Yes, There Is a Political ‘Establishment’ — Now What Do We Do About It?

by Michael Cummings 

Sometimes, it’s not good to be right.
For decades, everyday Americans have supported whom we believed were best suited to represent our interests in Washington D.C. Sometimes, our support took fire when a candidate we thought was truly one of us won a heated election. Other times, we held our nose, closed our mouths, and pulled that lever so swiftly we thought we might change our minds mid-stride. 
Our public servants got to Congress, and went to work on violating every promise they made in the months leading up to the election. Clearly, something happens when people
arrive in an official or lobbyist capacity. Power in the way of committee memberships, prestige in the way of party invitations and media interviews, and money – lots and lots of money – must corrupt absolutely.  

Over the years, while we watched our betrayal, we saw a group of Senate and House lifers coalesce into a team of sorts. On issues we wanted something done, they did nothing. On issues we wanted nothing done, they did the wrong thing. Over and over it happened, from taxes to our southern border, to Obamacare. Add a true insult to injury, we were often called names like “Hobbits.” So we gave this group a name: The Establishment. Members of this cabal denied it existed, mocking us with, “What, do you think we have secret handshakes? Do you think we have secret meetings?”
Not sure about the handshakes, but we now know they have meetings. 

Billionaires, tech CEOs and top members of the Republican establishment flew to a private island resort off the coast of Georgia this weekend for the American Enterprise Institute’s annual World Forum, according to sources familiar with the secretive gathering.
The main topic at the closed-to-the-press confab? How to stop Republican front-runner Donald Trump. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google co-founder Larry Page, Napster creator and Facebook investor Sean Parker, and Tesla Motors and SpaceX honcho Elon Musk all attended. So did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), political guru Karl Rove, House Speaker Paul Ryan, GOP Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Ben Sasse (Neb.), who recently made news by saying he “cannot support Donald Trump.”  

Along with Ryan, the House was represented by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (Mich.), Rep. Kevin Brady (Texas) and almost-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), sources said, along with leadership figure Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.), Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (Texas) and Diane Black (Tenn.).

Two great myths can now be killed, cremated, and buried in a locked safe under six feet of concrete: 1)There is an Establishment, and 2) Bipartisan crony capitalism is alive and well. Say what you want about Donald Trump, and I’ve said plenty about how terrible a president I think he would be, his candidacy inadvertently outed these Templar wannabes. Nicely done, Mr. Steak. 
So fine. They had a secret meeting. As to the product of this meeting, the rest of the country is no doubt trembling with anticipation. Was it to admit what the rest of us have known for years, that most of these people are to blame for Trump’s surge? And did they
agree on and set a plan for defeating Trump in a way that doesn’t obliterate the
Republican party or consign it to the bowels of history? 

Not really…

Sources familiar with the meeting — who requested anonymity because the forum is off the record — said that much of the conversation around Trump centered on “how this happened, rather than how are we going to stop him,” as one person put it.

For all the cloak and dagger, and considering the top-echelon IQs and pedigrees in attendance, you would think some worthwhile solution would have emerged. But no, as of this writing we’re left with mere speculation as to what flight the Wagyu beef took to get to Sea Island in time for the main course. 
By the way, Leftists, your heroes Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and Larry Page were there. Even Pinch Sulzberger, famous publisher of the New York Times, attended. That these feel-but-rarely-do-gooders consorted with the likes of Senator Tom Cotton and Speaker Paul Ryan – you’re not going to let them get away with this, are you? Talk about infidelity…
Speaking of worthwhile solutions to stop Donald Trump, allow me to offer two that could have saved these people the millions of dollars it took to travel to and attend this meeting (likely picked up, at least in part, by the American taxpayer): Get Marco Rubio and John Kasich to exit the race before Florida, and all of you support Ted Cruz all the way to victory in November.