Are Conservatives & Conservative Organizations in D.C. Actually Feckless Wimps?

Are Conservatives & Conservative Organizations in D.C. Actually Feckless Wimps?
Posted by Erick Erickson

A number of conservatives and conservative groups in Washington, D.C. are pushing yet another pledge. This one is to cut, cap, and balance. They want you to pledge to urge your Senator and Congressman to oppose any debt limit unless all three of the following conditions are met: (1) substantial cuts in spending; (2) enforceable spending caps; and (3) passage of the Lee-Cornyn-Hatch Balanced Budget Amendment, known as S.J. Res. 10 in the Senate and H. J. Res. 56 in the House.

The pledge is wonderful. I fully support it. I also think any conservative and conservative organization that signs the pledge is feckless, spineless, and gutless unless one additional step is taken.

And the sad thing is, I suspect I am one thousand percent right that we’ll all be disappointed by the conservatives and conservative organizations signing the pledge. Here’s why.We’ve reached the point of no return in this country, but Republicans keep making deal after deal after deal. They’ll negotiate their way to hell and our country to fiscal ruin all while nuancing around pledges.

Meanwhile, the pledge makers and pledge signer really do nothing other than say “Oh my, Senator/Representative X broke the pledge. Tisk. Tisk.”

The time for tisk, tisking is over.

I’m calling on the conservatives and conservative organizations who agree to “cut, cap, and balance” to put up or shut up. Here’s the Erick Erickson Pledge:

I pledge that if any Republican votes to increase the debt ceiling without first cutting, capping, and balancing using Lee-Cornyn-Hatch, I will work like hell to beat the hell out of him/her in a primary, even if their election is 2014 or 2016.

The time for nuancing and diplomatic niceties in Washington are over.

Instead of standing around in a circle of Washington hoo-haaing like conservatives are prone to do lamenting their sorry fate and wringing their hands on what strategy to take to Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell, conservatives need to adopt a very simple strategy:

Hold the freaking line.

If any Republican votes to raise the debt ceiling without forcing (1) substantial cuts; (2) enforceable caps; and (3) sending the Lee-Cornyn-Hatch Balanced Budget Amendment to the states, the conservative movement must unite to beat the hell out of them in a primary. Period. End of Story. No more wimping out.

It really is that simple — or at least it is that simple unless your brain has atrophied from being inside the Beltway. Just don’t raise the debt ceiling. Oh, I know, some of you are getting sweaty palms thinking about it and insisting that we must raise the debt ceiling.

That’s what we always do.

Putting it bluntly — it is time to be a hostage taker and take the debt ceiling hostage to cutting, capping, and balancing the budget.

Will conservative organizations actually stand up and wage scorched earth in the name of saving the Republic, or will they yet again go limp when sold out for the billionth time. My money is on limp, but I hope others will stand on either hand and save this bridge with me.

By the way, the Lee-Cornyn-Hatch Balanced Budget amendment is non-negotiable. Other Republicans are offering up balanced budget amendments, but the alternatives either don’t limit spending or make it too easy to raise taxes instead of making spending cuts. Lee-Cornyn-Hatch has both a spending limitation component and requires a super-majority to raise taxes.

Folks, talk is over. It’s time for action.