The obsession of the House Freedom Caucus

That much power, two men controlling the Freedom Caucus, a block of around 40 House members [well, less one who was smart enough to resign from the Freedom Caucus today….way to go, Poe] who meet secretly and decide the course of action they will take in a block vote is dangerous to our democratic institution and must in some way be stopped. They are in total control of what they permit the House to do and not do….this is shameful. JMO …

That much power, two men controlling the Freedom Caucus, a block of around 40 House members ... who meet secretly and decide the course of action they will take in a block vote is dangerous to our democratic institution

But Lyin' Ryan and his liberal henchmen, lying to everyone on all sides, locking themselves away in secret to write a bill to really screw conservative states (who were expected to take one for the team) and reward liberal Republicans in Blue states by letting them keep their 0bamaCare subsidies and then, to top it off, Lyin' Ryan lured poor gullible Trump in to try to steamroll the brave Freedom Caucus who were just trying to protect their own constituents from Lyin' Ryan's bill, none of that would be considered "dangerous to our democratic institution"?

Why is it good for Lyin' Ryan to lock himself away in secret to write half-baked slated healthcare bills but not good for the Freedom Caucus to say no to that and demand a chance to offer their own amendments, fundamental to the working of American democracy in the House of Representatives, the most democratic branch of government?

Thank God for the Freedom Caucus. I admire them more each and every day.

The members f the Freedom Caucus boast a platform of “no compromise” based solely on their principles. I believe they misunderstand democracy or even worse, deliberately disregard it. American history illustrates that compromise is its first principle.

In Richard’s Beeman’s Book, “Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution,” it is mentioned how our founding fathers came together to forge a new national government out of a loose confederation fo states. all of which held much differently ideas and were far more diverse in their political views than we are today. Yet it was “compromise” between them that led to the founding of our great nation.

The Freedom Caucus should have learned they cannot be all things to all people and hold stead fast to their no compromise determination and they should not be so willing to think that attempts at compromise are something to avoid.

The Constitution is a masterpiece of compromise…

For example, the framers favoring large over small colonies, rural over urban colonies, rich over poor colonies, slave over non-slave colonies, monarchy over democracy, and indirect over indirect representative democracy. Prior to the Civil War, legislation was a patchwork of compromises to preserve the Union, especially including the Missouri and the Kansas-Nebraska Compromises. When, however, the competing factions ceased compromising, the Civil War erupted, killing more Americans than any war before or since.

The Civil War illustrates the devastating chaos that can arise when confrontation replaces compromise. Members of the Freedom Caucus have not learned from history and are, therefore, destined to repeat it. To be sure, their threatened national debt default to effect their extreme agenda (among other such threats) could result in catastrophic economic chaos, unknown since the Great Depression. They are no different than the uncompromising Middle East, religious zealots willing to inflict and suffer Armageddon for their principles.

— John Hearn, Des Moines

he Civil War illustrates the devastating chaos that can arise when confrontation replaces compromise. Members of the Freedom Caucus have not learned from history and are, therefore, destined to repeat it. To be sure, their threatened national debt default to effect their extreme agenda (among other such threats) could result in catastrophic economic chaos, unknown since the Great Depression. They are no different than the uncompromising Middle East, religious zealots willing to inflict and suffer Armageddon for their principles.

— John Hearn, Des Moines

The Freedom Caucus is dangerous.

Who is John Hearn anyway? Some guy as confused about history as you are apparently.

Civil War II will not erupt because Lyin' Ryan couldn't persuade the brave patriots of the Freedom Caucus to fall on their swords and break their promises to their voters to repeal 0bamaCare, to rip it out by the roots.

Trump and Lyin' Ryan are free to try to find Republicans to primary the FC members. But that will most likely end up with Democrats holding those seats in 2019 due to Dem intensity and the typical losses in the first midterm of a new president.

Trump may not know that but Lyin' Ryan does. Unfortunately for him, so does the Freedom Caucus.

[Gatlin is] no different than the uncompromising Middle East, religious zealots willing to inflict and suffer Armageddon for their principles.

Move to Kenya, where they love OdingaCare too!

If you like your doctor, you can keep him

The House could have passed a clean "Kill Obamacare" bill, but they didn't.

They didn't because they couldn't get a full repeal through the reconciliation process with the Senate.

It is said that the Senate "can't" pass Obamacare repeal, "because of the filibuster".

Truth is, though, as the Democrats showed, the Republicans can strike down the filibuster anytime they want to, on any subject. Senate Republicans PRETEND that they cannot, they PRETEND they are limited to judicial appointments, because that's what the Democrats limited themselves to when the Democrats changed the rule, but Democrat actions do not limit the Republicans. They could go much bigger, much wider, and turn the Senate into a majority-vote body in order to push through any agenda they please. The only thing stopping them is themselves.

So, the House COULD have presented a clean "Repeal Obamacare" bill, and then presented a clean "Republican Care" bill that was done right. They didn't, because the Senate insists on a rule that they could change at any time.

It's not the Freedom Caucus' fault, it's the Republican Senate's fault.

The consequences of this will be pretty bad for Republicans if they don't turn it around with a bunch of wins.