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Spineless actions earn AZ U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon sarcastic “Profile in Courage” award as AZ GOP delegation — except for Paul Gosar — disappointments
Conservative Review’s Steve Deace takes us back to Tuesday and the vote for Speaker of the House of Representatives. He appropriately titles his commentary on disappointment, “The Day the Music Died,” saying it was the worst column he’s ever had to write. Describing brand new Congressman Jody Hice (GA-CD 10), Deace minces no words:
A man I thought I knew. A man I had high hopes for. A man of God. An actual Southern Baptist pastor who graduated from the same seminary as my wife–Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.
See, he’s only been a congressman for about 15 minutes, but it appears we’ve already lost him to the system. And on his first official vote, no less. That sure didn’t take long. Maybe that’s a record or something. Sadly, he’s going to share it with several others.
Hice was one of several freshmen Republicans who despite pledging not to do so, voted to re-elect John Boehner, perhaps the best Speaker of the House the Democrats have ever had. The same John Boehner who has gone out of his way to punish conservatives and push through the Obama agenda, even to the point of repeatedly passing legislation through his chamber a majority of the majority Republicans oppose. The same John Boehner a super majority of Republicans nationwide just said in a recent poll they opposed as Speaker.
In writing about betrayal and a “treachery that still stings,” Deace mentions numerous Republican members of congress who filled the bill with their votes for Boehner. Save for Paul Gosar, (CD-4) the entire Arizona GOP House delegation caved on this vote. But he specifically mentions Matt Salmon, with this barbed comment:
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t hand Matt Salmon a profile in courage award for waiting until the second time through the roll call to finally vote for Boehner as Speaker, once it was clear he had the votes. The people of Arizona haven’t seen such bravery since Pat Tillman.
Writing of his dashed hopes in Jody Hice, Deace offers, “If men of his caliber succumb to the corruption and cronyism within the beltway the first time they are tempted with it, then I truly don’t know where we go from here as a movement.”
Don’t be tempted to disregard this masterful piece as old news. It is as fresh as the new dawn and provides a bright line indicator of what we can expect from those go-along-to-get-along Republicans we have supported, worked for and voted for: Martha McSally (CD 2), Matt Salmon (CD 5), David Schweikert (CD 6), and Trent Franks, (CD 8).
With this crucial vote, only Paul Gosar (CD 4), put principles above political considerations. Remember that in 2016.