Comrade Conyers: Club for Growth's Commie of the Month

As this blog's readers know, I've been an avid follower of the "Comrade of the Month" award instituted this year by conservative advocacy group Club for Growth. So I've been quite frustrated this summer. First, they gave the June award to all 219 House members who voted in favor of the Waxman-Markey energy/environment (ie, cap-and-trade) bill, which was such a broad brush that it really didn't lend itself to my ongoing critiques. Then, Club for Growth inexplicably never awarded a Comrade of the Month at all for July. (And did not respond to my attempts to find out why.)

Well, thank goodness they're back in business now. They have awarded the August Comrade honor to Michigan congressman John Conyers.

This is the second black Comrade (along with the obvious Barack Obama) -- and (setting aside the '219 House members') leaves Markey as the only white male Christian pegged with the commie label thus far, out of nine super-socialists.

But, as delighted as I am to see the Club resume its wild red-baiting ways, I'm really disappointed with the rationale behind the Conyers selection. As they explain in their press release, they chose Conyers for his much-travelled comment to the effect that it's silly to talk about congressmen "reading" bills, particularly on complex legislation like health care reform.

First of all, Conyers said that in July, not August, which I suppose is a picky point. Second of all, Conyers was absolutely correct; this whole "read the bill" outrage is nonsense. It was nonsense when lefty Michael Moore made a big stink about it some years ago, and it's nonsense coming from the right now.

But most importantly, what the hell does it have to do with being a communist?  How does it demonstrate "big-government redistribution and restrictions on economic freedom," to use the Club's stated criteria.

With everything going on this summer, that's the best they've got? Have they not been paying attention to how the Democrats are plunging this country into tyrannical Stalinism? Is nobody at Club for Growth paying attention to Michael Reagan, or Michelle Malkin, or Americans for Tax Reform? For crying out loud, what kind of rabid conservative outfit are they running there?