Boehner and McConnell could cost GOP the White House in 2016
In 2014, voters rewarded Republicans by allowing them to keep the House and giving them back control of the Senate. Given the countless failures of the Obama administration and the high likelihood that millions of Americans might not be “Ready for Hillary,” Republicans should also be well positioned to win the White House in 2016.
But that task might be made more difficult than some suspect — because of the Republicans.
Specifically, the two Republicans running the House and Senate.
{mosads}Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) are projecting the picture of incompetence — if not raw intellectual dishonesty – and if something isn’t done about this, and soon, they will pay an extraordinary price. So what’s gone wrong?
Republicans promised in unison to repeal Obamacare in 2014, just like they did in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Last year, however, it was the cornerstone of their message to the American people. It was their single most impassioned pledge. In the month of October alone they ran 35,000 ads promising this.
Boehner and McConnell led that effort because they knew it was a winning message.
Republicans did win. So what happened? The Democrats demanded, and Boehner and McConnell immediately agreed to continue funding Obamacare in its entirety.
In 2014 Republican candidates hollered from the rooftops that they would absolutely, unequivocally stop President Obama’s unconstitutional executive order granting amnesty to millions who entered the country illegally. It was a mandate for the GOP. The American people wanted something done about this. So 10,000 more TV commercials in October alone pledging to stop this atrocity flooded the airwaves.
What went wrong?
When conservatives tried to stop Obama’s illegal activity, again they were thwarted by Boehner and McConnell. Boehner’s political consultants even spent $400,000 attacking his own members in their districts — for defying him.
Thanks to Republican “leadership,” Obama’s amnesty still stands, and is fully funded — by the Republicans.
It gets worse. Boehner and McConnell have blown an opportunity to shift the country to the right on the most important issue of our time.
Democratic hit specialist Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) never met an Orwellian lie she didn’t like. Recently she proclaimed abortion to be the essence of personal liberty and suggested Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) efforts to ban abortion would allow mean women would die.
Asked about this by a reporter, the senator replied, “You go back and go ask Debbie Wasserman Schultz if she’s OK with killing a 7-pound baby that’s just not born yet.” Paul then added, “Ask her when life begins, and ask Debbie when she’s willing to protect life. When you get an answer from Debbie, come back to me.”
It was a brilliant answer. Paul took a reporter’s absurd, but typical, liberal line of questioning about the sanctity of life, and threw right back in his face. And while he was at it he put this arrogant woman in her place.
Abortion is a winning issue for Republicans.
In 2014, Republicans promised to pass a ban on abortions past the 20-week mark, something the House had already done once in 2013. A majority of Americans, including women, support such a ban. GOP leadership pledged to make it happen.
But when a handful of Republicans who had previously supported the bill withdrew their support, leadership simply threw up its hands. There would be no 20-week abortion ban vote. Shut the books. Case closed. Game over.
Imagine if that vote had taken place, and Obama vetoed the Pain Capable Bill, the most common-sense pro-life legislation imaginable, stating that abortions cannot be permitted on babies that can feel their bodies being dismembered, piece by piece.
Hillary Clinton would be forced by the radical pro-aborts running the Democratic Party to support that veto and support this Gosnellian practice.
The very encouraging news is that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) seems to understand this and is preparing new legislation to stop this grotesque procedure. He understands this is not just critically important policy, it’s political dynamite as well.
He understands the Republicans can make this a cornerstone of their 2016 presidential agenda.
Just as they could make Obama’s veto of legislation ridding Americans of the Obamacare monstrosity — and Clinton’s support of that veto – the winning issue in 2016, as it was in 2014.
Just as they could make Obama’s veto of legislation banning his illegal immigration agenda – and Clinton’s support for that veto – another issue.
There should be no reason 2016 could not be 2014 all over again — another landslide for Republicans.
It’s so simple. Honoring their word will deliver the presidency to Republicans. Breaking their word will cost the GOP the presidency.
McConnell, Boehner: Your call.
Bozell is chairman of ForAmerica, the nation’s largest, active online conservative network with over 7.1 million supporters.
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