Debating the Speaker's Race

No, the House is not "too far to the right".

by Rod D. Martin
October 12, 2015

A friend of mine -- who is a solid conservative but also a longtime public official in both Bush Administrations -- took issue with my "Thoughts on the Speakers Race." You can read the full Facebook discussion here, but the key points are as follows, with my response after:

Sorry to disagree but even Fox News did not say that at the time: Tea Party was a factor, not the factor. Massive Catholic shift, as I recall, as well. In 2011, Boehner put forward a plan that would have done a lot to solve our long-term fiscal crisis, including significant spending reductions. Obama rejected it, true -- but he was empowered to do so because the right of the House GOP was already running so far to the right that Boehner's flank was unprotected, with ideas like refusing to raise the debt ceiling, as if financial markets would respect that (which they did not).... We shut down the government once, did anything change? No. Obama controls the White House and he won. And w…