Today Congressman Dan Lungren of California entered the race for House GOP Leader, the first to openly challenge the re-election of incumbent Leader John Boehner. Here on this site, we have 
devoted a lot of column "ink" to the idea that Boehner, while a nice guy, is not made of the kind of stern stuff that is needed to lead the GOP out of the wilderness. When Boehner became leader, the same "team" that overspent us into the minority under former Speaker Dennis Hastert stayed put — included infamous porkers like Jerry Lewis and Dan Young.
Lungren’s entrance into the race is a welcome change from what seemed to be like a coronation (you had a vision of everyone drinking at the bar voting for the guy who tells the best stories to be "King of the bar" — so to speak).
It will be interesting to see if Lungren’s just into the fray causes others to get into the race. Either way, his entry will cause people to have to stop, and think about the job that Boehner has been doing.
Lungren sent around a letter today to his colleagues, calling for the rules to be suspended at the upcoming Republican House Conference meeting (where leadership races will take place) and to have a three hour long session for members to discuss the top spot in leadership. We think this is a grand idea.
Lungren’s letter is attached below.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I just heard Cong Lungren on Hugh Hewitt. I was dumbfounded when the he said he was for limited and smaller government and then proceeded to say that YES he had indeed voted YEAH on the massive bailout that was recently passed. No thanks Dan. We want real small government conservative leaders who back up their rhetoric with action.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I think the best one from California would be John Campbell. Heck, I’d take Devin Nunes.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:00 am
No thanks, Dan. Go away. We don’t need another anti-gunner, Republican or otherwise.
Mess with the CA gunnies and the NRA – we have a LONG memory of how you screwed us when you were AG in the 1990s. You’d do well in the Obama administration.
Those voting for Lungren out of politico-religious affinity had better bury their guns.
Bill Wiese
San Jose CA
November 15th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“Congressional Quarterly” puts the John Boehner-Dan Lungren race in a broader
context, the future of the GOP over the next few years:
——————————————————————————————————————–
** “The national party has been divided into two camps since the election with
conservatives arguing for a return to basic principles and moderates pushing
for the GOP to follow some of the “maverick” tendencies of Sen. John Mc-
Cain of Arizona.
Boehner has already tilted towards the conservatives in that debate.
And Lungren’s campaign will likely help to solidify that position.”
November 15th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Tom McClintock for Republican Leader.
Seriously.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Agreed on Tom McClintock.
He’s just the type of outsider with REAL conservative principles that we need.