Dissension In The Ranks

American News Reel ^ | 1/31/04 | Doug Thompson

[jimkress]

Had dinner with an old friend last night, a long-time Republican political operative who – in 1981 – talked me into taking a sabbatical from journalism and going to Washington as a press secretary to Congressman Paul Findley.

He’s been a Republican all his life. Grew up in a GOP family. Served more than one term as a county chairman as well as a Republican National Committeeman.

So it surprised me when he opened the dinner table conversation with: “I’m not going to vote for George W. Bush in November. I may vote for John Kerry if he’s the Democratic nominee.”

Strange things can happen in this world. Joe Gibbs can come out of retirement to coach the Washington Redskins one more time. Hell, the Carolina Panthers might even win the Super Bowl. But when a lifelong Republican tells me he might vote for John Kerry, I wait for a voice to start saying “you’re entering another dimension…next stop – The Twilight Zone.”

“I’m a Republican because I believe in less government, of letting states make the decisions that affect our lives,” he said. “I believe in a balanced budget. But my party no longer believes in any of these things. I can’t be a part of what I think is destroying this country.”

His comments echo what I have been hearing after three weeks on the campaign trail. Republicans are fed up with an administration that has created the largest federal bureaucracy ever, with record deficits and with increasing federal power and control over our lives.

But they’re not just fed up with George W. Bush, they’re fed up with a Republican-controlled Congress that passed the largest, most pork-laden transportation bill in history, that abandoned its promise to impose term limits and that broke most of the promises of the 1994 “Contract With America” that gave them control of Capitol Hill in the first place.

My friend’s theory: “You know the old bromide that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Well, my party has taken it step further. Absolute power leads to madness. It makes me, a Republican, long for Democrats back in control. That is pure madness but I can’t help it.”

I’ve been around politics as a journalist or an operative for nearly 40 years and the dissension within the GOP is the worst I’ve ever seen. At a Republican caucus earlier this week, California Republican Congressman Chris Cox headed a group of conservative members who told Speaker of the House Denny Hastert that a GOP Congress was being undermined by Bush's actions in the White House. One member reportedly said a GOP Congress could deal more effectively with a Democrat in the White House than they can with Bush.

“At least we know what to expect from a Democratic President,” he said.

[Beenliedto]

It is despicable, and dangerous while we are at war.

Excuse me... did Congress declare war?

[winker]

The Status Quo in America has always been willing to go along to get along! The time has now arrived as we all know, to "BREAK RANKS" and plod a different path to victory and success in making Government more responsible to "WE THE PEOPLE"! It is time to throw off old party labels and look for new and better ways to preserve freedom and liberty for all. This idea is not new in fact our Founding Fathers wrote it into the Constitution; knowing that it was needed to form America and now to Re-form our present model. Change is the one constant all of us have to accept but think of it in realistic terms. We are a nation of Tinkerers not un typical of the likes of Benjamin Franklin. It is our Sacred National Duty to keep on tweaking our system until it responds to the Will Of The People! Hmmmmm!! Constitution Party .......Conservative to the Core! Yeah! I could support that.

[Neets]

Excuse me... did Congress declare war?

[Chunga]

Doug Thompson is discredited. Anyone lending any credence to anything he writes is misguided.

[commish]

Excuse me... did Congress declare war?

Ah, so ou oppose the war on terrorism then. You oppose America retaliating for the deaths of 3000 of our citizens. You think we should do absolutely nothing?

[Beenliedto]

We'll take our country back that way, and repeal every single thing that has been done in the last 50 years.

Could we make it 73 years?

[cyncooper]

Even as we post, Bush is backing off the tax cuts.

On what do you base this charge?

It is not true.

[RnMomof7]

And voting Democrat or sitting on your hands in November lets the Republicans know that they are no longer the party for conservatives.

We should not reward them with our vote.

[onyx]

They're coming out of hibernation 2 days ahead of time.

[arete]

Excuse me... did Congress declare war?

Important for the neocons to play the imaginary war card and hoot and holler terrorism. What else do they have to run on?

Richard W.

[Texas Federalist]

With the exception of the sanctity of life issue, which I think smacks of ramming your religious beliefs down my throat, I think the platform is excellent. It's a damned good read.

One thing that bothers me about the platform is the opposition to the Iraq war. I wish there were a third party option that supported Bush's foreign policy, while embracing the Constitution Party's domestic platform.

BTW, if you thought the Constitution Party's agenda was a good read, take a look at the Texas Republican party platform. I read it for the first time a few weeks ago and was amazed at how far right it was (e.g. total abolition of the income tax and the IRS, abolition of executive orders, etc.). A good read also.

[Liberty Valance]

I have indeed noticed the heavy posting trends of the new puritan 3rd party posters. It used to bother me until i figured out that it is just a few people with lots and lots of posts.

W'04 :o)

[Beenliedto]

Ah, so ou oppose the war on terrorism then. You oppose America retaliating for the deaths of 3000 of our citizens. You think we should do absolutely nothing?

I simply asked a question.

[Unam Sanctam]

“I’m a Republican because I believe in less government, of letting states make the decisions that affect our lives,” he said. “I believe in a balanced budget. But my party no longer believes in any of these things. I can’t be a part of what I think is destroying this country.”

What lunacy! As if the Democrats are going to more fiscally prudent, and as if the President does not have important national security issues to attend to.

[arete]

"WE THE PEOPLE"!

It's about time that we the people let the socialists know that we aren't going to take their crap anymore. Start with showing the neocons the door.

Richard W.

[Scenic Sounds]

Let me guess...his friend is named "Terrance Wilkinson".

ROFL - I remember this Thompson guy:

"I will track this guy down." - Doug Thompson

"I've turned everything over to my attorney," - Doug Thompson

"I'll keep folks posted" - Doug Thompson

;-)

[Miss Marple]

I think the problem is that we have a lot of people who read but don't post. I hope that more of them who are Bush supporters will be encouraged to post on the forum. I don't know how many times I have seen people say "I seldom post, but..."

I also receive freepmails from people who are too timid to post. I hope they will gather some courage, because we sure could use them!

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

If it sends congressional republicans the message that the base is not to be trifled with, then in the end I think you will get less spending. Also, I'm beginning to think that having a stalemate at the federal level is actually less injurious and results in less spending than republican dominance. Really, in the spending arena, how could you do much worse than W

It is flatly impossible that you are in any way even remotely aware of Kerry's proposals for new governmental initiatives, should he gain the presidency.

Kerry wants to increase taxes; and lobbies to increase domestic spending from current Bush levels (which he argues are too low) on nearly half a hundred fronts.

No. You will (obviously) NOT "get less spending" with a Kerry in a White House. Go to his web site and read up on the matter.

[stands2reason]

You're right. The minute we lose control of SCOTUS, it would be several generations before we could get it back.

[onyx]

And voting Democrat or sitting on your hands in November lets the Republicans know that they are no longer the party for conservatives. We should not reward them with our vote.

Alienating the "base" Alert!