United Liberty: Chatting with Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA)

[TaftFan]

http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/14488-chatting-with-rep-paul-broun-r-ga

I love this guy. I recommend you folks listen to the full interview, but conversation points for those who can't:

*Discussion of repealing Obamacare, his Patient Option Act
*Discussion of NSA; working with Amash
*Says repeal Patriot Act, TSA, EPA Depts. of Education, Labor, Commerce, Energy
*Nice point by Broun on Bush creating false security when he created DHS
*Broun says when he entered Congress only he and Ron Paul believed in the Constitution by original intent; later talks about commerce clause intent and enumerated powers
*Discussion about his Senate race; balanced budget amendment, indefinite detention and drones
*Wants national defense through peace through strength; only Congress can declare war
*Wants young people to get involved in politics

 

[MichaelDavis]

I just wish he wasn't so anti-immigrant and anti-science. I am afraid that he will Akin us in november if he wins the GOP primary. It's a damn shame because he has been a fantastic Congressman. Libertarian ideas can be mainstream as long as there is a good messenger. A great example is Senator Jeff Flake who won the GOP primary with establishment support. When you say dumb things, you make the movement look dumb.

 

[compromise]

I just wish he wasn't so anti-immigrant and anti-science. I am afraid that he will Akin us in november if he wins the GOP primary. It's a damn shame because he has been a fantastic Congressman. Libertarian ideas can be mainstream as long as there is a good messenger. A great example is Senator Jeff Flake who won the GOP primary with establishment support. When you say dumb things, you make the movement look dumb.

Georgia is significantly more conservative than Indiana or Missouri. Maybe in the northeast Broun's words may not go down well, but in the rural deep south, they most definitely do.

Flake unfortunately seems to have received establishment support in exchange for joining the establishment himself, as we can see from his 2013 voting record.

 

[MichaelDavis]

Georgia is significantly more conservative than Indiana or Missouri. Maybe in the northeast Broun's words may not go down well, but in the rural deep south, they most definitely do.

Flake unfortunately seems to have received establishment support in exchange for joining the establishment himself, as we can see from his 2013 voting record.

Sorry, chief. Georgia is less conservative than both Indiana and Missouri. Romney only won George 53-45%, which is less than those two states. Fortunately, 2014 is a midterm election during a Democratic president's term. I just pray to God that he doesn't utter the word "rape" during his campaign.

I don't know what you're talking about. Jeff Flake's voting record has been fantastic. He is one of the best Senators in the country, alongside the Paul/Lee/Cruz trio. He has found a way to be effective without generating controversy, and it's appealing to voters: http://congress.freedomworks.org/legislators/jeff-flake-0

 

[Rocco]

Flake has a 100% freedomworks score this year. Immigration reform aside, how is he establishment? Generally I agree w/ you Compromise, but not on Flake.

Georgia is significantly more conservative than Indiana or Missouri. Maybe in the northeast Broun's words may not go down well, but in the rural deep south, they most definitely do.

Flake unfortunately seems to have received establishment support in exchange for joining the establishment himself, as we can see from his 2013 voting record.

 

[Brett85]

Flake has had an absolutely horrible voting record over the last year or two. He used to be really good, but no longer. He's completely sold out his principles. He voted for the Violence Against Women Act, against the Smith-Amash amendment banning indefinite detention, voted to proceed to gun control legislation and nearly voted for "universal background checks," voted against Rand's amendment to cut off aid to Egypt, voted for the internet sales tax, etc. There are a lot more votes like that as well. Paul Broun is 100 times better than Flake.

 

[pmbug]

I appreciate that Rep. Broun has taken the initiative on pushing the Free Competition in Currencies Act now that Ron has retired.

 

[compromise]

Sorry, chief. Georgia is less conservative than both Indiana and Missouri. Romney only won George 53-45%, which is less than those two states. Fortunately, 2014 is a midterm election during a Democratic president's term. I just pray to God that he doesn't utter the word "rape" during his campaign.

I don't know what you're talking about. Jeff Flake's voting record has been fantastic. He is one of the best Senators in the country, alongside the Paul/Lee/Cruz trio. He has found a way to be effective without generating controversy, and it's appealing to voters: http://congress.freedomworks.org/legislators/jeff-flake-0

The Dems won Indiana in '08 and Missouri in '96. Since '84, Georgia has never gone blue. Also, a larger percentage of the population in Georgia is religious than in Missouri or Indiana.

I was a strong supporter of Jeff Flake in 2012. I agreed with Freedomworks' Matt Kibbe when he said in May “we have lost Jeff Flake.” Flake has had a mixed record on gun control and foreign aid this year that do not reflect his principled positions on these issues from last year.

 

[compromise]

Flake has had an absolutely horrible voting record over the last year or two. He used to be really good, but no longer. He's completely sold out his principles. He voted for the Violence Against Women Act, against the Smith-Amash amendment banning indefinite detention, voted to proceed to gun control legislation and nearly voted for "universal background checks," voted against Rand's amendment to cut off aid to Egypt, voted for the internet sales tax, etc. There are a lot more votes like that as well. Paul Broun is 100 times better than Flake.

Do you have a roll call for the Smith-Amash amendment? I would like to see how many Republicans went the right way on that.

 

[Brett85]

Do you have a roll call for the Smith-Amash amendment? I would like to see how many Republicans went the right way on that.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll270.xml

 

[compromise]

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll270.xml

Seems like the rival Gohmert amendment reduced support for Amash's legislation.

 

[Occam's Banana]

Georgia is less conservative than both Indiana and Missouri. Romney only won George 53-45%, which is less than those two states.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it extremely bizarre that degree of support for Romney is being cited as a metric for conservatism?

 

[MichaelDavis]

The Dems won Indiana in '08 and Missouri in '96. Since '84, Georgia has never gone blue. Also, a larger percentage of the population in Georgia is religious than in Missouri or Indiana.

I was a strong supporter of Jeff Flake in 2012. I agreed with Freedomworks' Matt Kibbe when he said in May “we have lost Jeff Flake.” Flake has had a mixed record on gun control and foreign aid this year that do not reflect his principled positions on these issues from last year.

The reason Georgia is more religious is because of their much larger African-American community than Missouri or Indiana. Almost all African-Americans vote Democratic, so I would not use religiousness as a guide for success. Demographics change, as Virginia has shown. I just hope Broun does not mess this up for us.

 

[supermario21]

Georgia has more African Americans, which is why presidential elections are reasonably close there. They stay home every other election, however.

 

[TaftFan]

GA has a lot of evangelicals.

 

[Hyperion]

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it extremely bizarre that degree of support for Romney is being cited as a metric for conservatism?

It's not a good metric for determining the level of conservatism in voters. Your average GOP voter and swing voter in Georgia is likely to be far more conservative than those in Missouri or Indiana.

Georgia is like the opposite of Minnesota. The edge might not be huge numerically but the base supporters are rock solid. The black vote shouldn't be out in as much force as it was in an Obama presidential year either.