ForAmerica's Bozell Thrashes GOP Establishment in CPAC Speech

ForAmerica chairman Brent Bozell mashed the Republican establishment in his speech to CPAC on Saturday.

“John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy: You said all the right things to conservatives to propel the GOP back to the majority and you to the top three leadership positions in the House,” Bozell said, according to prepared remarks. “You, like virtually every single other Republican elected to Congress solemnly vowed to rid us of Obamacare, which you can do simply by refusing to fund it. Why haven’t you done so? … You’ve done nothing for over two years but give us excuses and more commitments that tomorrow, yes tomorrow, you’ll honor your promises. Gentlemen, where promises are concerned, you are not what you promised to be.”

Bozell did not just go after House GOP leadership. He had strong words for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and others, too.

“Jeb Bush, about those proposed tax increases of yours,” Bozell said of Bush. “Apparently you didn’t get the memo that when Republicans agree to raise taxes if Democrats will agree to cut spending, one side always keeps its word, and the other always breaks it. You also need to do some research on what happens to Bush family members who raise taxes.”

“Governor Bob McDonnell. You ran, and won as a fiscal conservative,” Bozell said of McDonnell. “You leave punishing Virginia with the largest tax increase in history. I wish we’d never elected you.”

About Haley Barbour, Bozell said when he calls for “unity and on conservatives to ‘sing from the same hymnal’ and then publicly trash good conservative groups like Club for Growth for supporting good conservatives, you’re out of tune, and you’re out of line.”

Bozell said that while House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan is “a good man” who means well and is showing “courage trying to reform Medicare and rid us of Obamacare,” his “proposed budget that has the federal government spending $41 trillion over the next ten years, with more and more and more spending increases every single year, and assumes all the oppressive Obamacare taxes.”

“Congressman, that’s what liberal Democrats do, not us,” Bozell said, as if addressing Ryan directly. “This is not conservatism. It is, literally, Democrat Lite. Do you have national aspirations? Do yourself and your country a favor. Rip that budget up and come back with one that truly does reduce the size of government, that puts us on the path toward a balanced budget by reducing deficits, and one that puts us on the path of solvency by eradicating our debt.”

Bozell ripped Karl Rove too. “No wonder Media Matters has called Karl Rove the Republican ‘voice of reason,'” Bozell said about Rove. “The ultimate in cynical arrogance arrived last month when Rove and his fellow professional consultants announced the formation of the so-called Conservative Victory Project. They really thought they’d get away with it. They didn’t. You can put lipstick on a pig, but a pig it remains.  Conservatives met his attack with a thundering nationwide broadside, and in 24 hours he was in full retreat. Why, I love the Tea Party! he now proclaimed. Why, some of my best friends are conservatives! he pleaded. Incredibly, he cited men like Pat Toomey and Rand Paul as those he’d helped elect. He even stated he’d run the Texas campaign for Ronald Reagan in 1980 – except he never worked for Ronald Reagan in 1980. No, the last thing the GOP needs is for the anti-conservative professional political consultant class infecting its ranks. And the last thing we conservatives want is them infiltrating ours.”