The Problem With Trey Gowdy

By Erick Erickson | 12:55 PM on September 30, 2015

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[mc_name name=’Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000566′ ] is a solid congressman doing a great job investigating Benghazi, but this Politico story highlights a problem with Gowdy. Conservatives have placed him inside the Cult of Personality where he can do no wrong, everything he says is conservative, and [mc_name name=’Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’B000589′ ] knows it.

Boehner tried to get Gowdy to run for Majority Leader. He wants Gowdy there because “[m]any Republicans close to Boehner and House Majority Leader [mc_name name=’Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’M001165′ ] believe Gowdy could help protect the California Republican’s right flank. McCarthy allies fear hard-line conservatives could block his ascent to the speaker’s chair during the vote on the House floor, throwing the chamber into turmoil.”

Got that?

Gowdy would be the useful idiot for Boehner and the rise of [mc_name name=’Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’M001165′ ] because conservatives trust Gowdy. But Gowdy has shown himself on several occasions to be a team player with leadership at the expense of conservatives. Each time, conservatives have given him a pass because of the Benghazi investigation.

Remember, [mc_name name=’Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000566′ ], knowing conservatives were with him because of Benghazi, decided to let [mc_name name=’Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’B000589′ ] and [mc_name name=’Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)’ chamber=’senate’ mcid=’M000303′ ] stand up to Obama instead of doing anything about Barack Obama’s amnesty plan.

Listen, don’t get me wrong, [mc_name name=’Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’G000566′ ] is a good man and a conservative. The problem is that he has on multiple occasions sided with Republican leaders in fights with conservatives knowing it would give the leaders a pass with the pass. Gowdy has been their shield.

That Boehner knows it and wants Gowdy to run for Majority Leader in order to protect [mc_name name=’Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)’ chamber=’house’ mcid=’M001165′ ] should disqualify Gowdy from being Majority Leader.

Besides, Gowdy wants to be a federal judge anyway.