House Speaker Tom Price?

Will Congressman Tom Price replace John Boehner as House Speaker? A grassroots campaign is underway to do just that. In an informal meeting Monday at Sue’s Log Cabin Restaurant in Ellijay, Local Conservative Voice Joe McCutchen announced that he and Poole’s BBQ Owner Oscar Poole plan to start a grassroots campaign to get Georgia Congressman Tom Price elected as the next House Speaker. Over lunch, McCutchen explained his motivation.

“Boehner’s been there 22 years,”

he said,

“He’s not really doing much of anything. Price is real aggressive; he’s smart; he’s got a bill, HR 2000, which is to replace Obamacare.”

He went on to explain Speaker Boehner is not moving the less-government-less taxes-more freedom agenda. McCutchen also reminded the crowd that Price was on the budget committee with Rep. Paul Ryan, who was tapped this weekend as Mitt Romney’s running mate for vice presidential candidate. Price has also been a prominent voice in the healthcare debate, before and after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was passed.

Monday’s crowd was a combination of small business owners and community members, who were all optimistic of Romney’s choice of running mate.

“It’s the best ticket in history for American taxpayers, small businesses, capitalism, free enterprise and our children and grandchildren,”

McCutchen said.

At the center of the optimism, though, was an air of necessity, especially for small business owners, as the shadow of Obamacare looms, which will cause business owners to provide health coverage for all employees or pay a penalty. East Ellijay Subway Sandwich Shop Owner Ed Singleton lamented the prospect of Obamacare regulations, saying it’s more affordable to pay the $8000 penalty than for insurance plans for his employees, which, he said could cost anywhere from $200 to $400 per employee per month. Singleton went on to say that Obamacare would force him to lay off employees and force his prices to increase. Here, he noted McDonald’s and Papa John’s have already said their prices will rise. Singleton said he would probably sell his (15) stores and retire in the face of the draconian regulations, although, at this point it was only speculation. However, like most at the table, Singleton seemed hopeful, saying he thinks Romney and Ryan will win by a landslide.

Although, the grassroots campaign to get Price elected as Speaker is still nascent, the venture seems promising. It also reflects the anti-establishment spirit of voters right now, who want a clean sweep of Washington and local governments, purging the business-as-usual politicians who do the will of lobbyists rather than the will of the people and, replace these politicians with principled and genuine representatives of the people, as our Founders intended.

A House Speaker will be elected following the November election.