OK, one more Bill Sali-related post for now, then I'll give it a rest. But we have fresh evidence of just how marginalized Idaho's 1st District congressman is going to be.
During his campaign, Sali made a big to-do about how, if elected, he'd become a member of the Republican Study Committee, which includes legislators, who - according to their website - believe in "a limited and Constitutional role for the federal government, a strong national defense, the protection of individual and property rights, and the preservation of traditional family values." Note that they represented a minority within the GOP even before the election. These are the folks, by the way, who tried to suspend Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws and environmental regulations on the Gulf Coast after Katrina. They're all about the "strong father" mentality I wrote about earlier today.
Well, the Republican Study Committee's leader, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, faced off against Rep. John Boehner for the House minority leader position today. He got exactly 27 votes out of 196, perhaps because - like Sali - he doesn't have a centrist bone in his body. I think it's safe to say the RSC isn't going to hold much sway in the 110th Congress.
Republican Study Committee not Group. Pence lost because a lot of people wouldn't blame Boehner after 1 year for the loss.
Posted by: Adam Graham | November 20, 2006 at 11:35 PM
Correction made. Thank you.
Posted by: Julie Fanselow | November 21, 2006 at 10:47 AM