Establishment GOP Bites the Hand That Feeds It

NewsMax ^ | Tuesday, 17 Dec 2013 10:13 AM | David Limbaugh

[SoConPubbie]

Just when President Obama is on the ropes with Obamacare and the rest of his failed policies, scandals, and deceptions, the GOP seems determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — a victory not just for the GOP, but also for the American people.

 

Instead of focusing on their common Democratic "enemy," Republicans are firing at one another. Let me try to unpack this a bit.

 

So-called establishment Republicans tend to believe tea partyers are uncompromising, impractical, overly aggressive kamikazes who are willing to destroy the nation just to make a point. Many tea partyers, in turn, believe there is little difference between the establishment wing and Obama Democrats.

 

I am on the side of the tea party in this intramural rivalry, but I think some important distinctions need to be made.

 

Neither establishment Republicans nor tea party conservatives are monolithic. There are some establishment Republicans who are conservative on policy but strongly believe tea partyers are making a huge and self-destructive tactical error in insisting on a hard-line approach, especially in their seeming willingness to allow the government to shut down.

 

Many of them truly believe they are just as conservative on policy as we tea partyers, but think we will never advance conservatism unless we soften our negotiating posture toward Democrats while they control the presidency and the Senate, because advancing conservatism is all about winning national elections.

 

But there are also many among the establishment wing who are by no stretch as conservative on policy as tea partyers. They have made their peace with a large, intrusive federal government and wouldn't roll back much of the New Deal or Great Society even if they had control of all three branches of government.

 

[SoConPubbie]

"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

In before the “Can’t we all just get along crowd” who would rather we get along with the GOP-E vs. booting them.

[SoConPubbie]

From the article:

"We believe that by standing firm on principle and articulating our positions clearly and unapologetically like Sen. Ted Cruz did, we will have a better chance of winning elections in the end. We reject the Democratic narrative that we will be blamed for every government shutdown — especially one caused by Obama's insistence on imposing Obamacare against the will of a strong majority of Americans."

[Jim Scott]

David Limbaugh makes a good case in explaining why Boehner and the establishment Republicans are foolish to attack the conservative TEA party instead of the Democrats. As many others have pointed out, the only reason Boehner is Speaker of the House today is the fact that TEA party candidates helped accomplish electing a House Republican majority in the 2010 elections.

I agree that establishment Republicans attacking conservatives is foolish and could be self-defeating. ObamaCare is presenting the GOP with an opportunity to turn back socialist government but when the establishment spends it's time denigrating conservatives it shows it's true colors while throwing away a rare political opportunity (the failure of ObamaCare).

[CMailBag]

I believe that Boner is now a lame duck.

[GeronL]

The Republican Party Establishment is hard to distinguish from the Democrat Party Establishment isn’t it? They seem to be different arms of one and the same party. I think the GOPe is likely the Washington Generals of politics, they are supposed to lose.

[hosepipe]

Instead of focusing on their common Democratic “enemy,” Republicans are firing at one another.

---

AH!.. the truth comes out.. NOT ALL republicans are indeed republicans..
You can tell when a republican is not a republican EASILY!...

They speak of the federal government AS THE GOVERNMENT..
When the the feds are ONLY One of the three governments in America...

The federal government is NOT the government.. it’s only one of them..

1) State gov’t..
2) Local government..
3) federal gov’t

When State and Local government is far far more important.. than federal government..
ONLY in a democracy is there ONE GOVERNMENT..

In a Republic State governments OWN the federal government..
THEY ALLOW it to even exist...

Many republicans are IN FACT democrats..
The republican party needs to take a BATH.. it’s dirty.. and stinks..

[A CA Guy]

They would rather lie down with the enemies they know than conservatives that want to balance budgets and shrink government and their power.
That IMO is the bottom line.

[hosepipe]

[Arm_Bears]

At this point, what is the National Republican Party offering that is attractive to the conservative component of the Republican base?

The answer: Nothing!!

In fact, guys like Boner are spitting in my eye and telling me it’s raining.

I think the GOP is going to be sadly surprised the day after Election Day 2014.

[HP8753]

Senate hadn’t passed a budget in many years. GOPe needed to give them cover

[FatherFig1o155]

So-called establishment Republicans tend to believe tea partyers are uncompromising, impractical, overly aggressive kamikazes who are willing to destroy the nation just to make a point.

GOP-es are Dopes.

[Paladin2]

Boot ‘em, repeatedly with both feet until they go spend more time with their families.

[Paladin2]

"guys like Boner are spitting in my eye and telling me it’s raining."

I feel a tingle running down my leg.

[SoConPubbie]

The Republican Party Establishment is hard to distinguish from the Democrat Party Establishment isn’t it? They seem to be different arms of one and the same party. I think the GOPe is likely the Washington Generals of politics, they are supposed to lose.

Yup, just like the GOP in congress before Reagan came along, just content to be somewhere near the seat of power, no real desire to lead from a sense of principle.

[upchuck]

... we will never advance conservatism unless we soften our negotiating posture toward Democrats while they control the presidency and the Senate...

IMHO, Ryan last week did enough softening to last me the rest of my life. Sorry, really pissed off.

[Hayride]

I’d love to find out what would happen if the hand stopped feeding the GOP.

[Hugin]

The establishment wing is feeling its oats today, but it better realize that it is dangerously close to biting the very hand that feeds it and cutting off its own life support.

That point disappeared in the rear view mirror a few miles back.

[Arm_Bears]

He got you too, huh?

[Paladin2]

"He got you too, huh? "

I need to stop stopping..