Required Reading

It’s official! George Will has given up on the Republican Congress:

“In 2006 you Republicans said that because Democrats have done better than Republicans with 527s, the 527s should be restricted in order to ‘level the playing field.’ Now we will level the playing field by restoring the ‘fairness doctrine’ to broadcasting, thereby eliminating conservatives’ unfair domination of talk radio.”

The 211 Republicans who voted for big-government regulation of speech will have no principled objection. How many principled Republicans remain? Only 18. The following, who voted against restricting 527s:

Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland), Chris Chocola (Indiana), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Vito Fossella (New York), Trent Franks (Arizona), Scott Garrett (New Jersey), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Ernest Istook (Oklahoma), Walter Jones (North Carolina), Steve King (Iowa), Connie Mack (Florida), Cathy McMorris (Washington), Randy Neugebauer (Texas), Ron Paul (Texas), Mike Pence (Indiana), John Shadegg (Arizona) and Lynn Westmoreland (Georgia).

On this remnant of libertarian, limited-government conservatism a future House majority can be built. The current majority forfeited its raison d’etre April 5.

All I can add to that is, “Yeah, what he said.”