No profiles in courage for NCGOP in DC

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North Carolina’s Republican Members of Congress have proved — once again — that keeping Speaker John Boehner happy is more important than looking out for the folks struggling through a wretched economy back home.

On Wednesday, 48 Republican members of the US House joined with 182 Democrats to kill legislation presented by the Republican leadership to keep the government running from October 1 to November 18:

The Republican leadership tried to pass a continuing resolution through the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon that would have permitted funding for Obamacare implementation, Planned Parenthood, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Palestinian Authority to continue in the new federal fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1.

The bill was defeated 195 to 230 when 48 House conservatives joined with 182 House Democrats in voting against it. …

… The Democrats objected to the bill because it would have offset new money for disaster relief at the Federal Emergency Management Agency by cutting $1.5 billion from the $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loans program that provides government-subsidized financing to automakers.

The failed CR, promoted by House Speaker John Boehner (R.-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R.-Va.), was a temporary measure designed to fund the entire government through Nov. 18.

During that time, it would have funded the government at an annualized rate just $7 billion less than the level of federal spending for fiscal 2011–but $24 billion more than the Republican-controlled House approved in the budget resolution they passed earlier this year.

(A note: These continuing resolutions are temporary measures required because neither BarryO nor the Dems on the Hill — who have the majority in the Senate and had it in the House until January 2011 — have ever approved a budget.)

Okay.  The Tea Party gave the Republicans a House majority, and a stronger GOP caucus in the Senate, and a mandate to cut spending and shrink the size of government.  Voters overwhelmingly threw out big-spenders and elected candidates who promised smaller government and lower taxes.   So, WHY is the House Republican leadership working with Obama and the Democrats to spend even MORE money?

The biggest disappointment of the day was that not one single Republican from North Carolina stood up to this blatant act of disrespect to the taxpayers.  Not even freshman Renee Ellmers, who won her 2010 race campaigning as a strong fiscal conservative and darling of  Tea Party.  As soon as she got to DC, she had  Speaker Boehner AND The New York Times swooning.