Will Some GOP Freshmen Refuse to Drink More Kool-Aid?

The willing embrace of ignorance, bigotry against anyone the white Christianists deem "other" and fiscal smoke and mirrors are the hallmarks of today's Republican Party pretty much across the board be it at the local, state or federal level. GOP candidates have shown themselves only too willing to court the nastiest and basest instincts of homophobes, racists, theocrats and other bigots in order to secure election to office. Now, at the federal level at least, some are having to contemplate the full consequences of their self-prostitution to those best defined by who they hate - which is nearly everyone. The Washington Post looks at one such GOP Congressional freshman, Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) pictured above, who now must decide to look out for the best economic interests of the USA or continue to pander to the nastiest elements of the electorate. Prostituting one's self to haters and extremists can and does ultimately have a price and, therefore, I have little sympathy for Schweikert and those like him who embraced haters for their own political advantage. Here are some story highlights:
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On his 104th day in office, Rep. David Schweikert stepped before about 60 of his constituents here and, like an economics professor, flipped through one scary chart after another to hammer home his point: America faces a tidal wave of debt.
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Then he asked for a show of hands: If you were a freshman congressman like him, would youvote to raise the government’s debt limit? Two hands went in the air.
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This is his dilemma: He knows Congress has little choice but to raise the amount of money the government can borrow to prevent the economic havoc sure to follow if the United States defaults on its loans. He also knows doing so is deeply unpopular — not only among his conservative base, but among some moderates and liberals, too.
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If Schweikert finds himself in a difficult political spot, it’s partly of his own making. He and the scores of other Republicans who were elected last fall ran on an unyielding pledge to cut spending, reduce the nation’s debt and generally get the country’s finances in order, a mission that has been fully embraced by party leaders in Washington.
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Now, a few months after taking office, they are caught between their convictions, their constituents and their duties as congressmen. If they vote to raise the debt limit, some will see them as sellouts, corrupted by the same Washington they promised to fix. If they don’t, they could endanger the nation’s economy.
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House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) has privately told administration officials and Wall Street executives that he believes raising the debt limit is the responsible thing to do. Still, he has signaled that he plans to leverage the reluctance of fellow Republicans to win longer-term spending concessions from Democrats.
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In his 2010 race against the incumbent, Harry Mitchell (D), Schweikert never took a position on the debt limit, he said. But Schweikert campaigned in this relatively well-educated and wealthy suburban swing district as a fiscal conservative and attacked his opponent for backing costly legislation, including the $787 billion stimulus. At the town hall, Schweikert cast the debt situation in apocalyptic terms. “This is about the survival of your republic right now,” he said.
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Just as the GOP over reached and set themselves up for a fall post 1994, they've done the same thing now. The recall effort in Wisconsin where 4 GOP state senators are facing a recall vote is a concrete example. Schweikert embraced the ny cases of the far right to win his election. Now, he needs to face reality - and possibly pay a high price no matter what he does.