Billy Long is one of the new Congressmen featured in the Wall Street Journal's article on John Boehner claiming he will share his power as speaker. Yes, the same Billy Long who told the local media (Springfield News-Leader) that he doesn't run to a camera and microphone every time one is offered. These days, knowing Southwest Missouri is too engaged in other things to notice Long doesn't have a grasp on the issues, Long has not problems running to the microphone.
He told the Wall Street Journal the freshmen Congressmen have a mandate to bring their new ideas front and center in the new Congress.
Asked if he foresaw working well with the GOP leadership, freshman Rep. Billy Long (R., Mo.), who says he shares many of the tea-party activists' priorities, said, "I think it's a little too early to say yet...We'll want to bring our fresh ideas into it. We came with a big mandate. This is a huge class and I think the American people have spoken."
Billy Long? Fresh ideas? Tea Party ideals?
You mean the same Billy Long praising parts of Obamacare?
Billy Long is on record saying the federal regulations to force insurance companies to provide pre-existing coverage is a good part of the bill as well as treating all 26 year olds like they are three year olds and keeping them on their parent's insurance. Not very Tea Party if you want my opinion.
What fresh ideas is Billy Long talking about? If there are fresh ideas, they are't Billy Long's ideas. All Long could do is say he was fed up and sign a bunch of pledges claiming he wouldn't go to Washington and earmark. I would love to know what these fresh ideas Billy is partially taking credit for are.
Long quickly adopted the establishment's way after the primary, embracing even some of the biggest Republican earmarkers on the Hill. I have no clue what he is talking about with fresh ideas. In fact, early in the primary Vincent David Jericho held a round table with a few GOP candidates in which "fed up" Billy said he would vote the way the Republican leadership told him to vote. From what a couple of other candidates told me, Jericho looked at Billy in disbelief.
Because he is part of this big new class, Billy "I don't run to the cameras and microphones every time they are offered" Long is always offering a generic soundbite which has become quite stale already in Southwest Missouri. That's what this really is, a stale sound bite.
