Who is your favorite non Paul/Amash/Massie Congressman?

[MichaelDavis]

I think this will be an interesting thread. At the moment, I would choose Mike Lee. He has been silently working behind the scenes for Liberty. While Ted Cruz was conducting his talk-a-thon, Mike Lee was the only senator to stick around and ask lengthy questions, allowing the Texan to rest. I prefer Mike Lee to Ted Cruz at the moment because Cruz is too busy running for President to be considered genuine.

[Ender]

I think this will be an interesting thread. At the moment, I would choose Mike Lee. He has been silently working behind the scenes for Liberty. While Ted Cruz was conducting his talk-a-thon, Mike Lee was the only senator to stick around and ask lengthy questions, allowing the Texan to rest. I prefer Mike Lee to Ted Cruz at the moment because Cruz is too busy running for President to be considered genuine.

Absolutely MIKE LEE.

[eduardo89]

Sanford, Cruz, Lee. Closely followed by Huelskamp, Schweikert, Stockman, and Labrador.

[heavenlyboy34]

I like all the dead ones. They can't do any more damage.

[Pericles]

Stockman should have been part of the poll

[TaftFan]

Stockman should have been part of the poll

I agree. I'll vote Stockman now because he added me as a personal FB friend yesterday. :)

Also, I think he meant Matt Salmon instead of Mark Salmon.

Salmon has been outstanding, which isn't surprising considering that he was good in the 90s as well.

[TaftFan]

I think of them in terms of categories.

Cruz, Stockman, and Broun are hell-raisers. Throw Gohmert in there as well.

McClintock, Lee, Jimmy Duncan, and Jones are the soft spoken guys.

[Bastiat's The Law]

Mike Lee gets no accolades.

Raul Labrador would be a huge upgrade if he got to be Speaker of the House.

[Christian Liberty]

To my understanding (And that's limited here, I don't know a whole lot about him) Sanford is all but Ron Paul when it comes to the only votes. I remember hearing about them being the only two "No" votes often. He's an adulterer, and I don't like that, but when it comes to politicians, I'll take personal baggage over oppression any day.

I really don't think I can like Mike Lee anymore. Its not so much anything that he's changed as it is that I've changed. His comments on Snowden were absolutely horrific, and I think I've decided I really can't give him a pass on that. I don't view him as actively hostile/dangerous like I do Ted Cruz, but I'm still not thrilled.

Also, if it came down to a vote on Iran, and war fever was high in the GOP, I don't really think I could trust Lee to vote no. He's soft-spoken, but ultimately I think if Cruz dived in headfirst, Lee likely would too. Rand Paul I at least think would vote no on a real war vote, even if he isn't showing it with his non-binding resolutions.

Ultimately, HB's answer is the best possible one, though.

[Christian Liberty]

I think so far this poll shows that 36% of the forum is in a different movement than the rest of us...

[heavenlyboy34]

To my understanding (And that's limited here, I don't know a whole lot about him) Sanford is all but Ron Paul when it comes to the only votes. I remember hearing about them being the only two "No" votes often. He's an adulterer, and I don't like that, but when it comes to politicians, I'll take personal baggage over oppression any day.

I really don't think I can like Mike Lee anymore. Its not so much anything that he's changed as it is that I've changed. His comments on Snowden were absolutely horrific, and I think I've decided I really can't give him a pass on that. I don't view him as actively hostile/dangerous like I do Ted Cruz, but I'm still not thrilled.

Also, if it came down to a vote on Iran, and war fever was high in the GOP, I don't really think I could trust Lee to vote no. He's soft-spoken, but ultimately I think if Cruz dived in headfirst, Lee likely would too. Rand Paul I at least think would vote no on a real war vote, even if he isn't showing it with his non-binding resolutions.

Ultimately, HB's answer is the best possible one, though.
:D

[TaftFan]

To my understanding (And that's limited here, I don't know a whole lot about him) Sanford is all but Ron Paul when it comes to the only votes. I remember hearing about them being the only two "No" votes often. He's an adulterer, and I don't like that, but when it comes to politicians, I'll take personal baggage over oppression any day.

I really don't think I can like Mike Lee anymore. Its not so much anything that he's changed as it is that I've changed. His comments on Snowden were absolutely horrific, and I think I've decided I really can't give him a pass on that. I don't view him as actively hostile/dangerous like I do Ted Cruz, but I'm still not thrilled.

Also, if it came down to a vote on Iran, and war fever was high in the GOP, I don't really think I could trust Lee to vote no. He's soft-spoken, but ultimately I think if Cruz dived in headfirst, Lee likely would too. Rand Paul I at least think would vote no on a real war vote, even if he isn't showing it with his non-binding resolutions.

Ultimately, HB's answer is the best possible one, though.

Ugh, this melodramatic crap you always post makes me want to vomit.

[Matt Collins]

I think that Yoho may be one of the better ones. But Mike Lee should definitely be in there with Justin and Thomas. Besides, I had breakfast with Sen Lee last week :cool:

[eduardo89]

Ugh, this melodramatic crap you always post makes me want to vomit.

+rep

[Christian Liberty]

Ugh, this melodramatic crap you always post makes me want to vomit.

You missed the part where I said I cared what you thought.

Or for that matter, where I acknowledged that you can think at all. The jury's still out on that one.

[Christian Liberty]

If you'll remember when we were first discussing Snowden, I did defend Rand Paul, even while some of my fellow radical friends did not. I still think Rand's comment was a reasonable compromise between being a politician who was running to office, and not being a mouthpiece for the State. Lee's comment was an encouragement to "law and order" sheep everywhere, which is a problem regardless of whether Lee himself believed it or not.

Unlike Ted Cruz, Mike Lee has been very, very quiet. So he still has time to change my position one way or another. I wouldn't crucify him over one comment if he was solid otherwise. But right now, I just haven't seen that much from him at all. But when Cruz and Rand disagree, I usually see Lee with Cruz, not with Rand, so that's my first impression. Rand Paul has definitely set himself apart from the other senators, even if I'm occasionally not absolutely thrilled with him either.

[TaftFan]

I think that Yoho may be one of the better ones. But Mike Lee should definitely be in there with Justin and Thomas. Besides, I had breakfast with Sen Lee last week :cool:

Ah yes, Yoho as well.

Yoho and Massie are the only two co-sponsoring Paul Broun's bill to end the Fed.

[TaftFan]

“From what I know, yes, but I usually don’t call people a traitor without knowing all the facts,” Sen. Mike Lee said Tuesday. “From what I’ve been told, the guy broke a whole bunch of laws, and it’s a problem.”

....

Lee, a Utah Republican, has introduced legislation with Sen. Jeff Merkley to declassify significant portions of secret court rulings that authorized both programs.
“It will help ensure that the government makes sensitive decisions related to surveillance by applying legal standards that are known to the public. Particularly where our civil liberties are at stake, we must demand no less of our government,” Lee said in a statement.


Horrific Indeed

[Christian Liberty]

The second part kind of rings hollow when you consider the first part:


“From what I know, yes, but I usually don’t call people a traitor without knowing all the facts,”

What do you think he was saying "Yes" too? That he wanted Dunkin Donuts? That he was going to watch the football game on Sunday? You know he was saying he believed Snowden was a traitor. Which means he doesn't know the constitution or common sense.


Sen. Mike Lee said Tuesday. “From what I’ve been told, the guy broke a whole bunch of laws, and it’s a problem.”

Oh really, Senator Lee. "Breaking a whole bunch of laws" (FF's translation: Words scribbled on a piece of paper and backed up by threats of lethal violence by the local mafia game) is a problem?

This line of thinking is why Hitler and Stalin weren't opposed by their own people and their own military more than they were. Mike Lee is a statist shill.

[Christian Liberty]

In other words, our good senator wants to make demands on government, yet is absolutely horiffied that someone would dare disobey the demands made BY the government.

I don't expect him to get up and call Snowden a hero (Although I wouldn't fault him if he did) but he at least could have stood with Rand Paul and taken a middle of the road position. Only an absolutely brainwashed, hopeless sheep would have thought Rand Paul was being too generous to Snowden.

What a freaking joke.

[heavenlyboy34]

Ugh, this melodramatic crap you always post makes me want to vomit.
Yeah, but he's just 18, so I cut him some slack. :o

[Christian Liberty]

Yeah, but he's just 18, so I cut him some slack. :o

Once again I'm going to call you out on this... what's wrong with what I said?

[TaftFan]

The second part kind of rings hollow when you consider the first part:



What do you think he was saying "Yes" too? That he wanted Dunkin Donuts? That he was going to watch the football game on Sunday? You know he was saying he believed Snowden was a traitor. Which means he doesn't know the constitution or common sense.



Oh really, Senator Lee. "Breaking a whole bunch of laws" (FF's translation: Words scribbled on a piece of paper and backed up by threats of lethal violence by the local mafia game) is a problem?

This line of thinking is why Hitler and Stalin weren't opposed by their own people and their own military more than they were. Mike Lee is a statist shill.

When a guy gains access to millions of pieces of data and heads to China, it looks like they are a traitor. But Lee didn't pass judgement on him definitively.

Somebody who is actively working to declassify information is not a statist shill, you are just a young, brash ideologue with no grounding in reality at all.

[heavenlyboy34]

Once again I'm going to call you out on this... what's wrong with what I said?
Nothing wrong, per se. Just melodramatic, as TaftFan mentioned. :)

[Christian Liberty]

When a guy gains access to millions of pieces of data and heads to China, it looks like they are a traitor.

No, they don't, unless you're saying China is an enemy of the United States, and that Snowden is giving "aid and comfort" to them. But why would China be an enemy of the United States? Because you say so?

You're a joke.




But Lee didn't pass judgement on him definitively.

Somebody who is actively working to declassify information is not a statist shill, you are just a young, brash ideologue with no grounding in reality at all.

I can live with being a "young, brash ideologue", its better than being a statist shill with no morals like a certain someone in this conversation (And I'm not talking about Lee either...)

[Christian Liberty]

Nothing wrong, per se. Just melodramatic, as TaftFan mentioned. :)

You've got to be willing to expose them for what they are...

[Ender]

The second part kind of rings hollow when you consider the first part:



What do you think he was saying "Yes" too? That he wanted Dunkin Donuts? That he was going to watch the football game on Sunday? You know he was saying he believed Snowden was a traitor. Which means he doesn't know the constitution or common sense.



Oh really, Senator Lee. "Breaking a whole bunch of laws" (FF's translation: Words scribbled on a piece of paper and backed up by threats of lethal violence by the local mafia game) is a problem?

This line of thinking is why Hitler and Stalin weren't opposed by their own people and their own military more than they were. Mike Lee is a statist shill.

BS.

What Lee said was not condemning Snowden- only contemplating what he heard.

As for Lee being silent- stop looking at the MSM for your news.


AMENDMENT NO. 373

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there is now 2 minutes equally divided prior to a vote in relation to amendment No. 373, offered by the Senator from Utah, Mr. Lee.

The Senator from Utah.

Mr. LEE. Madam President, under this budget, by the year 2020 we will be spending more every year on interest on our national debt than we spend on our national defense. This is alarming and ought to be a concern to every one of us. This amendment creates a point of order that would address this problem and all similar problems in the future with other budgets that have the same defect.

While we are on this note, I would like to add that I am concerned about the amendment process. I heard from our majority leader a few minutes ago a statement suggesting that he might cut off debate, cut off the amendment process--this after he promised us at the beginning of the week that there would be unlimited amendments. And he repeated that phrase twice.

It is imperative that we finish this job. Each of us was elected to do a job. Each of us deserves to have our amendments called up. We have no business taking a 2-week vacation until we have gone through every amendment that any Senator from either side of the aisle wants to present.

Thank you.

[Christian Liberty]

As for Lee being silent- stop looking at the MSM for your news.

I didn't say that he's never talking ever. And I don't look at the MSM. I mostly look here honestly, and whatever is posted here. If I check anything else, its most likely LRC. I do occasionally look at MSM articles which I'll comment on (usually negatively:)) for world politics articles for school, but not too often.

[invisible]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bridenstine. He's done extremely well since he's been in there, and did score 100% on the JBS' Freedom Index.

Although not in Congress, Paul LePage certainly deserves a mention. While not an actual "liberty candidate", he has demonstrated repeatedly that he's not in anyone's pocket, is actually on the side of the people, is willing to stand on principle, is willing to speak out, and has a set of balls. I'd love to see this guy in Congress after he's done being Gov, he would make an awesome Senator.

[MichaelDavis]

I agree. I'll vote Stockman now because he added me as a personal FB friend yesterday. :)

Also, I think he meant Matt Salmon instead of Mark Salmon.

Salmon has been outstanding, which isn't surprising considering that he was good in the 90s as well.

Yes, I did mean Matt. I was thinking about Sanford at the time, so it came out "Mark Salmon". Is there a way to update the poll? I included all of the people I considered the "purer" Congressmen. I thought about including Stockman, Gohmert, Bridenstine, etc but I didn't want to have twenty options. I think this will give us a good feel of the "Purists" (FreedomFanatic) vs the "Better Than Most" crowd (you).

[Suzu]

It's a difficult question, because several of the people in the poll aren't Congressmen, they are Senators.

[messana]

Alan Grayson I guess.

[compromise]

This is how I rate the other guys in terms of purity...

Top tier (all around excellent):
Jones
Sanford
Duncan (TN)

Second tier (excellent on fiscal issues & civil liberties):
Salmon
Stockman
Gohmert
Lee
Cruz
Broun
Huelskamp
Bridenstine
McClintock
DeSantis
Yoho

Third tier (good on fiscal issues & above average to good on civil liberties):
Mulvaney
Radel
Labrador
Duncan (SC)
Gowdy
Posey
Rohrabacher
Schweikert
Gosar
Meadows
Graves
Ribble
Poe
Smith (MO)

Fourth tier (above average on fiscal issues & above average to good on civil liberties):
Bentivolio
Mullin
Rokita
Griffith
Kingston
Roe
Chaffetz
LaMalfa

Fifth tier (good on fiscal issues but average on civil liberties):
Price
Scalise
Sensenbrenner
Jordan
Fleming
Pearce
Lamborn
Williams
Perry
Rothfus
Chabot

Five point fifth tier (below average to average on fiscal issues & above average to good on civil liberties):
Garrett
Gibson

Might have missed out a few but that's really most of them. I would vote for most of them, except maybe Gibson.

My personal favorite would probably be Cruz though, followed closely by Broun, Lee and Gohmert.

[Ender]

It's a difficult question, because several of the people in the poll aren't Congressmen, they are Senators.

CONGRESS is the House & the Senate; a CONGRESSMAN is either.

[georgiaboy]

I'm just thankful to see so many good names from which to choose. A few short years ago, this list was a lot shorter. Awesome-sauce.

[Keith and stuff]

The best politian in the US is Mark Warden. Unfortunately, he doesn't plan to run for NH state rep a 3rd time.

[Matthew5]

I picked Labrador because of the name. They're my favorite breed.

[NOVALibertarian]

Utterly befuddled that some see Mike Lee as anything but an ally at this point.

As for the question at hand, it's Mark Sanford in the House and Mike Lee in the Senate.

[invisible]

The best politian in the US is Mark Warden. Unfortunately, he doesn't plan to run for NH state rep a 3rd time.

Why not? Hopefully it's because he'll run for Congress! He absolutely has done a fantastic job as a state rep, no question about it. It would be excellent to see him step up, rather than retire from electoral politics.

[Bastiat's The Law]

I'm just thankful to see so many good names from which to choose. A few short years ago, this list was a lot shorter. Awesome-sauce.

Now we should focus like a laser beam on getting more liberty candidates and allies elected in 2014.

[krugminator]

This is how I rate the other guys in terms of purity...

Top tier (all around excellent):
Jones
Sanford
Duncan (TN)



Pretty good list. I would move some of the 3rd tier up a notch or two. Walter Jones is good but not all around excellent. He is one of the least fiscally conservative members of Congress. He is to the left of people like Peter King and Michael Grimm.

I vote Sanford.

[mczerone]

Ugh, this melodramatic crap you always post makes me want to vomit.

Stop talking about it and do it. And then post pics. Unless, of course, you're just posting melodramatic crap.

[green73]

Oh gee, I just love them all.

[HOLLYWOOD]

The poll is bigoted, sexist, & racist... Damn Mayonnaise Poll ;)

No African Americans
N0 Women
No Gays
No Youngens
No Asians
No Indians
No Hispanics
No LGBT


I like the guys that have IMPROVED over the years... Walter Jones & Tom McClintock

[Brett85]

I voted for Lee, although I think Broun, McClintock, and Sanford are practically as good. Cruz is close, but not quite as good because of his foreign policy. I'm really surprised that no one picked Broun. Broun votes with Amash and Massie more than about any other Congressman, voting against all legislation that isn't specifically authorized by the Constitution.

[Brett85]

This is how I rate the other guys in terms of purity...

Top tier (all around excellent):
Jones
Sanford
Duncan (TN)

You should really take a closer look at Jones. He's improved on foreign policy issues, but has actually gotten worse on fiscal issues/regulatory issues. He's not a fiscal conservative, small government guy at all. He was even one of only two or three Republicans who voted in favor of the Dodd-Frank regulation bill, a massive regulatory scheme that's caused a ton of damage to the U.S economy.

[Brett85]

Alan Grayson I guess.

Do you realize that he's wrong on about 95% of the issues?

[MichaelDavis]

It's a difficult question, because several of the people in the poll aren't Congressmen, they are Senators.
http://thegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/32721023.jpg

[ThePenguinLibertarian]

The poll is bigoted, sexist, & racist... Damn Mayonnaise Poll ;)

No African Americans
N0 Women
No Gays
No Youngens
No Asians
No Indians
No Hispanics
No LGBT


I like the guys that have IMPROVED over the years... Walter Jones & Tom McClintock
Well, who cares?

[compromise]

Pretty good list. I would move some of the 3rd tier up a notch or two. Walter Jones is good but not all around excellent. He is one of the least fiscally conservative members of Congress. He is to the left of people like Peter King and Michael Grimm.

I vote Sanford.

You should really take a closer look at Jones. He's improved on foreign policy issues, but has actually gotten worse on fiscal issues/regulatory issues. He's not a fiscal conservative, small government guy at all. He was even one of only two or three Republicans who voted in favor of the Dodd-Frank regulation bill, a massive regulatory scheme that's caused a ton of damage
I would have agreed last year, but his 2013 voting record has been pretty strong, check FreedomWorks.

[compromise]

The poll is bigoted, sexist, & racist... Damn Mayonnaise Poll ;)

No African Americans
N0 Women
No Gays
No Youngens
No Asians
No Indians
No Hispanics
No LGBT


I like the guys that have IMPROVED over the years... Walter Jones & Tom McClintock

Labrador is a Puerto Rican Hispanic.

Mia Love will probably win in 2014, so that would bring a black woman for future polls.

[Keith and stuff]

Labrador is a Puerto Rican Hispanic.

True. And the #2 person in this pull is both a foreigner and a Hispanic.

[eduardo89]

Labrador is a Puerto Rican Hispanic.

And a Mormon.

[Ender]

And a Mormon.

As is Mike Lee- which means they should both be constitutionalists.

[compromise]

True. And the #2 person in this pull is both a foreigner and a Hispanic.

I wouldn't say he's a foreigner. He's more American than most Americans I know.

[HOLLYWOOD]

FYI...
Labrador is a Puerto Rican Hispanic.

Mia Love will probably win in 2014, so that would bring a black woman for future polls.

True. And the #2 person in this pull is both a foreigner and a Hispanic.

And a Mormon.


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john r stanton ‏@dcbigjohn (https://twitter.com/dcbigjohn) 6m (https://twitter.com/dcbigjohn/status/388324824843837440)




Rep Labrador also said he's backing the 6 week debt plan and that he brought it to Erica Cantor a few days ago

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[rg17]

Most of them listed are pretty good imo.

[AuH20]

Alan Grayson I guess.

Really?

[Matt Collins]

There is a tier-2 of non-liberty guys that are a bit more conservative that are decent on many issues:

Cruz
DeSantis
Yoho
Labrador
Mark Sanford
etc...

[oyarde]

Other than Ron , Rand & Massie , I miss Jim DeMint .