If incoming House Speaker John Boehner blocks Ron Paul from assuming the chairmanship of the House Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, how with the tea party react? by Walt Thiessen
(libertarian)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
With the Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives in January, many opponents of the Federal Reserve thought that Ron Paul as chairman of the House Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology would be a slam dunk. After all, he has, by far, the most seniority of any Republican on the committee. Yet, already there are reports that incoming speaker John Boehner is trying to find a way to keep it from happening.
Business Week reported last week, "Five GOP leadership aides, speaking anonymously because a decision isn't final, say incoming House Speaker John Boehner has discussed ways to prevent Paul from becoming chairman or to keep him on a tight leash if he does." So the battle has commenced. The other side has declared their intention (in their usual, secretive way) to man the barricades against the good doctor. Now the question remains: will the anti-Fed members of the tea party movement, that is to say the original tea party movement which arose during Paul's presidential campaign, now come to his aid before it's too late? According to Business Week, they have until tomorrow to make their wishes known to Rep. Boehner. That's Wednesday of this week.
So far, Paul's supporters have been fairly quiet, and part of the reason is that the leading tea party groups don't dare weigh in on the matter. The reason is that they've been taken over by pro-Fed operatives. One of the largest of the tea party groups, Tea Party Express, for instance, not only hasn't said anything about the question; they have studiously avoided mentioning Ron Paul at all on their website since their group's inception. If there is any doubt in your mind about whether Tea Party Express is in bed with the banksters, this fact should erase those doubts.
Similarly, Tea Party Nation has had precious little to say on the subject. Their commentary is limited to a minor blog entry. The organization as a whole has taken no steps at all to insure that Paul gets the subcommittee chairmanship that he deserves...and that America needs him to have. I suspect that they hope the issue will just go away, because then they won't have to take a stand against the pro-Fed people who are funding them and risk alienating the anti-Fed tea partyers who got the whole tea party thing started three years ago.
Add in the fact that tea party heartthrob Sarah Palin hasn't actually called for ending the Fed or changing the monetary system, limiting her critique of the Fed to a slap on the wrist for monetizing debt, and it becomes very clear to this writer that the tea party's largest organizations have no intention of bringing down the Fed. To the contrary, they are staunch supporters of it. They just don't dare say anything, because they don't want to lose the support of their anti-Fed members.
Rep. Boehner's house office phone number in Washington, DC is (202) 225-6205. I suggest that those people who want to see Ron Paul get the chairmanship of that committee should call his office Wednesday and make their wishes clear in a civil, responsible manner.
And if you are anti-Fed, post your intentions in the comments section below, should the good doctor be denied the post that we need him to have. It's time for the Revolution to return!
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Posted By: Eve_Marie
Date: December 7, 2010 10:52:39 PM
Nice article. I've already told those at Tea Party Nation that if Boehner prevents Paul's post, I will lose any hope in the Republican party. Not that I have any now, but that will be the last straw...
Posted By: George Dance
Date: December 8, 2010 11:02:17 AM
Fwiw, I put a quote from and link to the story (incluing Boehner's phone #) on my blog today. I hope it helps.
I don't expect it will. I remember reading Barney Frank testify that Paul's been blocked from the chairmanship at least twice in the past.
I notice that Paul's been playing the go-along game with the establishment GOP since the election, supporting Hensarling over Bachmann and (reportedly by Reason) Spencer Bachus over Ed Royce. So I'm feeling conflicting emotions: on the one hand, I'm outraged that they'd try to shaft him, when he's been on his best behavior; on the other, I feel like saying to him, "That's what you get for trying to work with them."
Posted By: Dave Nalle
Date: December 8, 2010 10:56:11 PM
The Republican Liberty Caucus has written an open letter to Speaker-elect Boehner which a number of tea party groups have signed and more are expected to sign on in the next few days. We will keep gathering signatures until a decision is made.
Posted By: Dave Nalle
Date: December 8, 2010 10:58:49 PM
George, Paul's support of Bachus and Hensarling is not a bad thing, especially over Bachmann. Bachus was one of the strongest supporters of the bill to audit the Fed and Hensarling is one of the most libertarian rated house members, right behind Ron Paul and Jeff Flake. As for Bachmann, she may be popular with the tea parties, but she's nowhere near as libertarian as Hensarling.
Posted By: Walt
Date: December 11, 2010 01:28:41 AM
George, Paul's support of Bachus and Hensarling is not a bad thing, especially over Bachmann. Bachus was one of the strongest supporters of the bill to audit the Fed and Hensarling is one of the most libertarian rated house members, right behind Ron Paul and Jeff Flake. As for Bachmann, she may be popular with the tea parties, but she's nowhere near as libertarian as Hensarling.
I'm curious, Dave. I don't really know much about Hensarling. What's so libertarian about him, particularly where monetary policy is concerned? I'm not a big fan of Bachmann, but at least she seems to be at the beginning of understanding the importance of debt-based money in the overall scheme of things. Has Hensarling shown the same level of understanding or better? If not, I really don't see how he's more libertarian in any significant way. If he has shown such understanding, I'd like to see your evidence demonstrating the existence of his understanding.
