SORRY NY TIMES ... THE REAL KEVIN McCARTHY HAS BEEN AN IDEOLOGUE, NOT A MODERATE

So the NY Times has dubbed Congressman Kevin McCarthy a moderate who has Tea Party "bona fides." Then they suggest that he's a deal-maker because, while he was in the California Assembly, he was able to get a $1 billion Central Valley earmark (on a $37 billion infrastructure project) from Gov. Schwarzenegger.

So, yeah, if we are to believe the NY Times, Rep. McCarthy is a moderate, a Tea Party favorite, and a deal-maker all in one. He's all things to all people. A savior of sorts, I guess.

It's coverage like this that convinces me that traditional print media can get lazy, or don't always do their homework.

To be sure, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank does a good job reminding us that Rep. McCarthy has trouble putting his thoughts together when he speaks. But stumbling over words on a regular basis - as Milbank notes - has never been an obstacle to high office.

The reality is that while he's been in leadership positions at the state and national levels Rep. McCarthy has been a big part of stonewalling and obstructing legislation that could have helped his constituents, and his country. He's been an ideologue, not a moderate. Let's take a look.

GUMMING UP THE WORKS: Rep. McCarthy's "no new taxes" pledge while he was an assembly member in California did nothing to help solve California's budget problems. In fact, he helped make budget matters worse with his Grover Norquist-inspired pledge. Once Rep. McCarthy left the state assembly, and the Democrats took over the legislature and the governor's office, taxes were raised. California is now staring at budget surpluses. Gumming up the works doesn't make you a moderate. It makes you an ideologue. I write about it here.

NO NEW TAXES PLEDGE, ON STEROIDS & THE PARTY OF NO: Rep. McCarthy's "no new taxes" pledge was taken to a new level when he went to Washington. It actually went on steroids. Once Republicans became the majority party in the House of Representatives - and Rep. McCarthy became Majority Whip - House Republicans effectively turned "no new taxes" into "The Party of No." As Robert Draper pointed out in Do Not Ask What Good We Do Rep. McCarthy and the GOP leadership pledged not to work with President Obama on the night of his first inauguration. And they have stuck to their pledge. Simply saying "No" doesn't make you a deal-maker. It makes you an ideologue. I write about it here.

DISTRICT TOWN HALL TURNS INTO GOP RED MEAT FESTIVAL: Rep. McCarthy held a health care town hall meeting in his district. It was supposed to be a Q&A that would inform district constituents about Obamacare. It was anything but an informative town hall meeting. Held at California State University, Bakersfield the event quickly turned into a GOP-McCarthy love fest, with Rep. McCarthy complaining about deficits (caused by Bush) and lecturing those who asked genuine questions about health insurance. Turning a town hall meeting into a political rally doesn't make you a moderate. It makes you an ideologue. I was there, and wrote about it here.

LEGISLATIVE GAME PLAYING / DROUGHTS ARE MAN-MADE?: For years the GOP has been opposed to big government (states' rights, you know), and scoffed at those who claim that climate change is man-made. Then, under Rep. McCarthy's guidance, House Republicans passed H.R. 3964 which was sponsored (wink, wink) by Rep. David Valadao. Supporters of H.R. 3964 claim that not only is the drought in California "man-made" but the problem requires the federal government to step in to manage California's water system (good bye states' rights, hello big government). Worse, H.R. 3964 does nothing to make it rain or snow, which is the real cause of California's drought conditions. But it certainly does much to promote the career of Rep. David Valadao, whose district sits adjacent to - you guessed it - Rep. McCarthy's. Legislative stunts like this don't make you a moderate. It makes you an ideologue. I wrote about it here.

THE UNDEMOCRATIC SPIRIT: Rep. McCarthy's district was drawn to keep him in office, well, forever. This is actually not a big deal, and can't be pinned on Rep. McCarthy. Partisan redistricting is a national problem. The issue here is how Rep. McCarthy ducked debates with his 2012 congressional opponent, Terry Phillips, finally agreeing to one television debate. Then, in spite of Phillips having no chance of winning Rep. McCarthy got our local paper's CEO to plant a story for him so he could set a negative narrative about Terry Phillips on local radio. For those of you interested in these kind of issues, I write about it here. 

The point of all this is that the NY Times has done all of us a disservice by painting Congressman Kevin McCarthy as a work across the aisle "moderate" Republican who helped Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pass some legislation (all the while making sure no new taxes were raised to pay down the state's debt).

Helping your party's governor get things done, while turning your back on our nation's president, does not make you a consensus builder, or a moderate.

The reality is Rep. McCarthy is adept at embracing and pushing party trends. No new taxes, opposing immigration reform, opposing jobs programs unless they contain tax cut poison pills, no new spending for Veterans (even securing a "D" grade from the Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America), passing faux legislation that won't see the light of day, and an obscene obsession with saying no on the Affordable Care Act is not the sign of a moderate, or a deal-maker.

Then we have Rep. McCarthy standing by as House Republicans played fast with budget deficit figures, and even presented a budget with no numbers.

At the end of the day Rep. McCarthy's ascent says a lot about his ability to read votes, his discipline, and his perseverance. He is a hard worker. But his success is also a product of towing the party line and his ability to listen to people, while making them feel that he's their best friend (he's very good at this). He's even gotten many Silicon Valley leaders to say nice things about him, with many impressed that McCarthy "listens" but does not ask for money (his safe seat and leadership position grant him this luxury when he goes to the Silicon Valley).

Rep. McCarthy has also benefited from the tutelage and contacts of his predecessor, former Ways and Means chair Bill Thomas. Throw in the fact that he's in a safe congressional district, which allows him to throw money around Washington, and it's not hard to understand why Rep. McCarthy is where he's at today.

The problem for all of us is that Rep. McCarthy's ascent to the #2 position in the House of Representatives only means that the status quo (gridlock) will continue, and might even worsen.

If there is any glimmer of hope it's that Rep. McCarthy can count. His congressional district is now 35 percent Latino, and that number is growing.

Kern county, California. Rep. McCarthy's congressional district (click here) covers much of Kern.

Because of changing demographics in California there may come a point when Rep. McCarthy will have to shift his positions, or explain the votes he's tied himself to today. But this doesn't mean Rep. McCarthy is a moderate. It only means that he knows how to survive politically.

Until this day comes, it's a mistake to see Rep. McCarthy as the NY Times paints him. Up to this point he's been an ideologue who has put the interests of his party above good public policy. And we all know how that's turned out.

- Mark