What I’m Policiticing: Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga is an enlightened and reasonable man. *Updated*

You’ll have to forgive me because I’m a little angry.  I’m venting here, and you will find typos as a result of my frustration.

I was reading the Politico this evening, and I came across this little gem:

Rush Limbaugh may command a large following, but his caustic comments Monday about the GOP’s congressional leadership have at least one Republican House member defending his colleagues and offering an unusually candid critique of the talk radio powerhouse and his fellow commentators.

Responding to President Obama’s recommendation to Republican congressional leaders last week that they not follow Limbaugh’s lead, the conservative talkmeister said on his show that Obama is “obviously more frightened of me than he is Mitch McConnell. He’s more frightened of me, than he is of, say, John Boehner, which doesn’t say much about our party.”

Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., did not take kindly to this assessment in an interview with Politico Tuesday.

“I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach,” Gingrey said. “I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party. You know you’re just on these talk shows and you’re living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of that thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell.”

I called Rep. Gingrey’s office to have a little, as my mama calls it, “come to Jesus talk.”  (It’s a nicer way of saying, “You’ve been bad, and I am about to perforate your behind.”)  I was really surprised when someone answered the phone (usually I just leave messages).  I spoke with a gentlemen, who it seemed, was very politely telling me to screw off.

Basically, I called to say something like this: “Rep. Gingrey, you seem to be unaware that there is a conservative base that longs for leadership.  Since we have a vacuum of conservative leadership in Washington, DC, folks like Rush Limbaugh manage to fill a void.  When I hear my elected Republican leadership – what has traditionally been the home of the conservative movement – insulting the only real conservative leadership I’ve got going, I get upset.  I am less likely to vote Republican, donate Republican, or volunteer Republican.”

To which this nice office lackey with an adorable twang replied [I am paraphrasing here]: “Rep. Gingrey has been in the trenches for you along with Mitch McConnell and John Boehner.”

The conversation then descended into Bailout Bills and John McCain; I pointed out that the Republicans had clearly done well on both counts there.  Rep. Gingrey’s office guy countered my dismay about the Bailout Bill with something like: “Well, we just didn’t get very good information about that bill.  So many economists were saying bad things would happen.”

So I’ve had a few minutes to think about this, and I am now thinking of all the things I wish I would have said…

Alright, Rep. Gingrey Office Guy, you folks have been in the trenches for me?  Really?  REALLY?  How about spending fifteen hours a week spouting conservative principles?  The last time I heard an elected Republican spout conservatism was when Sen. Jeff Sessions opposed the Bailout and when Gov. Sarah Palin was running.  The last I checked, most of you Republican types were so terrified of being call racist or unfair, you’re just willing to kow-tow to about anything that Obama backs.

Everyday, Rep. Gingrey Office Guy, twenty million listeners vote to support Rush with their time.  They also vote to support Rush with pod-cast subscriptions.  You know why they like him so much?  Because he is unabashedly conservative!  He doesn’t apologize for being right wing; he doesn’t run around in fear of being called a mean racist or economically unfair.  What elected Republican can enjoy that sort of die-hard support?  I am just trying to remember a Republican in recent past who has had millions and millions of fans who supported him or her with as much ferocity as Rush…

And if Rush Limbaugh is just a mean old coot, looking to make a buck, then why is it that he always seems to be right?  Did he support McCain?  Nope.  Did he support the Bailout?  Nope.  Will he oppose Obama on policies?  Yep. Ask those three questions of yourself and the other Republicans in Washington…

Also, there’s a reason Rush thinks Obama’s frightened of him: because Rush is the only real political opposition Obama’s got going.  We can talk about this in different terms… I’m not frightened of Jack, my house cat, because Jack’s not really going to put up much of an opposition to my Dear Husband assembling our new Romanian RPK.  I am, however, frightened of the anti-gun folks and their sway with Obama because they could provide Dear Husband with some opposition when it comes to assembling our Romanian RPK.  In other words, Rep. Gingrey Office Guy, Obama thinks the Republican leadership in Washington, DC are a bunch of, ahem, housecats; however, Obama knows Rush won’t pussyfoot around.

Listen, Republican leadership… you sacrificed your principles on the alter of political expediency, and so when I call to remind you of them, don’t tell me I’m the nut job.  Stop insulting your base.

I’m about to nail a conservative Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Holy Church of Republicanism.

*UPDATE*

Dear Husband is a much better writer than I am.