By Scott Tibbs, November 30, 2011
The Republican establishment is continuing its misguided efforts to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, and that is unfortunate. There is no good reason to take Burton out of Congress.
I am not opposed to challenging incumbent Republicans in the primary. I have supported and will continue to support primary challenges to incumbents. I have even voted Libertarian when a RINO is on the general election ballot. But if you are going to challenge an incumbent of your own party, you need to have a good reason for doing so. "I want to be a Congressman" is not a good enough reason and in an ideal world should you to be defeated in the primary.
Burton has a 97% rating from the American Conservative Union, a 94% rating from the Club for Growth and a 98% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. Burton also has a 100% rating from the American Family Association, the Family Research Council and the Christian Coalition. Burton got an A rating from the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America.
So why are so many establishment Republicans trying to take Burton out of Congress?
Perhaps establishment Republicans want a Gray Poupon candidate who won't embarrass them at the country club. I'm convinced that at least some of the opposition to Burton comes from elitists who think he's too brash or aggressive - the same reason many establishment Republicans despise Sarah Palin. That's not a good enough reason to remove a public servant like Burton, who has been on the front lines for conservative principles his entire career.
There has been a lot of heat on the Tea Party movement for challenging longtime establishment Republicans. Why is so little said about the Republican establishment's repeated efforts to get rid of Dan Burton, who has been a reliable conservative vote and loyal Republican for decades?
Eventually, Burton is going to retire, and there will be plenty of opportunity for another Republican to grab the brass ring. Burton should have earned enough loyalty by now to leave him where he is.
