What explains the ambivalence and inaction of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to the following?
- The Internal Revenue Service targeting of tea-party groups and other conservatives based on their politics and opposition to Barack Obama's policies;
- the Obama administration's blatant targeting of politics enemies like Dinesh D'Souza and Dr. Ben Carson who have taken high-profile stances against the White House;
- the unfolding scandal of hundreds of millions of dollars in government grants from the IRS and other agencies to "progressive" groups like the Urban Institute to act as agents of the government in areas in which they have no expertise and without any competitive bidding for the contracts.
Could Democratic political consultant Pat Caddell have it right?
Do the Republicans sit idly by and observe these abuses because they somehow serve Republican establishment interests as well as the interests of Obama and the Democrats?
It's frightening to try to comprehend, but it makes a certain amount of sense.
Caddell flat-out charges: "The GOP establishment wants the IRS to go after the tea party."
Think about that.
Is he right?
What other explanation is there for the Republican majority to be sitting on its hands?
As Caddell explains: "When you have 71 percent who want an investigation, 64 percent who believe it is a sign of corruption including nearly a majority of Democrats, the reason is the establishment Republicans want the IRS to go after the tea party. Got it? They want them to go after the tea party because the tea parties are an outside threat to their power hold. And I'm telling you the lobbying consulting class of the Republican Party or Republican leadership who have been attacking the tea party and alienating them, they want the IRS to do this!"
I consider myself a fairly experienced and fairly cynical political analyst. But I must say this thought never occurred to me until now.
But I can't dispute it.
I can't deny the very real possibility this is the motivation for House Republicans doing nothing.
Maybe John Boehner will explain.
Maybe the non-establishment Republicans inside the House can provide some insight.
Maybe others have a better idea.
One thing's for certain: It's getting harder to understand the way Republican leadership acts like accomplices to the crimes of the Obama administration rather than opposition. Are Republicans not supposed to be the opposition party – the one and only viable alternative Americans have to the outrages of Obama's Democrats? Why, instead, do they act more like collaborators?
Does Caddell's brutally honest assessment make less sense than some other explanation?
It's one thing to watch Obama and his party run roughshod over the Constitution.
It's one thing to watch Obama and his party run roughshod over the rule of law.
It's one thing to watch Obama land his party run roughshod over the will of the people.
It's one thing to watch Obama and his party run roughshod over everything good and decent in America.
It's one thing to watch Obama and his party run roughshod over free enterprise.
It's another thing to watch the Republicans stand by in virtual silence and do nothing – in a midterm election year no less!
Look, I know John Boehner and the Republican leadership are useless and part of the problem. What I don't understand is why they are still there.
Why haven't House Republicans dumped their leadership by now – after betrayal after betrayal?
At some point you have to ask yourself if they have the kind of leadership they want and deserve.
Maybe it's the kind of leadership that would stab in the back the very people and organizations that placed them in power in 2010.
See Caddell's comments on Fox:
Media wishing to interview Joseph Farah, please contact [email protected].
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