(CNN) -- House Republicans just went through the pageantry of the changing of the guard with their leadership elections. But new names on the door won't change their party's priorities: protecting special interests, the ultra-wealthy and their own perks at the expense of middle-class Americans. The term "Republican leadership" has become the biggest oxymoron in politics. If we learned one thing from Republicans' elections, it's that their leadership simply follows their tea party base in an unceasing march to the right. Following their losses at the ballot box in 2012, Republicans rolled out a post-mortem calling for a move to the middle, recognizing that their days as a competitive national party were numbered if they continued on their current rightward path.
@highlight
Rep. Steve Israel says House Republicans' new leaders have same party priorities
@highlight
Israel: Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise were elected on pledges of fealty to the tea party
@highlight
Republicans, he says, just replaced one leader of the GOP shutdown with another
Just 19% of tea party Republicans believe immigration helps the @placeholder, compared to 47% of the country at large.