The good thing about being relegated to the desert for a season, is that it provides an opportunity for new leaders to rise from the ashes. Yesterday, I had a chance to interview Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) -- one of the exciting young conservative "rising stars" who have recently stormed onto the political scene to give us hope for the future of the conservative movement and the GOP.
Jordan, a young Congressman from Ohio, caught my eye recently when he launched a petition to defend the rights of an Ohio Judge who wanted to display the 10 Commandments in his courtroom. As Jordan tells me:
“There is a struggle in America over whose set of principles are going to prevail, and those of us who believe that there are certain factors that make us the greatest country in history … we think we have an obligation to defend those principles that are just central to who we are as a culture and a country," he tells me.
... But Jordan isn’t just a social conservative; he’s also a solid fiscal conservative who views spending as a “moral issue.” He was an economics major at the University of Wisconsin, but his fiscal conservatism isn’t strictly academic.
For example, recently, Jordan -- who comes from an agricultural district in Ohio --voted against the Farm Bill because, as he tells me: “… it had ridiculous levels of spending. Over two thirds of the bill doesn’t deal with agriculture, it deals with food stamps.”
Like other members of his Congressional class, Jordan is critical of Congress:
“The things that would make a difference for families across this county ... time and time again, the Congress doesn’t focus on that. But yet, there’s time for Roger Clemens to come in and talk about steroids. … I forget how many thousands of post office re-namings we’ve done."
If he hopes to change the culture in Washington, Jordan will have his hands full. But he's used to fighting. A former wrestler, Jordan equates wresting with political campaigns and public policy battles. As he tells me, if you out-work the other guy, you have a good chance of winning.
This is one Member of Congress we will be keeping an eye on as a conservative rising star.
