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.

[arete]

If they did, then Kerry will be President. Will that give socialism the boot?

I refuse to vote socialist regardless of which party. Since both parties are now running to the left of Trotsky, I will vote third party and let the commies and fascists fight it out between themselves. Let the chips fall where they may.

Richard W.

[Chunga]

Articles by Doug Thompson discredit the posters thereof.

[thinktwice]

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.

And TOTALLY fed up with a Republican controlled Sentate that won't take on Democrats -- that won't stop all Senate matters if necessary --in getting judicial nominations to a floor vote.

[Beenliedto]

Articles by Doug Thompson discredit the posters thereof.

I always am amused when you guys shoot the messenger.

[RnMomof7]

I treasure the Vote too much to give it to someone I think has done a crappy job.

If someone wants my vote that have to earn it..

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

[The Wizard]

divide and conqure.....

[deport]

LOL...... Doug Thompson.......

You reckon he was sober enough to know he even had dinner last night?....... Isn't he the one that wrote the articles and then had to come back and retract them after finding out he was played for the fool?

If Thompson is the indicator of things to come I'd say we are in great shape....

As far as CP goes, they don't make an iota of difference... They only once have ever gotten over 100,000 votes national in a Presidential election.... They are a non factor..... It's fun to let them try to expain how they are goin to be a factor and can win something, but outside of that don't waste a lot of effort on them....

[dixiechick2000]

If I were so smart, I wouldn't have to iron.
Or, at least, I would be handsomely paid to do it. lol
YOU are the smart lady here. ;o)

Oh, well, I'd better get back to it.
It won't do itself...

[BobS]

I had a good friend that turned to drinking after voting for Perot in '92. He only came back to reality after losing everything. We all have X-girlfriends. They come and they go. Seeing a good friend destroy himself is another matter. Men have a different reality than women.

[arete]

Just relax,arete,someone else has your back covered..,<

You want to really scare people, just tell them that Bush really is in charge.

Richard W.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

The perfect is the enemy of the good...

[Chunga]

"I always am amused when you guys shoot the messenger."

Metaphorically speaking, messengers who deliver messages from discredited sources need to be shot.

[onyx]

Just heard from Annette --- HE LOOKS GREAT and she's so happy! Hurray!

[F16Fighter]

"I'm not ready to change horses yet, this one hasn't even had a good work out and I sure don't want to ride any of the nags in the democrat stable."

Dubya is ONE horse that's broken a fence in the corral and inexplicably gone a little loco towards the wrong "corral". Pardner, if we get enough cowboys to jump on his back and remind him just where the right corral is, maybe he'll learn some constraint.

"I watched my X girlfriend vote Perot and saw what we got, all these so called "principle" voters have a choice to make and they better think long and hard about the reality of their vote come November."

I hear ya, but there's still time for Dubya to listen to and heed what his constituency is saying: NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS, and STOP SPENDING LIKE A SOCIALIST.

Do we have his final answer to these crucial two issues? The election result is ultimately on HIM my friend...

[Beenliedto]

discredited sources

Even if the article is a blatant falsehood... which it probably is...

The thread which it has provoked has been very interesting.

[dixiechick2000]

Yippee!!!

God bless them!

Thanks for passing that along!
It's GREAT news!

[MEG33]

Good news.I only know through his posts that he is a terrific person!

[Liberty Valance]

Have you seen the latest Drudge headline?

[F16Fighter]

"OBL himself could walk across the southern border. The neocon really don't have this little war on terror fully worked out yet. I guess maybe they don't want us to notice all those thousands crossing the border every week. Some war on terror."

The irony is -- YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!