A new GOP star may be rising, and it’s bad news for North Carolina

Almost everything North Carolina congressman Dan Bishop does seems to be about attention.

Running television ads that depict Democrats as inflatable clowns. Mocking women at congressional hearings. Publicly blasting the “jihad media.”

It’s offensive, disgraceful and unbecoming of a member of Congress, and so far it has not made him into the kind of political star he seemingly wants to be.

His latest stunt, however, has thrust him further into the national spotlight.

Bishop has spent several days waging what could be considered the Twitter equivalent of a filibuster, as Congress squabbled over a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that would avert a government shutdown.

In a series of tweets, Bishop outlined what he deems the “most egregious provisions” in the bill, including budget hikes for both the EPA and FBI (gasp!) and funding for Title X, which provides family planning services to those who cannot afford or access such services on their own. The tweets have received tens of thousands of likes and shares.

In fact, it even attracted the likes of Elon Musk, who praised Bishop’s “very informative thread.” Musk also responded to Bishop’s tweet about the Continuous Plankton Monitor, an internationally renowned nonprofit organization that measures the health of our oceans, with a photo of a SpongeBob character. (Yes, you heard that right.)

The tweets also earned Bishop a Fox News invitation from none other than Tucker Carlson, who urged viewers to visit Bishop’s Twitter feed for evidence of this “betrayal of the American people.”

“$11 billion for the FBI before we’ve had a chance at the first witness to see what they’re doing in terms of censoring speech and harassing Americans!” Bishop told a stunned Carlson, referring to the GOP’s plan to investigate the FBI and Justice Department once they gain control of the House.

The crusade didn’t stop there. Bishop joined beleaguered GOP colleague Rep. Matt Gaetz on his podcast, where the two bemoaned the corrupt “status quo” of Congress (an institution to which they both belong) and slammed Republicans who support the omnibus bill. Some House Republicans have vowed to oppose the legislative priorities of any Republican senator who backs the spending deal, a threat that has been echoed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Complaining about Congress is nothing new to Bishop, but he doesn’t seem to be that interested himself in serious legislating. During his time in Congress, Bishop has done little for North Carolina besides specialize in performance art. Legislation he’s sponsored includes two bills and one resolution banning or condemning Critical Race Theory, a bill prohibiting the federal funding of safe injection sites (which he named the HUNTER Act, after Joe Biden’s son who openly struggles with drug addiction) and multiple bills pertaining to riots, masks or antifa.

Even if all he seems to do is create spectacles, Bishop on a national stage would be embarrassing to North Carolina — and perhaps more. He’s already proven himself plenty capable of doing harm in the state legislature as author of the infamous House Bill 2, which brought shame and economic injury upon our state.

Of course, Bishop may just be the flavor of the moment in conservative circles. But he’s a smart legislator who’s willing to say and do outlandish things, and that’s a dangerous combination. He’s now receiving national affirmation for it, yet another illustration that too many conservatives aren’t interested in serious leaders and sober policy discussions. They just want politicians who can publicly own the libs.

It’s why people like Marjorie Taylor Greene are beginning to wield more power within the Republican Party, moving from the fringes to the mainstream. It’s why Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, despite his shameful antics, has a healthy early lead in polls ahead of the 2024 gubernatorial election.

Bishop is savvy enough to realize that, and whether his fame lasts five minutes or five months, it’s bad for North Carolinians. After the rise and subsequent fall of Madison Cawthorn, the last thing our state needs is another congressman prompting headlines that make us cringe in Washington. Unfortunately, it seems we might get one anyway.

This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "A new GOP star may be rising, and it’s bad news for North Carolina."