The only reason we have a "Speaker Boehner" is that the Tea Party kicked into gear in 2010. | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: Brant Clifton keeps an eye on the Republicans in Washington, DC and Raleigh in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.

    Now that the smoke has cleared -- and they are safe from the voters' wrath for at least two more years -- Republicans in Raleigh and Washington appear ready to toss supply-side, low-tax, deregulated economics under the bus.

    U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) has been making the rounds of the mainstream media whining about how unreasonable it is to hold Republicans to their promise to fight tax increases. Oh, silly us. You guys put all of this anti-tax, limited government rhetoric in your party platform and bash those "tax-and-spend" folks on the other side of the aisle. What were WE thinking?

    *Great stuff, Saxby.* Tell you what -- why not RUN for RE-ELECTION PROMISING to RAISE TAXES? See how well that works for you in the Peach State.

    Renee Ellmers' buddy, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wa), fresh off her defeat of Tea Partier Tom Price (R-Ga) for a House leadership post, says she's "ready to work with President Obama and the rest of his party to unleash American ingenuity and the entrepreneurial spirit." Really? What entrepreneurial spirit? The one that gave us the Obamaphone?

    In the GOP-controlled North Carolina General Assembly, we are hearing very little about cutting spending and A LOT about raising taxes to keep the gravy train running.

    There's not much to admire about Harry Reid and his cronies in the U.S. Senate. But one thing to give them props about is the fact they say what they are FOR, and they fight FOR IT. Before the election results came out, Reid was telling the media there was NO WAY in hell that he and his crew would work WITH a President Romney. They didn't "work" with either of the Bush presidents or President Reagan. But the GOP establishment folds like a cheap suit when they come out on the short end of the vote tally on election day.

    At least Harry and the boys will stand and fight for what they believe in.

    It's infuriating to hear these establishment types whining about how the Tea Party cost the GOP the election. Never mind that we held our noses and stuck by Romney when it became clear he was the nominee. Never mind that THEY primaried conservative candidates and sat on their hands in the general if said candidates survived the primaries. The only reason we have a "Speaker Boehner" is that the Tea Party kicked into gear in 2010.

    Saxby Chambliss says reneging on the no-tax increase pledge is all about saving the country. I disagree. Fighting tax increases and the growth of government is what will save the country.

    The "honorables" in both cities are bleeding us dry. We don't have much more to give. Roughly half of the country is not paying a dime in taxes. We've got record unemployment. Businesses -- scared to death over the threat of new taxes, regulations and OBAMACARE -- are tightening their belts, laying off workers, and freezing hiring. There's plenty of evidence that cutting taxes and shrinking government produces positive economic results. There's also plenty of evidence that tax increases and bureaucratic meddling bog down and cripple the economy.

    If our alleged representatives in both cities can't muster up the courage to stand by their party platform and their campaign promises, we need to do more than hold their feet to the fire. We need to stick those feet INTO the fire.