Posted on 10/13/2011 12:08:55 PM PDT by radioone
RUSH: Ladies and gentlemen, there's a big piece in the New York Times Magazine coming this weekend. It is entitled: "Does Anyone Have a Grip on the GOP?" The subhead: "The Republican Elite Tries to Take Its Party Back." This article prints like 24 pages. It is a major, major New York Times Magazine piece. It confirms everything that I have thought, everything I have speculated, everything I have said about the battle between the Republican elite and the Tea Party.
I can't read the whole thing on the program; I don't intend to. I've got some highlights or quotes that are illustrative here, but this is an open declaration of war from the GOP elites to the Tea Party, and it's right there in the New York Times. And these Republican establishment types are more than willing to be quoted by name, and what I think it all means is they think that they've beaten the Tea Party hordes back. Do you realize that Chuck Schumer and a bunch of Democrats are running around campaigning now against the Tea Party. The Tea Party poses the greatest threat to this country. The Tea Party is a bunch of racist, sexist bigots. This is the message and the Republican elite, while not joining word for word that message, are still joining with the Democrats in the notion that the Tea Party is a problem and needs to be beaten back.
Now, this piece in the New York Times illustrates the obstacles Tea Party lawmakers are up against. All these Republican freshmen in the House, for example, this article makes it plain how difficult their job is. There's even a section in this story on compromise, the bad kind of compromise, the kind of compromise that Republicans have been known for, get along with the Democrats, please the media, show that we're not the unreasonable Tea Party types. That's what's shaking down here. The Tea Party is under assault from the Democrats and the Republican elite, and now the battle has been brought full fore in the pages of the New York Times Magazine.
There's some quotes from various people in this story. Bill Kristol on the Tea Party: "It's an infantile form of conservatism." Scott Reed, veteran strategist and lobbyist: "I think it's waning now," talking to the reporter of the story about the Tea Party's influence. "Party leaders have managed to bleed some of the anti-establishment intensity out of the movement, Reed said, by slyly embracing Tea Party sympathizers in Congress, rather than treating them as 'those people.' Did he mean to say that the party was slowly co-opting the Tea Partiers? 'Trying to,' Reed said. 'And that’s the secret to politics: trying to control a segment of people without those people recognizing that you’re trying to control them.'" This is a Republican consultant talking about how to neutralize the Tea Party.
John Feehery, a lobbyist who was once a senior House aide I think to Denny Hastert is also quoted. "The thing I get a kick out of is these Tea Party people calling me a RINO. No, guys, I've been a Republican all along. You go off on your own little world and then come back and say it's your party. Well, this ain't your party." Vin Weber, r-e, the Tea Party lawmakers. Vin Weber is a former member of Congress from Minnesota, now a big time lobbyist and Republican consultant. Vin Weber: "One thing I do notice about 'em is when I ask them, 'So how are you enjoying it?'" talking about the Tea Party members of Congress, "almost none of them say, 'Oh, jeez, I'm really loving this.' They all say some version of, 'This is not what I'd want to be doing, but I've got to do it for the country.'" So, "Weber seemed genuinely surprised that this aversion to Washington didn't melt away once they arrived in town."
Gosh, what have we always speculated here? Or what have we always known? One of the biggest problems is conservatives run around the country, campaign, and get elected on conservatism; then go to Washington, get corrupted and co-opted by the culture there. Here's Vin Weber admitting it! Vin Weber is admitting it and shocked and stunned that the Tea Party guys haven't fallen for it yet. He says he's surprised. Yeah, they're not really loving this. They're here not doing what they want to do; they're trying to save the country. "Weber seemed genuinely surprised that this aversion to Washington didn't melt away once they got to town." He says, 'I can just tell you when I came to Congress we were rabble-rousers, but, boy, if you'd asked any of us six months into it how we were enjoying it, we woulda said, "This is the greatest opportunity of a lifetime."
"'It just struck me, and it's part and parcel of this anti-government mind-set,'" meaning: "We in the Republican Party. "'We're not anti-government,' these Tea Party anti-government people, why, they're so damn serious, they can't enjoy this! They don't understand the kind of power they've got. They don't realize the fun they could be having. When we got here, we had a ball! We just fell right into it and we wanted to become big parts of the machine!" I'm adding my own words here but that's how I'm interpreting what Weber means. "'Yeah, it just struck me,' Weber said. 'It's part and parcel of this anti-government mind-set.'" This is a reporter writing: "I wondered if maybe the Tea Partiers' contempt for Washington was just a kind of outsiders schtick.
"Weber replied glumly, 'I'd feel better about it if I thought it was,' but Weber said, 'I think these people are genuinely anti-Washington,'" and that makes him nervous. Can't have that! If they're anti-Washington, we don't want 'em here. "Charlie Black, longtime Republican strategerist and lobbyist confidently predicted when he talked to [the New York Times reporter] about the more radical members of the freshman class, they'll become the establishment. You wait." I thought George Will said there was no Republican establishment anymore! I thought the Republican establishment itself was trying to say there's no establishment, in recent weeks. I thought they were all saying it has just a fiction of everybody's imagination. Here's Charlie Black: Yeah, they'll become the establishment.
He's talking about the Tea Party freshmen: They'll become the establishment in time; not worried about it. Bill Kristol again: "I've been slightly, not worried, but I've just regarded it as one of the things I can do as a genuine Tea Party sympathizer to counsel Tea Party types to be sensible, not go overboard and not go in the wrong direction. From my point of view, I wouldn't want 'em to win all of their fights." He wants 'em to lose some. Bill Kristol wants the Tea Party to lose some. The New York Times is worried that the wrong people might get control of the Republican Party. That's what this story is about. The reason why this story is running is because of abject fear of the Tea Party. The Washington elite love a Republican elite that agrees to be second fiddle.
The media and the Washington elite love a Republican elite who agree to be the minority. The Washington elite, the New York Times, and the media love a Republican elite that understands its place is number two in the pecking order. So the New York Times is now worried the "wrong" people might get control of the GOP -- and you know how concerned the New York Times is about the well-being of the Republican Party. They need the party to maintain its mind-set of second fiddle, second place, always on defense, always not really in the clique and striving to get in it. That's what they want the Republican Party to be, and the Tea Party threatens that.
Scott Reed: "Yep, trying to, that's the secret of politics: Trying to control a segment of people without those people recognizing you're trying to control 'em." Luckily none of these hicks in the Tea Party would ever read the New York Times so they won't figure out what's being done on 'em. Stop and think of this. Here are these Republican elites announcing all of this, being quoted by name in the New York Times Sunday Magazine as though the Tea Party members of Congress are never gonna find out about this! It's a -- I don't know -- open declaring of war? What we've always known is going on, what they've always denied is going on, now it's happening and the New York Times proudly writes a cover story in this weekend's magazine of 7,028 words, 73 paragraphs. From the New York Times article: "George Will recently said there is no such thing as the Republican establishment, which is a little like Michael Douglas say there's no such thing as Hollywood." That's from the article. That's not me.
This is a war that We The People should win.
It's time for the GOP swells to form their own third party of "moderate" RINOs.
The voters will abandon the Tea Party and the Democrat Party in droves to vote for them.
Honest.
I have just about had enough of Republican party RINO elites.
If they keep fartiing around I will changing my registration to Independent.
Unless a viable third party comes along.
I suspect that the ‘Pubs will only succeed in diminishing themselves as they go about attempting to diminish the Tea Party. Probably not a good idea during an election cycle.
The elites are totally delusional and do not see this simmering Mt. Vesuvius which is going to explode.
This is why we have to stop Romney and Perry and the the rinos and establishment types.
If we lose this war it has GOT to be third party time.
It's looking more and more, to me, like our dream of the Tea Party taking over the GOP may not happen. Or may not happen soon enough to save America.
Maybe it's time to start thinking Tea Party as 3rd Party?
The GOP is no different than the Democrats. RATs treat blacks the way PUBs treat Tea Party Conservatives. GOP tell us repeatedly to hold our noses and vote because the other guy is worse. Then when a real Conservative runs, they stab us in the back. No more RINOs for me.
If we lose this war, there won’t be another chance for a 3rd party. The outcome of this election will determine whether we remain free or slaves to a faceless government.
You quit too easy and they want you to quit. Keep pressing onward they are on their last legs.
This really is Good News. The RINOs are absolutely scared
shi(r)tless by the Tea Party. Gee, I wonder why it is the Pubbies are getting their @sses handed to them by the ‘rats in fundraising?
Trent Lott [R] on Tea Party candidates: ‘As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them’
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2010/07/19/trent-lott-on-tea-party-candidates-as-soon-as-they-get-here-we-need-to-co-opt-them/
12:27 pm July 19, 2010, by Jay
The money quote from a Washington Post piece on the Tea Party and Washington’s GOP establishment:
Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), now a D.C. lobbyist, warned that a robust bloc of rabble-rousers spells further Senate dysfunction. “We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples,” Lott said in an interview. “As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them.”
But Lott said he’s not expecting a tea-party sweep. “I still have faith in the visceral judgment of the American people,” he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/17/AR2010071702375.html?hpid=topnews
Republican lawmakers gird for rowdy tea party
By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 18, 2010
So who wants to join Rand Paul’s “tea-party” caucus?
“I don’t know about that,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) replied with a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure I should be participating in this story.”
Republican lawmakers see plenty of good in the tea party, but they also see reasons to worry. The movement, which has ignited passion among conservative voters and pushed big government to the forefront of the 2010 election debate, has also stirred quite a bit of controversy. Voters who don’t want to privatize Social Security or withdraw from the United Nations could begin to see the tea party and the Republican Party as one and the same.
(Campaign 2010 map)
Paul, the GOP Senate nominee in Kentucky, floated the idea of forming an official caucus for tea-party-minded senators in an interview in the National Review as one way he would shake up Washington. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), one of the movement’s favorite incumbents, filed paperwork on Thursday to register a similar group in the House “to promote Americans’ call for fiscal responsibility, adherence to the Constitution, and limited government.”
In six states — Kentucky, Nevada, Florida, Utah, Colorado and Minnesota — tea-party-backed Republican Senate candidates have won nomination or are favored in upcoming primaries. They are attracting outsize attention not only from Democrats and the media, but from conservative leaders such as former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Fox News host Glenn Beck.
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(Photos: 2010 candidates)
Republicans such as Paul and Sharron Angle in Nevada may hold provocative views, but “they’re our nominees and I think we ought to get behind them 100 percent,” said Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.).
“The candidates are not ours to choose,” said Cornyn, chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. “They’re the choice of the primary voters in the states, and I think we should respect their choices.”
Yet some Republicans worry that tea-party candidates are settling too comfortably into their roles as unruly insurgents and could prove hard to manage if they get elected. Paul, who beat GOP establishment favorite Trey Grayson in Kentucky’s primary, told the National Review that he would seek to join forces with GOP Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.) and Tom Coburn (Okla.), “who are unafraid to stand up” and who have blocked numerous bills advanced by both parties deemed by the pair as expanding government.
(Interactive: Campaign 2010 fundraising)
“If we get another loud voice in there, like Mike Lee from Utah or Sharron Angle from Nevada, there will be a new nucleus” to advocate causes such as term limits, a balanced-budget amendment and “having bills point to where they are enumerated in the Constitution,” Paul said in the interview.
Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), now a D.C. lobbyist, warned that a robust bloc of rabble-rousers spells further Senate dysfunction. “We don’t need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples,” Lott said in an interview. “As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them.”
But Lott said he’s not expecting a tea-party sweep. “I still have faith in the visceral judgment of the American people,” he said.
Sen. Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah), who failed to survive his party’s nominating process after running afoul of local tea-party activists, told a local Associated Press reporter last week that the GOP had jeopardized its chance to win Senate seats in Republican-leaning states such as Nevada and Kentucky and potentially in Colorado, where tea-party favorite Ken Buck has surged ahead of Lt. Gov. Jane Norton in their primary battle.
Bennett warned that such candidates are stealing attention from top GOP recruits such as Mike Castle in Delaware and John Hoeven in North Dakota, both of whom are favored to win seats held by Democrats. Nor are they helping the Republican Party to resolve its deeper identity problems, he said.
“That’s my concern, that at the moment there is not a cohesive Republican strategy of this is what we’re going to do,” Bennett told the AP. “And certainly among the tea-party types there’s clearly no strategy of this is what we’re going to do.”
Democrats are hopeful that voters will focus on the potential consequences of tea-party proposals as they decide whether to hand over control of Congress to Republicans. Democratic Party officials said their easiest target, given the recent economic meltdown, is the push to privatize Social Security. A recent NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll found that 48 percent of voters were “very uncomfortable” with the idea of private retirement accounts, while another 18 percent had reservations.
In Nevada, when state Sen. Joe Heck told a local reporter that he was open to a limited and voluntary version of Social Security privatization, his Democratic opponent, Rep. Dina Titus, declared he had endorsed “Sharron Angle and her radical agenda.” The Senate candidate has said she wants to phase out Social Security and Medicare as government programs.
Democrats also are trying to tarnish Ron Johnson, a DeMint-endorsed businessman who is backed by tea-party groups and establishment Republicans in his bid take on Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.). When Paul raised his caucus idea, Democrats put the question to Johnson.
“The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is asking Tea Partier Ron Johnson to tell Wisconsin voters if he would join Rand Paul’s ‘tea party caucus,’ “ read a DSCC statement released Thursday. Johnson’s campaign did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The Democratic National Committee seized immediately this week on a billboard sponsored by a local tea-party group in Mason City, Iowa, depicting President Obama next to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. “Republicans keep saying that they aren’t extremists — but they keep doing things like this,” wrote DNC Executive Director Jennifer O’Malley Dillon in a fundraising letter.
The billboard also forced Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who faces a tough challenge from Democrat Roxanne Conlin, to issue a careful rebuke. “I believe that you should always leave personalities out of it and talk policy,” he said in an interview.
But Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) said he’s still not sure of the tea party’s broader political impact. “I don’t know whether it causes a fracture in the Republican Party or provides more energy,” Cardin said. “But there are a lot of Republicans who are uncomfortable, and my gut is, at least in the short term, that will cause some problems.”
Don't fall for this BS! I recently had to have lunch with some people among whom was a Lib woman who was convinced Obama would easily coast to reelection next year and that Republicans would be severely punished (lose a *massive* number of seats in congress) for their "obstructionism." LMAO.
The human capacity for self-delusion is boundless. This article just shows the GOP establishment is not immune. These GOPers who think they've in any way co-opted or tamed the Tea Party are in for a big shocker next year.
I would have fought for Bachmann, Palin, or Cain, but the rest are just scum.
Especially with Cain, a Tea Party favorite on the rise, it will look bad for them!
“I wonder why it is the Pubbies are getting their @sses handed to them by the ‘rats in fundraising?”
I know this was a rhetorical question, but I’d bet it’s the same reason donations to individual conservative candidates far outpace those made to any individual lib/dem candidate.
How about we call an early Republican convention and just don’t invite the Rinos?
Traditional political parties never had any goal beyond getting their hacks elected to office, so they could pass out patronage, bailouts, subsidies, etc. to their cronies. The Founding Fathers were opposed to political parties, but the Big Two rigged things so that we had to choose between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. Now the Demonrat Party is overtly communist, but the country-club hacks treat them as “honorable opponents.” There must be an all-out war on the incumbent unprincipled scum in the Pubbie Party. If that fails, then a new party must form. If that fails, then it’s time for another revolution.
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