Hidden RINOs (Like Ken Calvert)

By Douglas V. Gibbs

A recent Fox News Survey found that, among those polled, 88% believe the government is "in charge" of the people, and that rather than defund Obamacare, the GOP ought to just delay it.  In his Time Magazine article titled "Obama's Fairness Doctrine" in early 2012, Joe Klein wrote that the Constitution was written to unite and "control" the States.  We seem to have reached a moment in history where people no longer believe that, as President Ronald Reagan famously said, "Government is the problem."

In the two-party battle over who is right and who is wrong, the lines between the Republican and Democrat have faded a little (Okay, fine. . . a lot).  In an attempt to regain position, the GOP has been convinced that to be viable in an election, they have to be more like their opposition.  Moderation is the key, we are told.  Candidates are conservative during the primaries, but move to the middle for the general election in pursuit of the much needed "independent vote."

Members of Congress seem to follow the same trend.  Many who seem to be idealistic going into office, or at least when it comes to the Republicans, moderate with each passing year of their time in office.  The politicians that remain in office for a long period of time often eventually become a part of the establishment, and when it comes to any shred of conservatism that is the base of the GOP, they lose sight of it, becoming what TEA Party folks refer to as a Republican In Name Only (RINO).

The million dollar question has always been, "Does politics attract these crooked lying professional politician types, or do they become that way because of the cesspool that is Washington DC?"  Most believe it is a little of both.

In the case of California's Ken Calvert, he was elected in 1994, and was a part of that "Contract With America" crowd.  He was a part of a faction of the Republican Party that was determined to change the culture in Washington, and to put the Democrat President, Bill Clinton, in his place.  They battled, and won a number of skirmishes, but with the media on the side of the Democrats, even the accomplishments by the Republican Party in the 90s became negatively viewed by the folks whose information curve stops with the mainstream media's line of propaganda.

The 42nd District is a dominantly Republican District in Southern California's Inland Empire in Southwest Riverside County east of Los Angeles.  Ken Calvert is a fairly safe politician, he thinks, in the sense of whether or not someone can knock him off that perch.  People approve of him, for the most part, because he always votes Republican.  He's not so much a RINO like John McCain, or Lindsey Graham, and the opponents that face off with Ken Calvert in elections are usually of the liberal persuasion (therefore, are unable to beat him, much less able to convince the voters they are the better choice), so folks tolerate Calvert, and even "like" the guy - despite his scandals with hookers, and the news of how he continuously inserts earmarks onto bills that ultimately lead to the increase in value of properties he owns - of which he then sells quickly.  He votes with the Republicans, I am told, so he is not really a RINO.

The problem is that like Ken Calvert, the establishment of the Republican Party has been moving leftward.  Congressmen like Calvert voting with the GOP is not exactly comforting to voters when they expect the Republicans to oppose the progressive, leftist agenda, and instead they are getting a watered down, moderate form of the party.  In other words, Congressmen like Ken Calvert are hidden RINOs.  They are nearly as bad as the more outspoken progressives in the Republican Party.  They are just better at hiding it.

And like so many people have told me, "People approve of Calvert because he brings home the bacon to the district."  Never mind the fact that a large portion of that bacon goes into the pockets of his donors, and his own trousers.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Voters Support delaying Obamacare, but oppose defunding it - Fox News

Rep. Ken Calvert is an Embarrassment to California, Should he step down? - Huffington Post