Ensign: Colleagues Didn't Step Up To Plate (We Need to Step It Up the Senate is at Stake!)

http://www.rollcall.com ^ | August 22, 2008 | John Stanton and Josh Kurtz

[Maelstorm]

In a stunning admission, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) on Friday morning blasted his GOP colleagues for not doing enough to help the committee financially, and he said he would have to scale back the NRSC’s independent expenditure budget as a result.

[Maelstorm]

Let's make up the difference. I'm donating today because we know that the Obama supporters at DailyKos, The DNCUnderground, and Moveon.org are donating. Losing because you can't afford to buy ammunition is pitiful.

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Here is something I wrote to one of our candidates:

Your race and others make me think of where General Washington stood on Christmas Eve 1776. His men were nearing the end of their commissions many without shoes and frostbitten and where they did not suffer physically they suffered with the sheer heaviness of their previous defeats. They were worn down and most feared all was lost. Thomas Paine wrote the following during those dark days:

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

These men did not wait to be defeated. They crossed the river and went on to victory. I know this race is an uphill one but if you do not cross the river you may be leaving victory on the other side. I'm praying for you. ...

Donate to the Senate campaign:
https://secure.donationreport.com/donation.html?key=AKPNDROEGKF5

Donate to specific candidates:
http://twoseats.nrsc.org/orders/search.aspx
 

[bpjam]

We haven’t had more useless RINO douchebags in the GOP Senate since maybe the 1940s.

While we allow North Dakota and Montana to continue to have TWO senators in the DNC fold, it’s just F’ing embarassing that existing RINOs are too afraid of losing that they won’t even fight to avoid extinction. Embarassing!

[Snickering Hound]

Perhaps if RINO's were told to put a sock in it the past few years they'd have raised more money.

[Prokopton]

More and more conservatives contribute only to conservative candidates. I don't trust any organization, with “Republican” in it's name, to properly spend campaign money. They have all earned this mistrust.

[Norman Bates]

Once you’ve buried the GOP what do you see as the vehicle to drive conservatism?

[3AngelaD]

Yeah, I really want to contribute to the Carolina Weeping Pansy’s re-election effort! When Phil Gramm and Alphonse D’Amato were running the committee, they didn’t have a problem raising money.

[Redbob]

Our Senators have made this bed, with their irresponsible spending, their refusal to do something about illegal aliens and border security, their refusal to allow drilling - let them lie in it!

I can think of about 2 Senators I’d care to have re-elected - maybe...

[Blood of Tyrants]

And just as bad, the RNC will not support a REAL conservative challenging a RINO incumbent.

[MovementConservative]

I share the frustration. I was really upset about the million the RNC gave Lincoln Chaffee.
My Senator, Gordon Smith, is a conservative and has been since his time in state politics. He of course has sometimes annoyed conservatives in the last few years but the reality is he's the only remaining Republican elected statewide in Oregon. The realclearpolitics listed his seat as leaning GOP this cycle. I am really concerned though. If we lose him the GOP will be as dead in Oregon as it is in New Jersey and other New England states. Please consider that right now 5 GOP senate seats are listed as likely Dem takeover. It might be a very bad November for conservatives even if we defeat Obamanation.

[Nevadan]

I understand the frustration of many Republicans because I feel it myself. I get tired of the party supporting RINOs. I do want to say, however, that Senator John Ensign is one of the “good guys”. He has a tough job to do. He needs our support to do it.

[oldbill]

It might be a very bad November for conservatives even if we defeat Obamanation.

No, it will be a very bad year for Republicans. Conservatism will survive and ultimately triumph, as that is where America's heart is.

When the Republicans in Washington re-embrace conservatism, or get replaced by conservatives, we will be back on track.

But first the Grahams and Specters and Hagels and McCains have to go.

[coldoc]

Do you yhink that Ensign was given the job because a RINO would have failed? If one of the RINOs had been in charge, then it would have been a TOTAL disaster. It is a tribute to Ensign that they got ANY funds!

[MovementConservative]

Conservatism will survive and ultimately triumph, as that is where America's heart is. When the Republicans in Washington re-embrace conservatism, or get replaced by conservatives, we will be back on track. But first the Grahams and Specters and Hagels and McCains have to go.

You naive pollyanish old fool. Should we be expecting a big conservative comeback in New Jersey, Massachusettes, Vermont, Canada, France, and all the other bastions of socialism? Once it digs itself in, it's not coming out. If you subscribe to the dangerous theory that Obama will be jimmy carter II and the next Ronald Reagan is just waiting to rescue us, you should have your voting card revoked.

[WOSG]

“I understand the frustration of many Republicans because I feel it myself. I get tired of the party supporting RINOs. I do want to say, however, that Senator John Ensign is one of the “good guys”. He has a tough job to do. He needs our support to do it. “

I agree.

[WOSG]

“Our Senators have made this bed, with their irresponsible spending, their refusal to do something about illegal aliens and border security, their refusal to allow drilling - let them lie in it!”

Er, the net result of not helping conservative Republicans like Pearce in NM, Shaffer in CO, and Sununu in NH is to have more liberal Democrats in the Senate ...
who will give you “irresponsible spending, their refusal to do something about illegal aliens and border security, their refusal to allow drilling”

We are in a hole, but its hardly the answer to make the hole bigger.

[Maelstorm]

The irony is that this election has a huge slate of very conservative candidates. The vast majority are pro-life, pro-military, pro-traditional family, and believe that smaller not bigger government is the answer. The big problem in the Senate has been that it has been consistently more liberal than the House. We have the opportunity to change this otherwise we get sure fire liberals like Mark and Tom Udall, Mark Warner added to the senate. They most certainly will vote big L liberal all the way. We made real mistakes in 2006. The wind is at our backs if we don’t take advantage of the Energy issue and the liberal Obama to help win this election then we will find him elected and a Senate and House in his control.

[WOSG]

"Conservatism will survive and ultimately triumph, as that is where America's heart is. When the Republicans in Washington re-embrace conservatism, or get replaced by conservatives, we will be back on track. But first the Grahams and Specters and Hagels and McCains have to go."

You naive pollyanish old fool. Should we be expecting a big conservative comeback in New Jersey, Massachusettes, Vermont, Canada, France, and all the other bastions of socialism? Once it digs itself in, it's not coming out. If you subscribe to the dangerous theory that Obama will be jimmy carter II and the next Ronald Reagan is just waiting to rescue us, you should have your voting card revoked

You are so correct. People who are willing to let American go down the tubes in a futile hope that somehow it will get better later are ignorant of reality. And it is further adding insult to injury to speak of Republicans abandoning conservatism, when there are many strong conservative Republicans in Congress today. What are they, chopped liver? How come we never praise these people? AND IF WE DONT PRAISE THEM HOW THE HECK DO WE GET THE NUTTY IDEA THAT THEY WILL GROW AND SUCCEED?

The history of our country shows that each advantage to the side of freedom or the side of socialism adds upon itself. To give any advantage to the socialists is to give them carte blanche to change laws that will make their rule PERMANENT.

So-called "RINOs" are simply a survival mechanism for Republican politicians who have to figure out how to survive in places (like the northeast) where the socialists have WON. If we want to stop RINOs, we need to re-establish a majority for conservatism.

LETTING OBAMA WIN IS SIGNING A DEATH WARRANT TO US CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT. THE COUNTRY WILL SHIFT MASSIVELY TO THE LEFT.

[WOSG]

The irony is that this election has a huge slate of very conservative candidates. The vast majority are pro-life, pro-military, pro-traditional family, and believe that smaller not bigger government is the answer. The big problem in the Senate has been that it has been consistently more liberal than the House. We have the opportunity to change this otherwise we get sure fire liberals like Mark and Tom Udall, Mark Warner added to the senate. They most certainly will vote big L liberal all the way. We made real mistakes in 2006. The wind is at our backs if we don’t take advantage of the Energy issue and the liberal Obama to help win this election then we will find him elected and a Senate and House in his control.

You are so right! We have some great conservative Republican candidates, but the word isn't out there and we have some disgruntled people with their head in the sand thinking like it's still 2006. Wake up, the Democrats are running this country into the ground!

[Prokopton]

Once you’ve buried the GOP what do you see as the vehicle to drive conservatism?

I am not burying the GOP, the GOP is morphing into an unprincipled organization with heavy socialist tendencies existing only to get populist support for the maintenance of power and wealth of its hierarchy.

Conservatism will continue to be driven by conservatives but I cannot foretell what form any future collective conservative "vehicle" might have.

[Norman Bates]

And you don’t think whatever conservative party you envision replacing the GOP won’t in its own time and growth and politcal evolution NOT encounter the same fundamental power-over-principle problems for which the GOP takes probably the bulk of its heat?

Why not work to fix the GOP instead? The infrastructure is already there. Why tear is down and start over and thereby doom America to Democrat domination for a time?