Tomorrow, as you may well know, the House GOP will try to move on from Eric Cantor's downfall and elect new leaders. And while the race to replace Cantor is turning into a virtual Kevin McCarthy coronation (especially when his opponent is this blundering Tea-Party blockhead), the real interesting race is the fight to succeed McCarthy as Majority Whip:
Reps. Peter Roskam and Steve Scalise are in a mad rush to lock up votes for Thursday’s race for House majority whip, holding one-on-one and group meetings on Capitol Hill.
Roskam and Scalise — the two leading contenders in the contest for the No. 3 spot in GOP leadership — are focused on shoring up their core supporters, and solidifying votes for a potential second round of voting
Roskum, McCarthy's chief deputy and Scalise, the current Republican Study Committee chairman, are expected contenders, with Scalise currently
claiming to hold the edge. But there's also a third candidate in the race, a candidate you might not be familiar with, but the subject of this new entry. Who?
This guy:
Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana will run for majority whip, complicating a race that had so far been a heated head-to-head battle between Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam of Illinois and Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
You may not remember Marlin Stutzman but you should. The Tea Party favorite, first elected in 2010 to succeed the Gingrich foot soldier turned sex-scandal plagued hypocrite Mark Souder, has been largely quite and unknown to the general populace. That is, except for one stirring example of stupendous idiocy he displayed during the shutdown fight last fall. What, you may ask? Do you recall this?
“We’re not going to be disrespected,” conservative Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., added. “We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.”
You remember the
"Canada on Strike" episode of
South Park? You know, the one that ends with the Canadian premiere breaking down crying and Stan and Kyle convincing the UN to give them
something just so they could save face? Funny stuff, right? But you never thought you'd hear a sitting Congressman in the midst of a self-inflicted crisis that could sink the economy do the basic same thing.
But Stutzman did. And needless to say, he was savaged for it for it, including getting memorably mocked by none other than Obama himself. So it should come as no surprise that he quickly apologized...eh, sort of:
"Yesterday, I carelessly misrepresented the ongoing budget debate and Speaker Boehner’s work on behalf of the American people," Stutzman said in a statement. "Despite my remarks it’s clear that the American people want both parties to come to the table to reopen the government, tackle this nation’s debt crisis, and stop ObamaCare’s pain."
Oh, you were going so well and then you had to slip back into mindless Obamacare bashing, Marlin! I suppose you can't help it. Tea Party reflex.
So, yes, he's something of a dick. Need more proof? How about this from last year, during the farm bill/food stamp fight?
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a Republican Rep. from Indiana also received his fair share of government subsidies. He personally took in nearly $200,000 for the farm he co-owns with his father.
According to the New York Times Stutzman said Thursday the bill cutting food stamps by $39 billion over the next ten years “eliminates loopholes, ensures work requirements, and puts us on a fiscally responsible path.”
Federal funding for me, but nothing for me, you stupid poor people!
I take that back. Stutzman isn't kind of a dick. He's a massive dick. So you'd think he'd be a natural to be part of the current GOP leadership, which, in the wake of Cantor's defeat, has lost its biggest dick. But he's currently running third behind Scalise and Roskum, claiming
around 50 votes last count. So what does he expect to get out of this? The Washington Post tries to figure it out:
Some Scalise and Roskam advisers have said that if the contest is close, Stutzman could be offered the position of chief deputy whip in an effort to get him and his team on board ahead of the second vote.
Stutzman cracked a slight smile at the possibility but was vague on whether he was interested in the job. “I’ll think about it at that time,” he said.
Another idea that has been floated by Scalise's deputies: Scalise, currently chairman of the Republican Study Committee, giving him the nod replace him at the RSC.
Both possibilities, but perhaps he's thinking long term.
More likely, however, is that Stutzman would use his higher profile for a later leadership run, perhaps for majority whip or conference chairman when another opening emerges.
"I wouldn't rule it out, maybe not next time, but down the road again," Stutzman said.
At only 37 and from a safe GOP district (well, in Cantor's wake, as safe as any can be), he certainly has the time to do so. And he seems to have some prominent backers in the GOP House caucus:
Stutzman’s coalition in the whip race, although smaller than his competitors, features a diverse array of GOP voices, from more centrist Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a favorite of the party's hardliners. Entering the cloakroom, Jordan flashed a thumbs up when asked about Stutzman's chances
The fact that noted Tea-Party big shot (and former RSC chairman) Jordan is backing him should tell you all you need to know about Marlin. This time, at least, he knows what he wants. And even if he doesn't get it, we're going to have to deal with this dick for a long time.
And seriously, Marlin?!!!