Below The Beltway

This morning’s Washington Post carries a story about the split developing between the House Republican leadership and some members of the caucus:

House Republican leaders, who confidently predicted they would drive a wedge through the new Democratic majority, have found their own party splintering, with Republican lawmakers siding with Democrats in droves on the House’s opening legislative blitz.

Freed from the pressures of being the majority and from the heavy hand of former leaders including retired representative Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), many back-bench Republicans are showing themselves to be more moderate than their conservative leadership and increasingly mindful of shifting voter sentiment. The closest vote last week — Friday’s push to require the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare — pulled 24 Republicans. The Democrats’ homeland security bill attracted 68 Republicans, the minimum wage increase 82.

“You’re freer to vote your conscience,” said Rep. Jo Anne Emerson (R-Mo.), who received an 88 percent voting record from the American Conservative Union in 2005 but has so far sided with Democrats on new budget rules, Medicare prescription-drug negotiations, raising the minimum wage and funding stem cell research. “Or, really, I feel free to represent my constituents exactly as they want me to be.”

On some level, isn’t that the way its supposed to be ? People elect a Congressman to represent them not to be a seat warmer for a particular political party, which is the way it often seems to work in Parliamentary systems. Splitting from party orthodoxy is sometimes quite necessary.

And quite honestly, when you see the leadership pulling nonsense like this, it’s good to see them get screwed:

WASHINGTON – Arizona GOP Rep. Jeff Flake has been stripped of his coveted seat on the House Judiciary Committee, primarily because of his stand, against party lines, on immigration reform.

“They know a comprehensive immigration package is coming with my name on it,” Flake said Wednesday.

Flake also has been a thorn in the side of GOP leaders through his crusade against congressional pork.

Although perhaps the fact that Flake has been very critical of the GOP leadership since well before the 2006 elections has something to do with it as well.

H/T: The Liberty Papers