The Calvert decision underscores the complexity of Boehner's task, as he tries simultaneously to clean house and keep peace within his own caucus. The California delegation was insistent that the coveted Appropriations seat go to one of their own, following long-standing custom. But the move has upset other GOP members and some conservative bloggers, who fear that Calvert's alleged problems will feed the party's reputation for corruption.WHAT!? There isn't a single member of the California delegation that could take this seat that isn't touched by scandal? I find that very hard to believe.
In a sidewalk interview, Boehner defended the choice that he and others on the House GOP steering committee made to elevate Calvert. He acknowledged that geographic balance was one factor driving the appointment -- one that proved more important than questions raised in a Los Angeles Times article about Calvert's land sale.I'm with Boehner in that one has to be considered innocent until proven guilty, but there are other reasons why Calvert should not be given this position than is being covered. This guy was caught with a prostitute...not exactly a promotion bell-ringer if you ask me...
"Where do you draw the line?" Boehner asked. "We do not want a blanket allegation to rise to the level of credibility where we are basing our decisions on it. It's unfair."
"If only John Boehner the Republican leader would act like John Boehner the leadership candidate, the Republican Conference would be in a much stronger position," said a House Republican aide who works for a lawmaker upset with Boehner's move. "Decisions like the Calvert appointment cripple our party's ability to be associated with reform, and until our leadership changes direction, they are leading this conference even further into the political abyss."I took a LOT of flak from my fellow bloggers for my support of Boehner when most in the blogosphere was supporting Pence for the leader postiion. I still believe I made the right call and would really appreciate some backup from the Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- on reform issues. He's been good at opposing the efforts of Democrats to put ethics issues on the backburner by highlighting their unwillingness to take appropriate action... Will the Republicans do what they need to do to stop the culture of corruption?
What sorts of press releases would I be getting if Calvert were a Democrat? That tells you all you need to know about what needs to be done here...
UPDATE:Just how many Approriators does California need???
Calvert isn't the only appropriator in the crosshairs of his fellow Republicans; some members were upset that leaders allowed Rep. Jerry Lewis, the Californian who chaired the panel just last year, to remain its ranking Republican when the GOP assumed the minority.Seriously...this isn't rocket science here...
UPDATE 2: And this is why this is so important:
Republicans, of course, are quick to point out that Pelosi had her own trouble forcing Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana off the powerful Ways and Means Committee after the Justice Department released paperwork describing how he accepted $100,000 in cash, $90,000 of which FBI agents later found in the freezer of his home.Exactly. We're supposed to be better at this than the Democrats...
