Jim Jordan Would Be a Winner as Speaker

by Tom Balek, Contributing Author: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will retire his position at the end of the current legislative year. Assuming the GOP maintains control of the House, the swamp-dwelling elites on the Hill hope his equally feckless accomplice, Kevin McCarthy, will succeed him.

Ryan’s predecessor, John Boehner, was reviled by most conservatives during his stint as speaker. I frequently complained to my congressman, Mick Mulvaney (founding member of the House Freedom Caucus and current director of OMB) about Boehner’s refusal to maintain regular budget and appropriations order, and his trembling fear of Nancy Pelosi and the minority party. Boehner was so afraid of “owning” a government shutdown that he allowed President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and the compliant news media to utterly violate the Republican House majority with omnibus spending bills and other atrocities. When I asked Mulvaney whether Boehner had any redeeming characteristics, he said, “At least Boehner did away with earmarks.”

Despite their loathing for Boehner, House conservatives couldn’t enlist a principled member to replace him when he stepped down in 2015. They meekly accepted Ryan as speaker. Knowing Ryan was a Boehner protege, and expecting a continuation of weak-kneed if not downright liberal leadership, I pressed Mulvaney for an explanation. Why didn’t we fight? “Nobody wanted the job,” he replied. “And Ryan promised us regular order in the House.”

We didn’t even get that.

So here we go again, faced with the prospect of yet another sissy as speaker.

But this time a principled conservative has stepped up for the job. Jim Jordan, Freedom Caucus founding member and former chairman, has announced his intention to run for speaker of the House.
“President Trump has taken bold action on behalf of the American people,” Jordan told The Hill. “Congress has not held up its end of the deal, but we can change that.”His announcement was enthusiastically received by grass-roots conservatives, who favor him 99 – 1 over McCarthy. Jordan said a top priority would be border security and immigration reform. He also would make sure that committee chairs are selected by their members instead of being “purchased” from the speaker with contributions, as has been the recent practice.

It didn’t take long for the swamp-elites to react. Ryan immediately said he would not support Jordan for speaker. “I’m not going to be here,” Ryan said. “I support [House Majority Leader] Kevin McCarthy. Everybody knows that.” And an attack against Jordan was launched by “deep state” provocateurs Perkins Coie (the same firm that compiled the fake Trump dossier) claiming that Jordan, as an assistant college wrestling coach 25 years ago, ignored students’ reports of sexual abuse. The fabricated claim was immediately extinguished with Jordan receiving support from all corners, including Ryan’s. Jordan’s moral and leadership credentials easily withstood the assault.

There is evidence of a side benefit from Jordan’s candidacy. Reports show increased enthusiasm for the GOP in the 2018 election among voters who know that Jordan might be the Speaker of the House. Certainly Jordan’s positive relationship with President Trump can be leveraged to win votes for conservative House candidates and preserve the majority.

While Jordan is still considered an underdog in the race for House speaker, growing support from grass-roots conservatives and strong backing from the House Freedom Caucus makes him a solid contender. When I asked Congressman Ralph Norman about Jordan’s bid for the speakership, he said, “The election of Jim Jordan will be a GAME CHANGER for our entire conservative movement and will finally put our great nation on a pathway to financial solvency.”

Jordan had a record 156 wins as a college wrestler. We could sure use a winner leading the House of Representatives.
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Tom Balek is a fellow conservative activist, blogger, musician and contributes to the ARRA News Service. Tom resides in South Carolina and seeks to educate those too busy with their work and families to notice how close to the precipice our economy has come. He blogs at Rockin' On the Right Side

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