Walter Jones is getting rather tiresome
Walter Jones, Jr. has got quite a cult following. The folks who read “Mother Jones” AND The Ron Paul fan club are both swooning over him. Considering the diametric disagreement on a number of issues between those two camps, that is QUITE a FEAT.
Jones is the son of a long-time Democrat congressman who represented Down East for years and years. Junior served as a Democrat in the NC House — playing footsie with BOTH the Democrats AND the Republicans. In 1994, the NCGOP and RNC recruited him to switch parties and run against Martin Lancaster in the 3rd district — even though Jones’s home was not in the district at the time. Jones won that race, campaigning as a doctrinaire Gingrich-style Contract-With-America Republican.
Jones built a record as one of the most conservative members of the House. Then, 9-11 happened. Jones started off as a diehard fan of getting revenge for the travesties committed on that horrible day. Shortly, he switched gears, did a 180, and started working overtime to derail our military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. At a recent rally in Raleigh, Jones quipped that former vice president Dick Cheney will go to hell for his efforts to go to war in the Middle East following 9-11. Never mind that it was actually George W. Bush who was the commander in chief at the time. Never mind that the Congress — including Jones — authorized those military actions. It’s interesting that Jones took that route with Cheney. Why not bash the efforts of Congress and the bureaucrats to micromanage the military actions — shifting the objectives from revenge against terrorists to things like school-building and women’s rights. What about the restrictive rules of engagement that really limit our soldiers’ ability to shoot back when they are being fired on?
There’s a time for policy debates. (I disagreed with the military interventions in Somalia, Lebanon, and Bosnia.) But once our folks get dropped into battle, it’s time to shut up and get them what they need to get the job done and come home victorious.
His actions are a little hard to understand. Jones’s district has a lot of military members and their families. But many of them are registered to vote elsewhere — so they’re not much of a political threat.
Jones started voting against his caucus on domestic issues, as well. Scores and scores of big-spending government programs earned his vote. He’s even joined the congressional advisory board of The Ripon Society, a group of self-described liberal Republicans whose stated objective is to filter the conservative influence from the GOP.
To my friends Down East, let’s not forget the aid and comfort he gave party-switcher Arthur Williams in the GOP runoff for NC House.
Everyone who worships WJJ as a man of principle, think long and hard about all of the issues I’ve brought up here. Just like an awful lot of other folks in Raleigh and DC, Walter is out for what’s best for Walter. Jones has been on two sides — sometimes THREE — of a lot of issues. He’s been so flexible ( ideologically) that he just might be made of plastic.
There are quite a few of Jones’ votes that trouble me, but he has usually been a budget hawk and he has been solid against amnesty for illegals.
The thing I give Jones the most credit for is standing up for the right side against our weak-kneed House GOP leadership on budget and debt fights. He got gutted by Boehner for that.
Given the choice, I would take Jones any day over a Boehner brownnoser like Renee Ellmers.
It is the leadership poodles who ought to be at the top of the list for primary challenges in 2014. Congresscritters need to learn that their first duty is to their constituents, not to the Washington beltway establishment.
Back in the good days, a comment like that about Cheney would have him packing. Wouldn’t it be nice to have him talk that about the Dictator-bully- in- chief? Tells you all you need to know about this boy!
The first two paragraphs demonstrate a lack of understanding of Walter Jones’ popularity with so many people…..no matter how hard they tried to gerrymander him out across the eastern part of the state, Jones captured 2/3 of the vote. Jones is NOT a Party man. He owes NOTHING to either Party. Jones is NOT Corrupt. Jones is HUMBLE. Jones admits sin in his life, especially how it impacted others, and asked forgiveness. Such traits make Jones like no other in North Carolina politician.
That’s across Parties and across race. Ron Paul supporters, those you tend to call “Grass Roots” when they serve a purpose of sticking it to leadership, support him for other reasons. His opposition to Bailouts, TARP, the Patriot Act, The Disclose Act, CISPA (the net takeover), Unconstitutional Wars, Drone Bombing, Re Arming Al Queda to overthrow Dictators, Indefinitely Detaining Americans without Charge, Legal Representation, or Judge….for cooperating with Al Queda, Massive Police State expansion at home via TSA and other DHS measures….I could really go on for some time. These viewpoints Jones represents are not to be marginalized. All are the GOP’s future, or the Party dies. What about the rest of our Big Government Phony Conservatives in DC? Where do THEY stand on all those issues? I’ll give you a hint, Brant, the wrong side.
Jones is considered by many the Leader of the Grass Roots to be the Leader of the GOP in our State. Jones fails where it counts most. He failed a ‘loyalty test’ to this current disastrous leadership in Washington and that’s just fine with me.
In Liberty,
Todd Bennett
Here is yet another example of why it is Ellmers, not Jones, who should be the target for conservatives:
http://www.redstate.com/2013/03/06/the-cr-vote-tally-courage-in-the-senate-capitulation-in-the-house/