WASHINGTON -- As he resumes his medical practice and fends off questions about misuse of taxpayer funds in his office, former Athens Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Broun has lent his voice as an angry conservative determined to make sure no squishy moderates become House Speaker.
After declaring victory in Speaker John Boehner's departure and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's abrupt withdrawal from the race, a band of conservative groups are now training their ire on the man who many figure could be the only one with a chance to unite the House Republican caucus -- Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
A blast email today links to FirePaulRyan.com, where visitors are asked to sign a pledge opposing the former vice presidential nominee and, of course, give money to the effort. Broun is quoted thusly in the email:
"I like Paul Ryan personally, but I believe that if he were to be elected Speaker we will see a continuation of Boehner policies," Broun says. "We must elect a Speaker that will stand-up to Obama and his radical policies that are hurting all Americans, especially the poor and senior citizens on limited incomes. We have to have leadership that is strong and truly conservative."
Ryan's alleged sins include low conservative vote rankings from conservative pressure groups, support for immigration reform and generally being too tied to the current GOP leadership.
The site is paid for by "Constitutional Rights PAC," which federal records show took in about $70,000, mostly from small donors, in the first half of this year, while spending about $65,000, mostly on consultants but also on some TV ads and other advocacy.
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