Debra J. Saunders
December 31, 2022 2:01 PM ET
RINO stands for Republican in Name Only, although lately the term means something far different than a Republican who votes like a Democrat. For many in the pro-Trump base, it seems, RINO is a Republican who can win elections. Like that’s a bad thing.
Now apparently, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy — the man most likely to be speaker when the House votes on Jan. 3 — is a RINO.
McCarthy opposes abortion rights, voted to abolish Obamacare and is a 2020 election denier whom former President Donald Trump dubbed “my Kevin.”
Nonetheless, Rep. Andy Biggs, is running for speaker because, Biggs argues, McCarthy is a “RINO establishment hack.”
Since his days as a California state lawmaker, McCarthy has morphed from a pragmatic conservative to a faithful Trump lieutenant. Still, that’s not good enough for the loser wing of the GOP.
Biggs is one of five Republicans who have pledged not to vote for McCarthy. I don’t see how anyone who can count expects a rump of five to move the 435-member House — with 222 Republicans and 213 Democrats — further to the right. And yet, that is the dream.
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https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/31/opinion-is-mccarthy-a-rino-debra-saunders/