House Leadership acting like Democrats; McCarthy avoids Republican Study Committee

How in the world can conservatives expect House leadership to fight the Obama administration when it employs the same tactics? The House 'Purge list' that has served to widen the chasm between the establishment and conservative wings of the Republican Party continues to be hidden from view by House leadership.

Breitbart's Matthew Boyle reported that the alleged author of the list - House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy - agreed to meet with the Republican Study Committee (RSC) to provide some clarity and transparency. However, something apparently came up and McCarthy did not attend the meeting.

Via Breitbart:

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy blew off a scheduled meeting with the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) on Wednesday. At the meeting, McCarthy was going to explain the secret criteria list, including a voting scorecard, that he created for House Speaker John Boehner to use in his purge of conservatives from influential House committees.

A source familiar with the situation told Breitbart News that McCarthy backed out of the meeting at the last minute – after having agreed to it last week. “Congressman McCarthy did agree last week to attend today’s RSC meeting to discuss the issue of the four members removed from their committees,” the source told Breitbart News. “Citing the need to attend to a family matter, he did not end up making it to the meeting.”

Roll Call and POLITICO both have articles that point to what could be a new narrative developing as to the reason for the jettisoning of the four conservative House members from their committees - that the men were booted because the were "A-holes" who publicly criticize House leaders. In either case, the stonewalling that has come from House leadership only serves to raise more questions and exacerbate tensions.

For example, there seems to be some inconsistencies with respect to McCarthy's absence from the RSC meeting.

Via Roll Call:

Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, who was booted from a coveted spot on the House Budget Committee and also lost his position on the Agriculture Committee, told reporters that McCarthy was going to address the group. RSC Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio told the group the whip would be there to explain whether a secret vote scorecard had been used to weigh whether to kick members off committees. But a GOP leadership aide said McCarthy was never scheduled to attend.

That led to Jordan telling the group that McCarthy had, in fact, bailed out at the last minute to tend to a family emergency, said Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, who was at the meeting.

“That was the announcement Jim made, that [McCarthy] was going to be here to tell us whether or not there was scorecard and what it meant if there is one and then some things came up at the last minute,” he said. “My understanding is a family matter came up and he’s leaving to go back home.”

McCarthy was still in town when the House voted, hours after the RSC meeting.

So, did McCarthy miss the meeting because he wasn't scheduled to be there or because of a family emergency? While we're at it, were the four conservative members booted from their committees because of their votes or because they were "A-holes"?

Perhaps we'd know if Mr. McCarthy would tell us.

Is House Majority Whip coming clean on that 'purge list'?

The stonewalls coming from House Republican leadership - and Paul Ryan - about the secret 'purge list' that led to the booting of true conservatives from the Budget and Financial Services committees may be starting to crack. Matthew Boyle at Breitbart is reporting that the man identified as being the one who created the list - House Republican Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy - has agreed to meet with the Republican Study Committee (RSC) to explain it.

Via Breitbart:

Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp said in an interview that McCarthy has agreed to explain to the conservative members of the House his role in drafting the scorecard used to purge conservative House members from their committee assignments.

“They’ve requested McCarthy to come tomorrow to RSC to explain his scorecard,” Huelskamp told Breitbart News. “I’ve seen the stories about ‘McCarthyism’ and it is his scorecard. Who put it together and how? What’s on it? That’s what we’re trying to get a hold of.”

“He [McCarthy] told [RSC Chairman Rep.] Jim Jordan he’d show up at RSC tomorrow,” Huelskamp added. “He said he would come. But, until he shows up, we’ll see. If he doesn’t show up, he’ll have to answer to Jim Jordan about misleading him. But I hope he shows up. They still don’t have the guts to release the scorecard.”

When you get right down to it, House Republican Party leadership is doing what it has long decried Obama for doing - backroom deals and political payback for those who aren't in lockstep. If that's the culture the GOP is creating in the House, it should prepare to lose the majority in 2014.

The movement to replace Boehner, Cantor, and McCarthy continues but the candidates of choice seem to be reluctant.

Frankly, reluctant leaders might just be a breath of fresh air. They usually make better ones anyway.

Report: House Majority Whip responsible for Boehner's 'purge list'

There appears to be a source for Breitbart who has access to the goings-on inside House Republican leadership circles when it comes to the now infamous 'purge list' John Boehner used to oust four conservatives from the Budget and Financial Services Committees. If this source is correct, Rep. Paul Ryan's role in the purge may also be coming into clearer focus.

Via Breitbart:

A House GOP source has confirmed to Breitbart News that House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy was the one who drafted the secret criteria list House Speaker John Boehner used in his purge of conservatives from House committees.

The source, someone with inside knowledge of how Boehner conducted the purge, told Breitbart News that McCarthy crafted the list, which included a scorecard of where several conservative members stood on certain votes. According to the source, it’s unclear at this time whether McCarthy made the list of his own accord or if he did so at the request of somebody else in GOP leadership – like Boehner or House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

The source alleges that McCarthy brought the criteria list to the House GOP Steering Committee where it was used to purge four conservatives from their House committee spots.

As for Ryan, not only is he being conspicuously silent on this whole thing but he is both on the Steering Committee, which includes 31 members, and chairman of the House Budget Committee, which saw two conservatives jettisoned. Breitbart reported earlier that a GOP leadership aide originally suggested Ryan and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, Financial Services Committee chairman, were responsible for the ouster of two conservatives from each committee.

However, Hensarling has been quite critical of the move while Ryan has been in stonewalling mode.

In short, this entire purge thing stinks and Ryan, who has enjoyed conservative - as well as establishment - support, is looking a bit more establishment with every development in this story.

In any case, those responsible for this purge are using the same tactics employed by the Democrats over the last four years, which they decried at every turn. Ryan was one of the most critical opponents of backroom deals when it came to Obamacare.

...and Boehner cries.