Griffin Makes the List (Of Tea Party Betrayers)

 The Club for Growth Lists Griffin as a "Tea Party Betrayer" 

Congressman Tim Griffin (R) Little Rock has made a top ten list.   Unfortunately, its a list of Freshman Congressman who most betrayed the Tea Party according to the Club for Growth and various Tea Party Groups.     Griffin checks in at #5 on the list for his votes to raise the debt ceiling, spending, and vote against the Republican study group's plan to restrain spending to somewhat less-unsustainable levels.

If he was bad on fiscal issues, a typical big-government Republican whose idea of being "pro-business" is taxing small fry so that your big friends can spend the money, he was at least as miserable on the critical issue of protecting the personal liberty of Americans.  As nearly as I can tell, Griffin enthusiastically voted fascist at every available opportunity.  The culmination of his record in this regard was his actions surrounding the NDAA.    I document his misleading words and actions surrounding this legislation here, here, and from the text of the act itself here.    

Honestly none of the Republican Congressman have done particularly well.  Rick Crawford over in the first district, in addition to voting for some of the same measures Griffin voted for, stunned voters by calling for a tax increase for the rich.   

In a way though, I think it was inaccurate for the Club for Growth to label Griffin a "betrayer" of the Tea Party.   Only the most delusional could seriously believe that Griffin was ever a Tea Party candidate.   Tim Griffin has always been a creature of the Washington-based Republican Party.    The only way he ever advanced to any office is because of his service to Karl Rove and the other beltway insiders.   Absent a personality-altering brain injury or religious conversion, there was no possibility Griffin would ever act as anything but a tool of the interests in D.C. who control the party from there.   It was not reasonable to believe that he would represent the interests of the folks back home, because he does not owe his prominence to them, but to the establishment.

If I lived in the 2nd district, I would find it impossible to pull the lever for Griffin (I guess there is no more lever  but you know what I mean).    This is especially true now that Chris Hayes is running.   Hayes has a ballot spot as a Libertarian candidate, but I believe him to be much more of a constitutionalist than a pure libertarian.  On the federal level, the two philosophies are a lot alike.  

What good is a Tea Party if they STILL rally behind someone who was either never with them or who betrayed them?   Especially when there is a choice on the ballot that really would look after their interests.  This election will be a good litmus test of which Arkansas Tea Parties are serious and which are just thrill-seekers hoping to rub shoulders with politicians and kidding themselves about reforming government.