Lead. Follow or be Thaddeus McCotter
Lead, Follow, or Be Thaddeus McCotter
Tom DeLay & The Republican Culture of Corruption
Leadership is not about waiting, and it never has been. True leadership demands strength of conviction when others have their noses pressed against the window waiting and watching. The 11th Congressional District deserves leadership that includes broad strokes and visionary plans, but Thaddeus McCotter does not even seem able to stand up to corrupt and broken leaders in his own Republican Party. He has taken so much campaign money from the lobbyists and indicted Republican leadership, it’s no wonder he has forgotten to represent us instead of them. Thad McCotter is not leading,
he’s waiting, but for what?
Some quick facts, yes facts, to help me make my point:
• Thaddeus McCotter has taken $20,000 from Tom DeLay's ARMPAC (and another $5000 from admitted felon Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham). No surprise that McCotter voted with Tom DeLay 93% of the time between Jan. 1 2004 and March 31 2005.
• Thaddeus McCotter voted to weaken the ethics rules in a move that many say served only to protect Tom DeLay.
• When Republicans realized it was "impossible to win the communications battle" over the gutted ethics rules, McCotter flip-flopped and voted to put the old rules back into place.
• When Democrats offered a solution to clean up the House by strengthening ethics rules, Thaddeus McCotter voted twice to make sure it never even came to an up or down vote.
• Thaddeus McCotter voted to allow DeLay to continue serving as Leader even if he is indicted.
Now, well now McCotter wants to make an about face about Tom DeLay, but there is more to this story than meets the eye. McCotter is so beholden to the corrupt Republican leadership that he was afraid to join many brave Republicans last week who circulated a petition seeking to permanently replacing Tom DeLay as House leader. Why wouldn’t Thaddeus McCotter find a pen and sign the petition that was signed by 26 other Republican members of Congress?
But it gets worse for those of us who live in his congressional district. In an Associated Press story dated 1/7/06, McCotter said he would not sign the petition because it didn't go far enough. He called for a "bottom-to-top leadership review" in the House. "I think if we simply focus on one position, it will not be enough in my mind," McCotter said.
Why did it take him so long to figure out what everyone else in the country has figured out? The Republicans in the House do not represent the voters any more and Thaddeus McCotter has lost touch with the voters in Michigan. There is a culture of corruption in the House leadership. By calling for a “bottom-to-top” review,
Mr. McCotter has admitted that all the other leaders he has blindly supported are also shady.
What I find interesting about all this is nothing has changed since we first knew Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham and super lobbyist Jack Abramoff were crooked. McCotter had a chance to lead MONTHS ago, but he was singing in the choir. Now all of a sudden HE wants accountability? He wants a “bottom up review” of Congressional leadership? What I find to be most amazing is that McCotter had a chance to lead on this months ago; he had a chance to express at the very least concern for the culture of corruption that was surrounding him, and as an Assistant Whip in the House he certainly had access to people and power that was breaking the law, and, as I told you in an earlier blog, McCotter has REFUSED to return what may end up being tainted donations to his campaign from aforementioned Republican members of Congress.
Confused? Don’t be. This is what happens when you do nothing except wait for public opinion to sway one way or another. This is exactly what happens when you are more beholden to people like Tom DeLay who give you a title in Washington rather than the voter who elected you. This is what happens when you are a congressman who does not lead.
As a businessman, as an opinion
leader, as a candidate, I have taken positions that have proven visionary and even controversial, but I have been bold enough to take a position based on my values and morals and I have led. I have led before anyone has spoken up or spoken out. I have led when it would have been easier to stay silent. I have led because the greatest chance for advancement is being unafraid to be bold enough to lose, yet brave enough to try.
I am watching with great interest to see who Thad McCotter will support as the next Republican House leader. This decision will be telling and foretelling. And truth be told, we may never know who he supported because he seemingly waits to either be told, or waits for the common consensus. Either way, that’s not leadership and never will be.
Calling for a review, or accountability, something I point out I did weeks ago, is NOT a new thought, but would we expect much else from Thad McCotter?
I know the cliche' goes, Lead, Follow, or get out of the way. It’s time for McCotter to get out of the way!
