Elizabeth Warren v. Patrick McHenry

Youtube user MainStreet Insider gives a description.

On Tuesday, May 24th 2011, during a hearing in a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, Chairman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) ended the hearing by calling Elizabeth Warren a liar. It was a messy and confusing ending for all watching. Warren had stated that the Chairman's staff and her, after a late-night, last-minute schedule change, had agreed to let her leave by 2:15 to meet other obligations. You can see the look of shock on her face when he outright calls her a liar.

The short answer is McHenry moved the hearing date around several times and then scheduled Warren for a 15 minute hearing. To top matters off is that McHenry had no one to ask Warren questions. McHenry then accuses Warren of being a liar. Warren's jaw drops at the 1:03 mark of the video.

My question is why is Warren needed to speak to a subcommittee? Subcommittees usually kick matters up to the major committees.

McHenry is a very unserious man. How unserious? How about getting himself photographed grabbing onto the breasts of Republican activist Jackie Sullens.



Besides the silly lollipop McHenry is holding - notice the alcohol the young Republicans are holding. Well, McHenry got into trouble for serving alcohol to minors.

During this time, McHenry was charged with getting many of these underage College Republicans drunk and partying with them. According to Affidavidts with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agency, McHenry was closely involved (or potentially hosted) a party with underage students after a 2004 Catawba County Lincoln Day dinner, in which beer and wine liberally flowed, and McHenry was photoed holding a lollypop with drunk students clearly holding cans of alcohol (right). According to statements by the Alcohol Law Enforcement agency, the students asserted that the alcohol was provided by the McHenry camp, though this is questionable. Despite the source of the alcohol, it was clear through reports that McHenry was fully aware of both the alcohol consumption and the age of many of the staffers.

I am willing to take Warren's word over McHenry's, anyday.

The Message Is Republicans Aren't Getting the Message

Rep. Patrick McHenry believes Republicans need to keep repeating the same message over and over.

“We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., an outspoken conservative who has participated on the GOP message teams. “Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Tom McClusky, of the Family Research Council, advises the Republicans to serve only the base.

"The Republicans need to take a step back from the big-tent philosophy," said Tom McClusky, a vice-president of the Family Research Council, a bastion of social conservatism. "All a big tent does is attract a lot of clowns."

A recent New York Times/CBS poll found Barack Obama with a 63 percent approval rating. Bobby Jindal used the usual Republican rhetoric to attack Obama's SOTU. Several polls found Obama's approval ratings going up after the State of the Union address. The problem with Republicans is the public doesn't view the party is serious about governing. The GOP can talk about small government. The fact remains is you are elected to public office you are expected to govern effectively. The Bush years have damaged public perception on the Republican brand. Jindal's SOTU response argued against a federal response to Katrina. History will show the federal government didn't do enough for New Orleans.

Alcoholics Anonymous says, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Republicans are repeating a message that hasn't worked in the last two elections. The GOP's soul will be fought for by the David Brooks/David Frum Republicans vs. the social conservative and Grover Norquist anti-tax faction.

Quote of the Day

"Liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God."

Rep. Patrick McHenry, at a North Carolina John McCain rally.