for school security. For cash strapped districts, a guest suggested having federalized security, like the TSA.  The morning after the Parkland School Shooting, Salem Radio's centrist Republican Hugh Hewitt wondered why there was not a "No Buy List" for mentally troubled individuals. While that touches on the mental health aspect, it raises issues about an over expansive no-buy list, as Obamacare barred many Veterans diagnosed with PTSD from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

Although there are many indications that the shooter had a troubled teen with many mental illness markers, inevitably the knee jerk reaction for this so called "constructive talk"  will be a gun grab or advocating measures like a better background check (which have already been instituted).

Just as reality shows are somewhat scripted, Morning Joe is positioned to proffer reliable perspectives. Mika's booking benchmark shows how progressive will not let a good crisis to go to waste to grab guns.

The Flake (y) Conscience of a Conservative

Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was caught on a hot mike opining that if Republicans continued on a political path towards anti-Establishment Donald Trump that the GOP was toast.

This personal animus against President Trump did not go unanswered on Twitter.

Earlier in the year, Senator Flake was hawking a book "The Conscience of a Conservative" (2017) which echoed the title of  his Arizona predecessor (1960) Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ).  This sort of self promotion is often the precursor for a politician who is seeking higher office.  Yet Flake was convinced not to run again in 2018.  Since then, Flake has reveled at being a gladfly against the Trump Administration.

While it would be hard to quibble with Flake being a Republican, it is egregious to appreciate him being a quintessential conservative.  Senator Flake's hot mic moment might better be understood how Establishment Republicans see how the comfort of being go along to get along hacks who talk a good game on the hustings but become docile in the District of Calamity. 

Fledgling Independent Presidential Candidate Evan McMullin on Donald Trump

Newly announced independent Presidential candidate Evan McMullin had some sharp words towards Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump (R-NY).

McMullin has previously worked for the majority staff of the House Foreign Affairs Committee so he may actually care about conservatism rather than just rely on their votes to be anyone but Hillary.  McMullin also served for ten years for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Due to McMullin's late launch, it will be impossible for McMullin to get ballot access throughout the 50 states.  With a concerted effort, McMullin's campaign might be able to get ballot access in 1/3rd of the states.  

It is unclear if McMullin's campaign is intended to be a quixotic Never Trump initiative or if it is intended to indicate that conservatives need not submit to the GOP Trump Party.   It is possible that McMullin, due to his Mormon background and rock solid conservative credentials, might be able to swing a couple of Mountain States (namely Utah and Idaho), which would never have voted for Democrats in a normal cycle but are toss ups with Trump.  

Theoretically, if Trump is not trounced in the Electoral College, McMullin might garner enough Electoral College votes to throw the 2016 election into the House of Representatives. That's highly unlikely, but in this election cycle nothing seems out of the question.

Many Conservative Republicans have groused about the Grand Old Party's populist nationalist nominee but no one else dared to do something about it. If Evan McMullin proves to be the real deal, many principled conservatives may consider voting their conscience in November.

Mike Pence Characterizes Himself

George Will on Leaving the GOP

Bobby Knight on Conservatives

No wonder why legendary Indiana Hoosier men's basketball coach Bobby Knight was happy to endorse Donald Trump for President.   

His incoherence with conservatism along with railing against the rules and a mercurial mindset makes this a perfect match.  

Ted Cruz on Being a Conservative

Marco Rubio on Being a Conservative

During his speech at CPAC 2016, Senator Marco Rubio took a veiled shot at his chief nemesis, GOP Presidential front-runner Donald Trump. 

Rubio is seeking to distinguish conservatism from angry populism in the Republican Party.  But this high minded oratory is a marked contrast to his humorous hits on the hustings last week. 

Sarah Palin's Post Iowa Caucus Lament

Superstar Donald Trump surrogate former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) gave some surprising post Iowa Caucus analysis.

Yahoo News reporter Hunter Walker caught Governor Palin at the Des Moines airport and essentially asked why the Manhattan Mogul was not winning in the Hawkeye Cauci. 

It is surprising to some that Sarah Palin thinks that the populist politician has a conservative side. 

It is unclear as to whether Palin will join Trump in New Hampshire, as Palin used to be quite popular with Iowa voters.

When Walker asked Palin about the V.P. slot with Trump, his access suddenly was limited.

h/t:  Hunter Walker
       Yahoo News

On Sarah's Choice

The already unconventional 2016 Republican Primary process was rocked by a charter flight between Anchorage, Alaska to Des Moines, Iowa for former Governor Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) of Donald J. Trump for President.  Gov. Palin was the maverick Vice Presidential choice of 2008 Republican nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and her anti-establishment Republican conservatism was thought to carry cache with the Tea Party.

One of the beauties of the Tea Party is that it is not a leader driven movement.  It was sparked by a tax day 2009 protest about being Taxed Enough Already.  This movement occurred after Sarah Palin’s ascendency, so the Tea Party was energized by Palin espousing Tea Party policies but she did not necessarily embody the movement.  Even after it was clear that Palin was going to support his opponent in Election 2016, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted thanks to Palin for her prior support.

As a inveterate Tea Party type, I must admit disappointment in Sarah’s choice. Palin have often campaigned on limited government, ending government subsidies for ethanol, and strict adherence to the Constitution.  Yet Palin’s endorsement of Trump validates a candidate who hardly mentions the Constitution, panders for votes in Iowa by increasing ethanol mandates and whose rhetoric has an authoritarian edge.  In short, Palin chose populism over principle.

Since vaulting out of obscurity in Alaska, Sarah Palin has been a populist inspired conservative politician. Her choice to support Trump seems to drop the pretense of conservatism. Trump has cultivated a pugnacious appeal spoiling for a fight, although the objectives may be obscured. In 2008, Palin’s running mate John McCain relished being a maverick who will fight for you.  At the time, many Palin boosters thought that she would be a conservative oriented populist. Palin’s pick impeaches that perspective.

One might wonder what prompted Palin’s choice.  Well, Palin has been out of the limelight for a while.  After Palin left the Alaska Governorship in 2010, she was a political commentator for Fox News from 2011-2015.  When Fox News parted ways with Palin, Palin established the Sarah Palin Channel in 2014 but pulled the plug on the $9.95/month subscription price after a year. Now her video content is available free on Facebook. Palin also hosted Amazing America with Sarah Palin on the Sportman Channel in 2014.  This is a far cry from her GOP kingmaker potential in the early days of the Tea Party. Sarah's choice certainly put her back in the limelight, for now.

Much like Donald Trump, Sarah Palin is good at creating headlines for political junkies, even if both speakers have trouble stringing together sentences in their evocative appeals.  It is also a fair assessment that Trump and Palin either strongly appeal to supporters or loathing from opponents.

Will Sarah's choice help Donald Trump in the Iowa Caucuses?  Trump seems to be relying upon earned media and hype to drive supporters to the Hawkeye Cauci instead of an organized ground game. It is thought that Trump would have to garner a groundswell of new voters to go to the Caucus.  Social Media sports many Trump trolls who trumpet their leader, but it is hard to see support in Iowa itself.  Trump may hope that Palin’s endorsement will put them over the top, but he may end up wondering how that hopey-changey thing worked out for him.

In the end, Palin's endorsement of Trump may be a good thing for the Tea Party. It will clarify if the movement is meant as a populist rage against the GOP Establishment's machine or if it stands for conservative Constitutional principles.  In other election cycles, the latter group would have little choice but to opt for a populist.  But as it stands for the 2016 Iowa Caucuses, Tea Party conservatives  can choose Dr. Ben Carson or Senator Ted Cruz without sacrificing their principles.