Thad McCotter To The Tea Party: Time To Grow Up

One of the more conservative members of the House GOP caucus had some harsh words for the Tea Party regarding the role it has played in the debt ceiling debate:

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.), a Republican presidential candidate, called Saturday morning for Republicans and the Tea Party to stop fighting and work together to help save the country, presumably from Democratic policies, although he was not specific.

“On the right, take note,” McCotter said on the House floor. “It is as unwarranted and injurious for a Republican to call a Tea Partier a hobbit as it is for a Tea Partier to call a Republican a RINO.”

(…)

“We cannot unite America if we divide the movement,” McCotter warned. “Consequently, the time has come for the Tea party to grow up and the Republican Party to wake up and come together to serve and save this great nation.”

McCotter came to Congress before the rise of the Tea Party movement, so he’s not beholden to them in any respect. Nonetheless, he has been among their heroes of late and was, until yesterday’s changes, one of the staunch “no” votes on the original Boehner Bill. Perhaps the Tea Party needs to take his words to heart.

 

FILED UNDER: Congress, Deficit and Debt, US Politics, , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Jay Tea says:

    Doug, you gave short shrift to the latter half of McCotter’s words:

    “We cannot unite America if we divide the movement,” McCotter warned. “Consequently, the time has come for the Tea party to grow up and the Republican Party to wake up and come together to serve and save this great nation.”

    That was directed at those within the GOP who have been trashing the Tea Party movement — calling them “not serious” or “Taliban” or “irresponsible” or “unrealistic” or… help me out here. What else have you been calling them?

    J.

  2. An Interested Party says:

    Those among the Tea Party crowd who are willing to let the country default simply because they can’t get what they want or because they think it would be no big deal not to raise the debt ceiling really are not serious, irresponsible, and unrealistic…that is simply the truth, not name calling or trashing…it is so sweet to see Jay Tea defend his fellow travelers, but I notice he didn’t mention that there was any problem with calling those Republicans who disagree with him and his ilk “RINOs”…

  3. john personna says:

    Since I’ve never heard of Thaddeus McCotter in my life, I probably shouldn’t worry too much about this …

  4. Jay Tea says:

    @john personna: Your loss, john. He’s been on Red Eye several times, and he’s got a wicked sense of humor. Smart as hell, too.

    I guess, when you grow up with a name like his, you get a sense of humor fast, or you get eaten alive. Add in that he’s a lanky, balding guy, and it helps. I like him.

    He’s running for president. We could do worse. Hell, I’d argue we are doing worse.

    J.

  5. Markey says:

    If i was a bedrock Democrat, i would be laughing my ass off at the republican party today. Letting these ‘John Birch Society’ types go mainstream in the GOP is really paying off hey?

  6. Jay Tea says:

    @Markey: Just how is McCotter a “John Birch Society type?” I’d be grateful if you’d offer a couple of examples. I’m sure that you have several at hand; otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.

    J.

  7. Gerry W. says:

    And no one is talking about jobs, and it will only get worse. Am tired of the “one trick” ponies and leaving the middle class behind. You cannot try to solve one problem and let 10 others rise.

    http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/30/c_131018764.htm

  8. Jay Tea says:

    @An Interested Party: Upset about Tea Party folks tossing around the term “RINO?” That’s nothing, compared to what they’ve been called by alleged Republicans and conservatives.

    “Children, how did this fight start?”

    “It’s his fault! He hit me back!”

    J.

  9. Chicago Nick says:

    Used to like this guy….until now.

  10. WR says:

    @Jay Tea: It’s a race between old-school Republicans and Tea Partiers to see which one can feel the sorriest for themselves as they plot to destroy the American economy.

  11. An Interested Party says:

    @Jay Tea: Oh, I’m not upset at all…just wondering where your consistency is…

  12. Jay Tea says:

    My consistency? In the mixing bowl. A few more minutes, and the brownie batter will be ready.

    Oh, on the topic of name-calling… I tend to ignore it. But when someone whines about it, I feel like mocking. The arguments — from either side — tend to boil down to “they’re mean, but we’re just telling the truth, and they can’t stand it!” It’s kinda pointless, and I do enough pointless things already.

    But back to the topic at hand: I see that Doug isn’t alone in wanting to overlook how McCotter was calling out both sides, and want to think of him as just turning on the Tea Party of which he’s been a staunch ally. I see him as trying to reconcile the two, and he’s one of the better folks to do it. Him and Marco Rubio, who just royally pwned Obama, Biden, Reid, and John Kerry on the floor of the Senate.

    J.

  13. An Interested Party says:

    Oh, on the topic of name-calling… I tend to ignore it.

    Indeed, as when the name is “RINO”…

    But when someone whines about it, I feel like mocking.

    If that’s the case, you should practice some self-mocking, as you were the one whining about how the poor, innocent Tea Party crowd has been treated…

  14. Jay Tea says:

    @An Interested Party: The LAST thing I need is practice in self-deprecation; I’m a bit of an expert at it.

    And I don’t recall ever using the term “RINO,” or complaining about the names Tea Partiers are called. (except for the whole “Teabag” thing; that’s just unnecessary vulgarity, and really overdone.) My concerns have about how they’ve been treated in general — the lies, mainly.

    J.

  15. Jerry says:

    Here’s the ENTIRE remark in context. It DOES make a difference for those willing to invest the mental energy to understand what the guy is saying…

    “The Administration and the Democratic Senate’s posturing show what America knows: We are being neither led nor governed. Yet, in their policy irresponsibility they remain in party unity. On the right take note. It is as unwarranted and injurious for a Republican to call a Tea Partier a hobbit as it is for a Tea Partier to call a Republican a R.I.N.O. For we cannot unite America if we divide the movement. Consequently, the time has come for the Tea Party to grow up and the Republican Party to wake up; and come together to serve and save this great nation.” — Thaddeus McCotter

  16. Jerry says:

    @Chicago Nick: Check out the whole quote in context Nick. The guy just wants to get something done in an emergency situation. His voting record speaks for itself.