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Conservative Think Tank: Mess Is the GOP's Fault (Gingrich "extremism must be punished and ignored")
Newser ^ | April 30, 2012 | Mark Russell

Posted on 04/30/2012 3:42:33 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist slammed for radicalizing Washington

Washington is more dysfunctional than it has been in 40 years, and while Democrats have deserved their share of the blame over the years, today "the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party," write Thomas E. Mann and Norman Ornstein in the Washington Post. What makes their column particularly interesting is that Ornstein is not liberal, but a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, and Mann is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Together, they call the GOP an "insurgent outlier in American politics" because of the party's extremism, antagonism to facts and science, hatred of compromise, and complete opposition to the Democrats' legitimacy.

The biggest two culprits of the Republicans' radicalization over the past 30 years, according to Mann and Ornstein, are Newt Gingrich and Grover Norquist—Gingrich for deliberately making the Capitol dysfunctional in order to stoke and use anti-Washington rage around the country, and Norquist for creating an anti-tax pledge that makes compromise impossible. In response to the GOP's nuttiness, Mann and Orstein call on journalists to stop trying to present "both sides" on the issues, and instead concentrate on "truth," focus on who is "taking hostages, at what risks and to what ends," and to stop treating filibusters like they are routine. Ultimately, though, if democracy "is to regain its health and vitality, the culture and ideological center of the Republican Party must change," they write. And the only way that will happen is if voters start "punishing extremism."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: aei; brookingsinstitute; commieganda; conservatism; gope; grovernorquist; leftganda; leftuniverse; mccainfeingold; newtgingrich; normanornstein; patriotgingrich; romneylies; romneyprop; romneypropaganda; romneyspew; taxpledge; teaparty; thomasmann; wapo; waronnewt
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It's Newt's fault?

..In response to the GOP's nuttiness, Mann and Orstein call on journalists to stop trying to present "both sides" on the issues, and instead concentrate on "truth," focus on who is "taking hostages, at what risks and to what ends," and to stop treating filibusters like they are routine. Ultimately, though, if democracy "is to regain its health and vitality, the culture and ideological center of the Republican Party must change," they write. And the only way that will happen is if voters start "punishing extremism."

Those methods exactly parrot Green gurus' solutions on how to confront global warming "skeptics." Perhaps the "extremists" have a solid foothold and the Elites can't shake it loose.


Newt Gingrich of Georgia and Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald throw mock tea crates into the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Ga., in 1994.

1 posted on 04/30/2012 3:42:44 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Nonsense.

The Extremism is from Team Romney who
attacked Gov. Palin and her children to throw
the 2008 Election to Obama .... FOR ROMNEY.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS WAS PLANNED.

It shall, hopefully, not be rewarded.


2 posted on 04/30/2012 3:49:08 AM PDT by Diogenesis ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. " Pres. Ronald Reagan)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“What makes their column particularly interesting is that Ornstein is not liberal, but a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute”

Alone. Wikipedia refers to Ornstein as a “centrist liberal”.


3 posted on 04/30/2012 3:50:30 AM PDT by lowbridge (Rep. Dingell: "Its taken a long time.....to control the people.")
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Ya gotta have RINOs.
The party NEEDS RINOSs.
RINOS, RINOS, RINOS,.................MORE RINOS.
GOTTA HAVE ‘EM—GOTTAGOTTAGOTTA

ad naseum.
“Principles?” WE DON’ NEED NO STEEENKING PRINCIPLES!


4 posted on 04/30/2012 3:51:09 AM PDT by Flintlock (THE TRUTH: It's the new hate speech..)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“What makes their column particularly interesting is that Ornstein is not liberal, but a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute”

Baloney. Wikipedia refers to Ornstein as a “centrist liberal”.


5 posted on 04/30/2012 3:51:14 AM PDT by lowbridge (Rep. Dingell: "Its taken a long time.....to control the people.")
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Democracy? These idiot fools think that we live in a democracy... that is what the communists want. Mob rule and let the parasites in the urban areas rule America... no electoral college etc. We have a Republic and these two guys are leftists. You want the real truth??? THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE WITH COMMUNISM, ISLAM OR SATAN. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL AXIS OF EVIL. THESE GUYS ARE BELTWAY DRONES... COOPTED AND INDOCTRINATED... THEY TOOK THE WRONG COLOR PILL.

LLS


6 posted on 04/30/2012 3:52:49 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (Pray hard and often!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Mann and Orstein call on journalists to stop trying to present "both sides" on the issues, and instead concentrate on "truth,"

If the LSM did this, then they would mute Mr. Obama virtually every night on the news instead of me having to do it.

7 posted on 04/30/2012 3:57:45 AM PDT by MulberryDraw (He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind;)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
In response to the GOP's nuttiness, Mann and Orstein call on journalists to stop trying to present "both sides" on the issues

Seems to me that "journalists" have been doing exactly this for a very long time while all the while insisting that their reporting is not biased.

8 posted on 04/30/2012 4:04:29 AM PDT by Fresh Wind ('People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook.' Richard M. Nixon)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
These rinos are a much worse enemy to conservatives than any liberal. That's what loyal republicans do not get and either need to wake up to this reality, or they will stay on the insanity train and ride it off the rails!

Until you ABO/Romney/Rino/GOPe loyalist voters realize the republican party HAS to change from within the destruction of this great nation will continue!

9 posted on 04/30/2012 4:09:58 AM PDT by sirchtruth (Freedom is not free.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The Brookings Institute, employer of Thomas Mann, is a center-left group with an agenda. Diane Feinstein is a funder.


10 posted on 04/30/2012 4:13:33 AM PDT by Pat4ever
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Heard all I needed to when NPR gave these clowns nearly 10 minutes this am for the same crapola. Most of what they said was toilet paper material.


11 posted on 04/30/2012 4:16:41 AM PDT by Adder (Da bro has GOT to go!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Here is a little rewrite of what they wrote, to put it in context:

“Washington is more dysfunctional than it has been in 40 years, and while Muslims have deserved their share of the blame over the years, today “the core of the problem lies with Christians”.

They call Christians an “insurgent outlier in American politics” because of the religion’s extremism, antagonism to the inherent truth of Islam, hatred of Muslims, and complete opposition to the legitimacy of Sharia law.

They blame Christians for deliberately making the Capitol dysfunctional in order to stoke and use anti-Muslim rage around the country, and creating an anti-dhimmi-tax pledge that makes compromise impossible.

In response to the Christian extremism in clinging to their religion and Haram practices, they call on journalists to stop trying to present “both sides” on the issues, and instead concentrate on the “truth of Islam,” focus on who is “obstructing the true faith, at what risks and to what ends,” and to stop treating the constitution like it is supreme.

Ultimately, though, if America “is to regain its health and vitality, the religion of the people must change to Islam,” they write. And the only way that will happen is if leaders start “punishing extremist Christians.”


12 posted on 04/30/2012 4:18:09 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
because of the party's extremism, antagonism to facts and science, hatred of compromise, and complete opposition to the Democrats' legitimacy

They got one thing right. I completly oppose the democrat=marxist=socialist=communist legitimacy in destroying America.

If I wanted America to fail

13 posted on 04/30/2012 4:19:24 AM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Together, they call the GOP an "insurgent outlier in American politics" because of the party's extremism, antagonism to facts and science, hatred of compromise, and complete opposition to the Democrats' legitimacy.

It would appear the author of the WaPo article (read it here) is not a conservative.

14 posted on 04/30/2012 4:20:10 AM PDT by upchuck (Need is not an acceptable lifestyle choice; dependent is not a career. ~ Dr. Tim Nerenz)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This is what passes for intelligence?


15 posted on 04/30/2012 4:22:59 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice”. BG

Today’s think tankers would declare the founding fathers radical extremists. We went to war with lead flying and blood flowing over issues that were less aggregious than what we are dealing with today.


16 posted on 04/30/2012 4:36:12 AM PDT by MachIV
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To: MachIV
We went to war with lead flying and blood flowing over issues that were less aggregious than what we are dealing with today.

I had a similar conversation - hard to believe the people of Mass. led the revolution!

17 posted on 04/30/2012 4:47:44 AM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Gingrich is a moderate who will soon endorse Romney and Norquist is a traitor for dollars to radial Islam.


18 posted on 04/30/2012 4:49:12 AM PDT by Waywardson (Carry on! Nothing equals the splendor!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Norquist’s anti tax pledge serves a huge purpose...it places the focus on cutting the size and scope of government...of necessity.

Without that, you’d get a total cave...not merely a partial one like we have now..to the crazed Dems tax, spend and elect, tax, spend and elect political philosophy handed down from FDR.

So it puts elected Repubs in a straight jacket, huh??

What a shame...NOT.

As for Gingrich, he has had some trouble having himself marked a true conservative, having done, said and written a few clunker things in his career. But THESE clowns call him a “conservative extremist”.

Do they pass around the weed or the pipe, where these two hang out??


19 posted on 04/30/2012 4:51:46 AM PDT by txrangerette ("HOLD TO THE TRUTH...SPEAK WITHOUT FEAR" - Glenn Beck)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

They aren’t conservative enough in reality


20 posted on 04/30/2012 4:57:01 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Pursue Happiness)
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