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Silence of the Lambs
Posted by Erick Erickson
Tuesday, June 21 

Yesterday, I called on conservatives and conservative organizations to actually dare to retaliate against Republican members of Congress who refuse to cut, cap, and balance before raising the debt ceiling. 

If any Republican dares to raise the debt ceiling without first ensuring (1) cuts in the budget; (2) caps in spending; and (3) the Lee-Cornyn-Hatch Balanced Budget Amendment makes it out to the states, conservatives must agree to at least attempt to find someone to primary them in their next election. More importantly, there must be zero tolerance for forgiveness on this issue. 

Every year, conservative groups come up with pledges, the politicians nuance away the pledges, and the most we get is a tisk tisking that the pledge was violated. 

If our debt is the biggest national security issue we now face, there must be more than that. There must be scorched earth against any who vote to raise the debt ceiling without cutting, capping, and balancing first. 

Here are the sponsors of the pledge: 

60 Plus, Act for America, American Civil Rights Union, American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, Americans for Limited Government, Christian Coalition, Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens for the Republic, Citizens United, Club for Growth, Concerned Women for America, Conservative HQ, Council for National Policy, Family Pac Federal, Family Research Council Action, FreedomWorks, Halt the Debt, Independent Women’s Voice, Institute for Liberty, Less Government, Let Freedom Ring, Liberty Center for Law and Policy, Liberty Central, Liberty Counsel, National Tax Limitation Committee, National Taxpayers Union, Patrick Henry Center, Patriotic Veterans Inc, Renewing American Leadership Action, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Tea Party Express, Tea Party WDC, and The Carleson Center for Public Policy. 

Likewise, Jim DeMint is a signatory to the pledge. 

Will DeMint pledge to use the Senate Conservatives fund to primary Republican Senators to balk at cutting, capping, and balancing? He is starting to sound like it. But sound is not action. 

Will the above listed groups do more than tut-tut? I’ve heard from both For America and FRC Action PAC that they are serious and mean business. What about the others? 

I don’t want to put these groups in a bad spot or make it sound like I’m hostile to them. I’m not. I support the pledge. But I am tired of conservative groups doing pledges that ultimately have no teeth in them. 

This is either the gravest threat we face or it is not. And all these people and groups say it is. If they are serious, they must be prepared to wage war on the Republicans who waver, compromise, and nuance — whether those Republicans signed the pledge or not. 

“But wait,” you say. “Some of these cannot ‘wage war.’ There are tax exempt statuses to worry about. And some of those who betray us are in safe seats. We can’t waste our manpower going after them.” 

Fine, fine. If you are prevented from going out and campaigning against these guys, then you certainly can refrain from inviting them to speak at or on behalf of your organization. You can start leaving them out of your literature. You can pretend they do not exist unless you can be critical of them. 

Otherwise, work to find a primary opponent. Some of them won’t be beatable. Many of them, if we gang up on them, will go down in flames. The issue is whether you are going to tut-tut or actively work to ruin those who ruin this country. 

I know many of those who have signed the Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge. I hope you will too. I intend to. I know most of them and the organizations involved believe the day of judgment has arrived on our future as a country. So, just like on the real day of judgment, the time for forgiveness is over — politicians must now either be saved or ruined. No more second chances and future acts of redemption. It is a wonderful thing that the conservative movement is so full of Christian charity and forgiveness, but if this issue is judgment day then it’s also the day for accountability, not forgiveness, for politicians who claim to be part of the conservative movement. 

If the conservative movement does not treat capitulation on this issue as an ultimate, unforgivable act of betrayal, the conservative movement will never again be treated seriously by the very politicians the movement seeks to influence. 

If you just want to make a pledge and then sit back, count me out. I’m done with heady rhetoric tied to pledges that amount to bark with no bite. So conservative movement, what do you choose? 

Read it at Redstate