GOP Congressman Rips Tea Party Colleagues: 'I'm Not Sure They're Republicans'

[highplainsdem]

Source: National Journal

In a sign of the internal backlash against the right wing of the House Republican Conference, Louisiana Republican Charles Boustany questioned the political allegiances and motivations of his tea party-aligned colleagues and said they had put the GOP majority at risk in the current shutdown fight.

"There are members with a different agenda," Boustany said Wednesday in an interview in his office. "And I'm not sure they're Republicans and I'm not sure they're conservative."

-snip-

Boustany, a former surgeon who is not known as the most outspoken GOP member, said he fears his party's inability to rule the chamber with its own majority is threatening its hold on the House.

-snip-

Only a handful of House Republicans have spoken out publicly against the hardline faction of the House GOP, but Boustany said the shutdown had grown their numbers. "There is a very large silent majority that's getting frustrated with what's happening because of what these outside groups have done by setting false expectations, deliberately misleading the public on some of these issues and commanding allegiance of certain members who falsely place their allegiance to these groups rather than to their constitutional responsibility to govern," he said.

Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/gop-congressman-rips-tea-party-colleagues-i-m-not-sure-they-re-republicans-20131016

[last1standing]

1. He's right. They aren't republicans, they're monarchists.

Sure they talk about freedom and liberty but in the next breath they talk about blindly following their anointed leaders. That is why anyone who criticized bush was a traitor and anyone who questions Cruz is anti-American.

These people want someone who sits on a throne and tells them what to do and think.

[VA_Jill]

15. Actually

They're oligarchists. And the ones sitting on the throne(s) are named Koch and Adelson, among others.

[Gore1FL]

16. Or Dominionists n/t

[SayitAintSo]

29. Agreed

There needs to be more exposure of these dominionist nut-bags. Their real agenda would scare the crap out of most thinking people.

[Turbineguy]

32. Interesting.

Probably Charles I Style, or Louis the XVI style or Czar Nicholas II style

[Amonester]

48. Freedom and Liberty! HA!

Not for women, LGBT, and 'librul showshialists' that is...

And here's their 'new' flag (the contemporary party of Lincoln welcomes them in):



Ted $crews Just Extorted $25 Billion From Taxpayers To Pay For His Lunatic Shutdown

[demosincebirth]

49. The Know Nothings. 1856

They have the same values (none) and the same prejudices

[Blue Owl]

2. What are they?

The answer will horrify you.

The horror... the horror...

[PatrynXX]

3. They aren't

Their mission is to get rid of the Republican party. I figure the end of the world should it ever happen (I do believe in Jesus so take this into account) would come from the right. Republicans probably not. a corrupt version of the Right yes. He would have to know the bible back to front. The extreme left it would never come from. I just hope it doesn't happen in my lifetime but this is gonna get ugly. Tea Party has stated for ages there will be a race war when the attempt to remove so called Entitlements. Well maybe there will be one but it'll be white on white at the moment and they are both supporters of guns.

I just think this is gonna get nasty quick and until that bill is signed it isn't over

[bluesbassman]

4. "allegiance to these groups rather than to their constitutional responsibility to govern".

Truth in that statement.

[thelordofhell]

5. They ARE republicans

You ain't gettin' away with it Chucky........

[Heather MC]

10. Exactly

He voted with them, he stands on the same chopping block platform with them.

All these Repugs that will come out the wood works to throw the Tea Turds under the bus. they Need to be push under the bus with the tea turds. They all voted to shut down the Government Oct 1. They are all responsible

[okaawhatever]

11. Thank You. We cannot let the Republicans pawn this off of the tea party. The tea party is not

an official political party. They are republicans who support the tea party. I knew this was comin. It's important to put Republican in all commentary other than here on DU. Can't let the message get lost.

[BarackTheVote]

23. Let them fight.

Let the Tea Party get pissed at the GOPers and the GOPers go nuclear on the Tea Party. I think a split is coming; this relationship between the old guard and new guard Republicans is untenable. One side believes in trickle-down economics, creating the best possible environments, for big business to grow (in terms of deregulation, limited taxation, and doing away with anti-monopoly laws, etc). The OG Republicans used the Christian Coalition because they knew these rubes would vote for them based solely on "family values" which is cheap and, a lot of these fundies are not generally selfish people... they are okay with voting against their own best self interests if they think it's the moral thing to do--this is what a lot of Progressives don't get. They're misguided and they're hurting a lot more people than just themselves voting for Reps, but, there you have it... they're not SMART. And now, the worst case scenario for the OG has taken place: these rubes they cultivated to gain seats and presidencies for their own agenda have assumed a place in office and draped themselves with the flag of the GOP. These people are insane, illiterate, homophobic, misogynistic, fundamentalist doomseers who will do anything to get their way. I think the OG thought they could be controled. Now they've discovered that they can't. They'll expel the Tea Party, I have no doubt. They know they'll split the vote in the short term, but in the long term it will be better for their corporate overlords, and that's what they really care about.

[Bigmack]

30. Yes... "let's you and him fight" is our best strategy...

"Did you hear what he said about your mom?"

"He said you were one of them limpwristed Libruls."

Etc...

[okaawhatever]

35. Agreed. I've heard a couple people say, including I think Michael Steele that the abortion debate

is hot again because the OG Republicans kept putting off the religious fundies saying donate to us, we'll end abortion and then kept shining them on. I know part of the scotus nomination process (involving Catholic conservatives, Catholic being code 4 won't keep Roe v Wade) was motivated by the OG GOP's desires to find people who would overturn Roe V Wade and benefit corporations.
My point was mainly that there are so many Americans who don't pay alot of attention to politics. Those people aren't aware of the tea party vs republican party. We want to make sure the Republican name is dragged through the mud with the tea partiers The tea party is behind the gov't shutdown, but those who aren't familiar w/politics need to be reminded it's the Republicans who screwed them with this. The tea party is the Republican party The gop will probably be advertising to support Republicans in 2014 and vote against the tea party, knowing most people won't understand.

[Deny and Shred]

19. Actually, I'd prefer they focus on their differences

They are R's for now, true, and they all just have to Sit In It, to quote Jack Horner. My further hope is that they find their differences irreconcilable, and the Tea Party goes it alone & splits the party. 2014 would be a wonderful place to start.

[tblue37]

34. Hannity is encouraging Caribou Barbie to start a third party and run

for president in 2016--and she says she isn't ruling it out.

Of course she won't actually run, but just like last time, she will use the tease to scam money from her fans.

I hope they do start a third party to the right of the GOP.

[Diclotican]

50. tblue37

tblue37

If Palin and the tea party group in the republican party deside to build a new 3 party to challenge the GOP, and to be on the right of the GOP - then they would end up beeing allomust nazists by my standards - specially as GOP is rather far to the right as it is.. Even the democratic party is center/right political speaking by now --- and if it exist will to make a livable party who is to the right of the Republican party, then it would be VERRY to the right...

But then again, Palin have allways been great of scaming money out of her fans - I wonder if she could be convicted of a scam - becouse she would posible not do as she is hinting on - really making a go for the presidency of the United States..


Diclotican

[True_Blue]

21. ITA!

Chucky voted along with the House Republicans to shut down the govt.

[Lebam in LA]

6. Their silence allowed the fringe

to do the damage it is doing. They allowed the monster to grow by being silent so now they are going to have to deal with them or lose both houses and the White House in the years to come

[noiretextatique]

7. yes, they are republicons

you were happy to include them in your majority, so deal with it.

[GliderGuider]

8. I can't figure out if they're anarchists or baby fascists.

It's definitely a weird, toxic belief-soup they're drinking.

[efhmc]

9. They were elected as members of the repug party so sorry they ARE yours.

[Hekate]

12. NOW they notice? Sinclair Lewis' 1935 prophecy regarding American fascists...

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross. - Sinclair Lewis (1935).

[yuiyoshida]

28. This!

agree.

[azurnoir]

13. If they're not Republicans then expel them from the party

but geez if you do that, you mess up your majority, huh?

[cosmicone]

14. He should blame the speaker.

Every party has its unruly members -- it is the job of the leadership to keep them in line instead of allowing the tail to wag the dog.

[Snake Plissken]

17. Even conservatives are going after the batshit crazy cult of bagging now

The GOP is about to witness a China Syndrome within their party.

The religious extremists aren't going to all their baggers to get kicked to the curb without a fight.

[Courtesy Flush]

18. I live in his district

He defeated a total asshat Tea Bagger named Jeff Landry. I wish we'd had a Democrat on the ballot, but I'm proud that in this conservative district people could see clearly enough to vote against the Tea Party.

[tarheelsunc]

20. Shoot, someone finally figured out we planted them there to hurt the party's image.

[Bradical79]

22. Of course theyre Republicans

They're Republicans who are too recklessly ignorant and short sighted to make sound political decisions. Nothing in the tea party platform is counter to what I've heard said by most of the more mainstream Republican politicians when trying to get votes from their base. The Republicans have been creating this monster for quite awhile now and is probably the more pure version of what they've been preaching to their base for years. They loved the Tea Party until it looked like their pocket books might be threatened by their recklessness.

[lastlib]

24. they weren't always Repugs--they used to be Nazis.

[BornLooser]

25. To: mr. boustany, and the rest of this so-called "silent majority"...

Kindly pound your cover-thine-ass code talk up your' masters' cpac. We've heard this song for well on 50+ years. Now?, it's last call, you don't have to go home...you just can't stay here. NONE of you "true" republicans said a word, EVER, yet you ALL accepted the blood money. Do the ONLY honorable thing. RESIGN NOW, but I digress, you HAVE NO HONOR. Internal backlash reads..."Not Me, nosiree, I wuz sirven mah cunstichuassy." Louisiana? No shit? More noocler derp from Palinvile.

[marble falls]

26. I live here in Tea Central Texas. They are not Republicans except in name only. Where have .....

I heard something like that before .......

[2naSalit]

27. ...

'I'm Not Sure They're Republicans'

Gee, wonder what tipped you off to that possibility!

[Solly Mack]

31. Yes, they are.

The GOP plays that same bullshit all the time.

[Skittles]

33. they are repukes on steroids

AND YOU OWN THEM

[NCcoast]

36. He's right. So when do we hand the gavel back to Nancy Pelosi?

You GOP batsh*ts created this monster and you're still caucusing with them. It just goes to show that the GOP only cares about maintaining it's grip on power. Nothing else.

[Doctor_J]

37. They sure as hell ARE Republicans. They get Limpballs and Fox "News" endorsements just like all

the other Republicans. They get RNC money and NRA money and so on. Nice try doctor, but you ARE one of them

[Historic NY]

38. Well they were created by Republicans...

such as DICK Armeny & them Koch Boys....for Republicans.

[Snake Plissken]

39. Saying Baggers are not Republican is like say al Qaeda are not Muslims

They just happen to come with an extra dose of the insanity gene

[NastyRiffraff]

40. Wrong, wrong, WRONG

They most certainly are Republicans. They are the face of the Republican party today and people like "Louisiana Republican Charles Boustany" have no one to blame but themselves for enabling the lunatics by letting them take over the party.

Oh, he is right about one thing; they are not conservatives. They are radicals.

[Snake Plissken]

41. Nope they're certainly not conservatives

[Rain Mcloud]

42. They are no longer conservatives,let them be known forever as surrender monkeys.

Hey Napoleon,hows that working out for you?

[warrenswil]

43. GOP train wreck ahead?

Could it be that the GOP will split?
The signs are increasing that it might.
We noticed this over a week ago in:
Showdown over shutdown could split Republican Party
That might be the happy ending everyone is hoping for to this story.
In the (K)now

[Flatpicker]

44. They aren't?

The only time I'll believe that is when they split off the Tea Partiers into another party.

This whole mess has shown that the 2 party system isn't right for such a diverse country as ours.

I can't help but think that at least 4 parties would help stop this from happening again.

Progressive Party - Social and Economic Progressives
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Tea Party - Social and Economic Conservatives

If not 5 or more to break deadlocks.

[barbtries]

45. of course they're republicans

if you think they're nuts and you're not, i recommend switching parties.

[Orsino]

46. Not *true* Scotsmen. n/t

[1StrongBlackMan]

47. We must not …

Allow this intra-party fight to settle. We must continue to have cruz and lee as the republican standard bearers, we can’t let the gop establishment silence them!

I’m off to troll my local daily rag’s on-line comment section calling out all Arizona republicans as surrenders and insufficiently palincruzlee-like!

[MFrohike]

51. Yes, they are

The tea party is compromised of older, wealthier Americans who were usually quite involved in GOP party politics. These are very much your grassroots. You pandered to the fever swamps for over 20 years and now you're crying because of what finally came out. Fuck you, Charlie.

[Jamastiene]

52. When Democrats argue, we don't hold the entire country, and possibly the entire world

hostage while doing it. What these Republicans and Teabaggers just did was have a spat amongst themselves and hold the rest of the nation and the world hostage while they did it. It is inexcusable, unforgivable, and should be against the law.

[AllyCat]

53. Really? What gave you your first clue?

Of course they aren't real Republicans. I don't think there are many of them left.

[Kennah]

54. Any of the rest of y'all want some popcorn? I figure we need one big assed bag.

[phantom power]

55. until you kick them out of your party, they're republicans, and you totally own them.