Required Reading
It’s official! George Will has given up on the Republican Congress:
“In 2006 you Republicans said that because Democrats have done better than Republicans with 527s, the 527s should be restricted in order to ‘level the playing field.’ Now we will level the playing field by restoring the ‘fairness doctrine’ to broadcasting, thereby eliminating conservatives’ unfair domination of talk radio.”
The 211 Republicans who voted for big-government regulation of speech will have no principled objection. How many principled Republicans remain? Only 18. The following, who voted against restricting 527s:
Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland), Chris Chocola (Indiana), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Vito Fossella (New York), Trent Franks (Arizona), Scott Garrett (New Jersey), Louie Gohmert (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Ernest Istook (Oklahoma), Walter Jones (North Carolina), Steve King (Iowa), Connie Mack (Florida), Cathy McMorris (Washington), Randy Neugebauer (Texas), Ron Paul (Texas), Mike Pence (Indiana), John Shadegg (Arizona) and Lynn Westmoreland (Georgia).
On this remnant of libertarian, limited-government conservatism a future House majority can be built. The current majority forfeited its raison d’etre April 5.
All I can add to that is, “Yeah, what he said.”
TO: Stephen Green
RE: The Solution….
…is not to try to form a third, fourth, fifth or sixth party.
The solution is to change the Republican Party to what you want it to be. And you can do that from RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
Get involved. And start hammering away at the bad things in the organization.
You’ve got Hefley, a Republican whose name I didn’t see in the item from Will; as opposing the piece of legislation.
Get involved, as opposed to standing on the sidelines whining. You’ll find it is much more satisfying than whining, either on the web or in letters.
Susan and I had, between us, two planks added to the county-level platform. Hers about 2d Amendment Rights for adults under the age of 21. Mine about repudiating and preventing Kelo v. New London at the federal level.
On top of that, Susan has decided to run for the state legislature (district 46). It’s going to be an interesting year.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
[Stop sitting on the sidelines whining. Get involved! It's as easy as [American] pie.]
Chuck,
Don’t shoot at the messenger.
Information facilitates change and Stephen’s writing on this blog provide a big scoop of information. Don’t see how you can tell him to get off the sidelines when the fact that your commenting on his blog is proof enough he is not on the sidelines.
What is becoming painfully obvious is the Republican party tends to dump a big chunk of it’s conservative philosophy in the ditch every time it gets in power.
This occurs at the state and national level. You would not believe what a struggle we have had in Texas to get a Republican controlled legislature to put a cap on the rate of increase in property valuations. No cuts, just a reduction in the rate of increase from 10 percent to 5 percent.
The Republican election prospects can’t stand much more abandonment of conservative principles by elected Republicans.
Chuck(le):
My view of the Republican party is informed by one simple fact:
For 25yrs the GOP has attacked the National Endowment for the Arts as a symbol of all that is wrong.
And yet in 25yrs the goopers have failed to seriously defund,never mind abolish,it.
If they don’t have the brains and balls to skin that cat,they clearly are not the people to deal with huge issues and problems we face.
And the realy scary part?
The Dems are even worse!
Bush and his leagacy, the DEA and CIA were put in power by dems because Clinton was bad.
527s? Retired rich CIA and Pentagon generals who could’nt just take the money and shut up.
Bush has two problems. One is drugs and the other is CIA. Go figure why those dems are mad.
I doubt that the Republicans will loose the house despite their dismal record on spending caps & cuts, limiting government or any of the other issues so dear to the heart of conservatives and libertarians.
My reason for that prediction is this, the dems are worse by far. They don’t get the full ramifications of the GWOT, they will spend and tax even more, they care even less for free speech than the republicans do, they have no policies of their own other than being against whatever Bush and the Republicans are for and harbour the fantasy of impeaching Bush if they do regain the house. They have been taken over by the extreme left wing of their party. Most reasonable folks left them long ago.
I’m not apologizing for or embracing the Republicans, the Republican governor and legislature in my state are abominable idiots at best who make a mockery out of fiscal conservatism while attempting to promote the basest parts of social conservatism. They are the embodiment of a leftist’s characature of the worst Republicans.
But in the final analysis, they are better than the democrats and that is their ONLY saving grace.
Until a 3rd party is viable, or enough folks have quit supporting or left the Republican party in disgust, for those in power to take notice and make changes, things will remain the same.
Meanwhile, as the Titanic sinks, the democrats argue over the arrangement of the deck chairs.
Bush’s problem is the fifth columnists in his own party.
Well, George can just run along to the Dems and try to get them to ban abortion.
Stephen,
Will, like his Democrat alternative Broder, has been inside the 495 Beltway waaaay too long. He’s the journalistic version of the entrenched politician.
Repubs in Congress are looking at only one thing, re-election! They may have arrived in Congress full of the Party’s beliefs (which I espouse), but getting a mid six figure income, including perks, for working fewer days/hours than a CA teacher (who works about 70% of the hours/days as a private sector employee) becomes paramount.
Adding to the dysfunction is the opposition party’s only program is being opposed to anything Bush and/or Republicans are in favor of.
They are all whores for their positions, even the so-called 18 who, I’m certain, believe their anti-measure vote will add to their re-electibilty.
Principals from an elected official of any party? I’ve got a great little bridge for sale. Cheap!
Mike
“My reason for that prediction is this, the dems are worse by far”
Yep,the GOP is hoping for Hillary,their only real hope is to scare the base out to the polls.
“They don’t get the full ramifications of the GWOT”
Neither do the Repubs,or for that matter,Mr. Green.
2 million strange people with lord knows what strapped to their backs prancing across the border every year hardly promotes national security.
“Bush’s problem is the fifth columnists in his own party.”
Bush is leading the fith colummn in his party,it’s one big reason he,and his party are so low in the polls.
“who make a mockery out of fiscal conservatism while attempting to promote the basest parts of social conservatism.”
“Libertarians”(snort)long ago traded all that small gov’t stuff for “cheap labor”,anyway.
“Cheap Labor”,like a mutual fund,is heavily back loaded and all those fees are coming due as it drives massive growth in gov’t as politicians try to buy those votes with more spending and new entitlement programs.
You were warned about this(and called us nativists and xenophobes for our trouble),so please don’t bitch about fiscal conservatism,you no longer the moral credibility do so.
I don’t think abortion and flag burning will work this time,the voters already know they don’t mean it,anyway,And those aren’t the hot button issues this year,after all.
Like it or not,if the GOP goes to the polls without a(very)strong immigration bill,or worse,some compromise really-really-not-amnesty(honest!) bill,they probably get creamed.
Isn’t George a little late? McCain/Fiengold (the mother of this unconstitional nonsense) only passed with sizable Dem votes and limited Republican support.
George is in a lather over the 527 vote and ignores the larger issue of campaign finance reform and the role of the parties on that terrible day. George needs to growup with a more focused whine if he is grabbing for that brass ring of the “cranky conservative”.
In the end, you’ll have to vote for a Repugnicant, because the alternative is a Bolshevist dressed up as a Democrat.
It was the same thing in Italy : there was a lot of (amply justified) disappointment in Berlusconi’s government, but the alternative were Stalinists, Maoists and Trotskyites. Hence the vote for Berlusconi in the northern regions of Italy, in Lazio (the region around Rome), in Puglia (the most economically developped part of the South) and on Sicily. Prodi barely won (without a majority in the popular vote) because of the incredibly complicated voting rules and because almost half of the regions are 80 % communist since the end of WW II.
Being stuck with only one party that is not openly and completely nuts and/or in bed with genocidal enemies abroad is not a comfortable position to be in, but being governed by said genocidal maniacs-hugging nuts is even worse.
So I’m with Chuck : reform the Reps from within, because there are no responsible Dems left on the national level. On the state and local level, you may vote for Dems, for purple Martians or for yellow Gremlins as much as you want, but on the national level, the choice is between imperfection (R) and suicide (D).
Reform at the primary level. Support the more conservative challenger at that time. If the challenger prevails, there is an opportunity for conservatism. If the incumbent prevails, the message has been sent.
Support the (R) at the general level, even if you have to hold your nose to do so.
The Dems cannot be allowed to retake power in their current state. The bad Repubs are less damaging than the Dems as a group.
Keep the Repubs in power (to limit the damage being done) and reform the party from within, one congressional seat at a time if necessary.
1) I go to church with Hensarling. He’s a VERY quiet, unassuming fellow. I’m glad to see him among the 18.
2) The Dems have to keep all their seats and win 15 R seats to take the house. They won’t do THAT, but they will take several.
3) In 2008, Hillary will be facing WHO? Not Condi… so WHO? If there’s not some POWERFUL persona, the jizz-a-thon the media will be cramming down our throats will sweep her into office.
4) And I’m not sure at all I should even give a shit anymore. I have grave doubts as to the future viability of the nation. I think we’ll eventually just be the “commons” for the planet, not a nation. Basically, everyone’s friggin soapbox.
Well, he’s right. If they’re going to spend like Democrats, they shouldn’t be surprised when the public indicates it might want to change drivers just for a change
TO: TJIT
RE: Shots Fired?
“Don’t shoot at the messenger.” — TJIT
I didn’t.
If you’ll review it, I kicked him in the ass.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
TO: TJIT
RE: Yeah?
“Information facilitates change and Stephen’s writing on this blog provide a big scoop of information. Don’t see how you can tell him to get off the sidelines when the fact that your commenting on his blog is proof enough he is not on the sidelines.” — TJIT
Tell me that when he puts HIS hat in the ring for public office.
RE: Issues with the Republicans
“What is becoming painfully obvious is the Republican party tends to dump a big chunk of it’s conservative philosophy in the ditch every time it gets in power.” — TJIT
I’m not denying that. Indeed, I’m doing something about it.
What have YOU done to change them?
Regards,
Chuck(le)
TO: noone
RE: So…
“For 25yrs the GOP has attacked the National Endowment for the Arts as a symbol of all that is wrong.
And yet in 25yrs the goopers have failed to seriously defund,never mind abolish,it.” — noone
When are YOU going to run for Congress so as to change that?
Or what are you doing to get/keep HONEST Republicans into position to do such?
Regards,
Chuck(le)
Chuck,
The most important thing I do is absolutely refues to give one penny directly to any national Republican party fund. Instead I donate as much as possible directly to candidates who will stay conservative when elected. I use the club for growth as a guide to good conservative candidates and I also donate to the club for growth pac. I have also put lots of time, money and effort into other groups that support conservative economic policies at all levels of government.
Chuck,
You still don’t get how important knowledge transfer and education is. Stephen writing on his blog is able to influence many more people at a much lower cost, to both his billfold and lifestyle:-) then he would if he ran for office.
For change to occur people need to understand how screwed up the current crop of republicans is. People need more information not more candidates.
George Will. Still hoping the majority of Americans might wake up and decide baseball is a big deal. Nuff said…
To:Chuck(le)
Re:So So…
“When are YOU going to run for Congress so as to change that?”
1)To run for Congress requires:
a)private wealth
or
b)wealthy backers
Since I’m not rich and refuse to be a prostitute,that leaves…..
“what are you doing to get/keep HONEST Republicans into position to do such?”
The only thing I can,refuse to donate my little pittance and refuse to vote GOP while informing the GOP loudly via e-mail and calls to my local and state reps WHY I am withholding my pittance and vote.
Clearly option 2 has little effect and besides,I’m tired of The Lecture “if you don’t vote for the pro AA,pro open borders,pro big government GOP,you’ll have the pro AA,pro open borders,pro big government Dems doing it!”
6,half dozen,etc.
I’d rather be shot in the front by Democrats than stabbed in the back(again)by Republicans,a liberal party with a conservative base it dislikes.
Just remember to not throw out the ones doing good and working upon conservative concepts with the ones not doing so.
TO: noone
RE: Bull Pucky
“1)To run for Congress requires:
a)private wealth
or
b)wealthy backers” — noone
All it takes is a will to do it.
The money, if necessary, will come.
That’s the BIG problem with most people. They think that everything hinges on ‘money’.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
TO: TJIT
RE: Okay…
“The most important thing I do is absolutely refues to give one penny directly to any national Republican party fund. Instead I donate as much as possible directly to candidates who will stay conservative when elected.” — TJIT
That works for me.
It’s certainly better than whining on a blog.
RE: Blogging vs. Running
“You still don’t get how important knowledge transfer and education is. Stephen writing on his blog is able to influence many more people at a much lower cost, to both his billfold and lifestyle:-) then he would if he ran for office.” — TJIT
He can go ahead and blog all he wants.
But, as the old adage goes….
Talk is cheap.
As my former battalion’s credo goes…
Deeds. Not Words.
I think you get the drift….
Regards,
P.S. Then again there’s the old saw about the weather….
Everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything about it.
The point here is that politics is NOT as impervious to action as is the weather, but if everyone thinks it is, NOTHING is going to change.
The only way to convince people that action works, is to get everybody acting. But as long as all they do is sit about and talk about it, there’s not going to be much in the way of action.
Hence, I kick Stephen Green and others here in their proverbial fourth-point-of-contact to get them ‘motivated’.