Who else?
Minority Leader Pence? I like it. I like it a lot.
All right, let me be clear. A loss is a loss. I would have been much happier had we won a lot more than we did yesterday. But, having said that, there's a lot worse things than losing and putting the reins in this guy's hands.
He's such a rock star. He's the cure for what ails you, if what ails you is a not-really-conservative Republican Majority's failures. And, I think that's what's been bothering a lot of us.
He's been heading up the committed conservative caucus in the House-- the Republican Study Committee, more than 100 members strong-- for several years. He was one of just a handful of legislators who opposed the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan based on principle even when he knew he'd have to pay a price with leadership and the administration. Why? Because it's one of the least conservative bills in the history of the world. Sadly, it was priority No. 1 for a Republican Congress.
And, last year, he led a brave and politically incorrect fight to make sure Katrina aid money was spent wisely, and offset by spending cuts in other places--Operation Offset.
Plus, you gotta admit, he's kinda dreamy. Silver fox and all that.
If you need further proof of his conservative credentials, read this whole thing. It's a speech he gave in '04 called, "Renewing Our Committment to Limited Government." Hot.
One caveat. He has supported an immigration compromise that he calls a "middle ground" in the debate. It has, of course, earned him criticism from both sides of the issue.