Billy Long was asked earlier today why he chose not to caucus with the Tea Party Caucus in Congress. Since Long got to Washington, he has delivered jovial sound bites claiming allegiance to the Tea Party while voting for the Patriot Act and co-sponsoring bills that would grow government and increase the size and powers of the Department of Homeland Security--a bureaucracy that hasn't been complimentary of the Bill of Rights, specifically the Fourth Amendment.
Today Long was asked how influential is the Tea Party.
Long answered the question that he doesn't have time to caucus with the Tea Party despite claiming he was "Tea Party before Tea Party was cool." Now let's not forget the Turner Report discovered hidden in Billy Long's campaign finance records filed with the FEC that Long had time to join the exclusive Capitol Hill Club using OPM (other peoples' money) to hang out with established career politicians. The Capitol Hill club is a social club that is often used for fundraisers, which Long has spending quite a bit of time doing since he won his seat in Congress. Don't have enough time Billy? I thought you were "Tea Party before Tea Party was cool."
In a moment of self-promotion, Long then threw the Tea Party under the bus. Long said in regards to the Tea Party being conservative, that he has a more conservative voting record than other members in the House who identify with the Tea Party. Long appears to forget that many of the members of the Tea Party Causus like Michele Bachmann voted no along with Long as he gives this holier than thou speech that comes across as slamming the Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives. Of course, when Long says he is voting more conservative than the Tea Party is right now, he also concludes that he isn't Tea Party.
Now let's not forget this comes from a man who displayed tyranny in his first week in office by providing his enemies list to the FBI to have his critics investigated and then intimidated. Long trampled on the First Amendment in hopes of silencing his critics. That doesn't sound conservative to me since conservatives want to get government out of their way and not be hassled by the government.
Then of course Long voted to continue pushing the neocon's PATRIOT Act, despite it's attack on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment. As well, he co-sponsored the If You See Something Say Something Act of 2011, which increases the size of government which critics say creates a citizen spy network. That's not very conservative in my book either.
When it comes to slashing spending, Long couldn't even vote to save Tax Payers $30 million a year by ending federal funding of three NASCAR Sprint Cup Teams. Over the past ten years, federal sponsorship of NASCAR has cost taxpayers over $100 million. Yet, Long claims he is voting more conservative than members of the Tea Party Caucus. This Tea Party Conservative doesn't think Billy Long is conservative at all.
