Meet the Right-Wing Rebels Who Overthrew John Boehner

[Xipe Totec]

When election season rolls around, these politicians don't fear moderate Democrats — they are only threatened by even more right-wing Republicans in a primary fight. Instead of seeking to make inroads with Hispanics or independent women, their political imperative is to serve up red meat to furious constituents who say they want "their country back."

Unaccountable to House leadership, these politicians respond to conservative pressure groups like Heritage Action — an offshoot of the Heritage Foundation. (Long a bastion of the establishment, Heritage is now run by reactionary ex-South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, and is a beating heart of insurgency in Washington.) Running afoul of Heritage's metrics of right-wing purity is the quickest way to invite an electoral challenge. "They have score cards," says Dick Durbin, the Senate's number-two Democrat. "It scares the bejesus out of Republicans: 'Vote yes, vote no — or get ready, we're coming at you in the primary.'?"

For Freedom Caucus members, careers in Washington are not defined by incremental legislative progress, but by a chest-beating performance of red-state identity. Winning is subordinate to fighting — a dynamic that leads members to reverse Ronald Reagan's famous admonition: "I'd rather get 80 percent of what I want than go over a cliff with my flags flying."

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/meet-the-right-wing-rebels-who-overthrew-john-boehner-20151006

[Demeter]

1. Must I?

I eschew FaceBook, Twitter, reality shows and TV in general, and only listen to NPR when they aren't too awful.

I don't want to meet a bunch of zombies, at Halloween or any other time.

[Xipe Totec]

4. Inasmuch as this impacts your life, then yes.

It is important to stay attuned to the screeching sounds of the Republican machinery grinding to a halt.

This could go very well for us, or very poorly...

Stay tuned...

[DhhD]

2. So the real Speaker of The House is, Jim DeMint? n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. ...

[Xipe Totec]

5. That, is EXCELLLENT! Bravo!

[Gumboot]

7. Brilliant!

Might have to borrow that one for my Twitter page, if you don't mind.

Far too good to just leave it here!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. Feel free. It's kinda weird...

I was going to make one from this image:

https://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-2a61f873bd2c81db629a24381b0efe39?convert_to_webp=true

And then thought about it and started another search and discovered someone beat me to it.

[flamingdem]

6. And Ted Cruz is their man

I relish seeing these a-holes crushed now or later.

[lastlib]

9. "When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled."

old African proverb.