November 11, 2006

Burton, Feeney, Hensarling Backing Mike Pence; WSJ Weighs In

Though most Republicans are still watching from the sidelines, the first battle to wrest GOP control from the K-Street crowd is raging. That battle, of course, is the fight over the GOP House leadership. The incumbents (Boehner and Blount) are fighting hard to keep their positions, but the challengers (Pence and Shadegg) continue to pick up momentum. Dan Burton (IN), Tom Feeney (FL), and Jeb Hensarling (TX) have delivered a letter to their GOP colleagues asking them to support Mike Pence for the House leadership position:

What we need now is a proven leader and who has a track record as an agent of change and reform within our Conference and who will take the opposition party to task on their failings. We have witnessed first-hand Mike's dynamic leadership within our Conference and in the United States Congress. He has boldly led over 100 Members of the Republican Study Committee, where he has built consensus within that group to fight for the principles of limited government and to work with the Republican Leadership to help pass important agenda items. Mike encourages a healthy dialogue within the RSC and wants all Members' voices to be heard before deciding on a plan of action.

If you care about what happens on Election Day 2008, I suggest you call (and even better, write) your House member ASAP and pressure him or her to back Pence and Shadegg.

H/t : Jeff Emanuel at RedState.

UPDATE : The Wall Street Journal is arguing for changes:

The problem is the House, where Speaker Dennis Hastert has already announced he won't stand for minority leader. Others in the leadership are claiming to have learned their lesson and promise a new beginning. That's for Members to judge. But we'd be wary of leaders who stake their claim to power on their ability to soak the lobbying mecca of K Street, or who refused to challenge the Appropriators who did so much to besmirch the image of the current, and soon-to-vanish, GOP majority.

Republicans might also recall what happened to Democrats when they tried to regain the House in 1996 by running with the same leadership and agenda that had been ousted in 1994. Those Democrats failed, despite Bill Clinton's victory at the top of the ticket, because too many voters saw the same old story. If Republicans lose again in 2008, they could be in the minority for a long time.