Peter King, the bigoted Republican Congressman who is best known for his anti-Muslim Congressional hearings, is steaming mad at John Boehner. So mad, in fact, that he has indicated that he is not ruling out a potential party switch over the Speaker's refusal to bring the Sandy aid bill up for a vote.
Now, I am fully aware this is mostly bluster. Peter King is no Democrat, and the Democratic Party shouldn't accept him even if he wanted to be a member. However, it's always fun to see some R on R violence, and this one is particularly gruesome.
What is a more serious attack on the Republican Party than his veiled party switch threat is that King has called on Republicans in NY/NJ to stop donating to Congressional Republicans.
“These Republicans have no problem finding New York when they’re out raising millions of dollars,” King said on Fox News. “They’re in New York all the time filling their pockets with money from New Yorkers. I’m saying right now, anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to congressional Republicans is out of their minds. Because what they did last night was put a knife in the back of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. It was an absolute disgrace.”
The Republican party, while caring nothing about Northeastern votes, does care a lot for Northeastern money. The threat of a donor revolt should scare the House GOP into action.
As bad as the House GOP came out looking after the Fiscal Cliff nonsense, they've come out looking even worse after the Sandy Debacle. I didn't think it was possible for their approval rating, which is right now about at the same level as cancer, to go any lower, but this recent ineptitude to govern may prove me wrong.
When you've lost Peter King, you know you're on your way to rock bottom
8:57 AM PT: Just to reiterate, I'm completely aware that: 1. Peter King isn't going to switch parties, and 2. The Democratic Party shouldn't accept Peter King even if he wanted to switch.
That being said, he's truly tearing into Speaker Boehner and the GOP, and making them look very bad in the process. He's also increasing the likelihood that when we do get a Sandy Bill, it's going to be the $60b the President asked for, not the stripped down House version.
This also should be used to call out Republicans like Peter King and their "I hate government spending unless it affects me" philosophy. King, who voted for the Ryan Budget and has stood with the House GOP in their plans to slash "big government," all of a sudden realizes the value of big government when it comes to rebuilding his district.
King has called the Sandy aid a "matter of life and death," and he's right. But you know what else is a matter of life and death? Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, Food Stamps, and all the other programs that King and his party are trying to cut.
9:48 AM PT: Despite the tweet from the CNN producer, I don't see anywhere where King actually indicated that he might be considering switching parties The closest I found was "They are inexcusable. And they have had it. As far as I’m concerned I’m on my own. They’re going to have to go a long way to get my vote on anything."
That doesn't sound exactly to me like he's considering switching parties. More like "you screwed me, so I'm gonna screw you."
One thing's for sure: He's definitely a no vote on Boehner for Speaker.