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.

[cake_crumb]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and over....and expecting to get a different result.

The LAST time you people pulled this third partiest hatemongering crap, we wound up with the guy who ordered federal agents to murder American citizens using military hardware. We got WTC I, Somalia, Khobar Towers, the USS Cole and OKC. We got the stinking Kosovo fiasco which we DID NOT WIN and WILL come back to bite us. We got political opponents jailed and murdered. We almost got control of this country turned over to the United Nations.

We got 9/11/01.

We also got the highest tax rate in US history.

I will not forget the many who died or who was responsible. I will never forget who got him elected the first time around. I WILL VOTE FOR PRESIDENT BUSH. I know what to expect from him.

[RobbyS]

Kerry is a phoney.

[Miss Marple]

EXACTLY!!! And now we can see what Doug Thomspn's motives are, and it isn't pretty, is it?

He wasn't duped by some clever imposter. He made the whole damn thing up.

Just like he has made up this "Republican operative."

Neets, I am going to make sure I take extra vitamins. I am NOT going to leave this forum and let it be run over by faux conservatives and democrats!!

[Miss Marple]

You should be ashamed for posting this dreck from the fraud, Doug Thompson. Go join the Constitution party, if you haven't already. I have two sisters who are voting for Bush, and they will more than cancel your departure.

[MEG33]

Doug Thompson,Capital Hill Blues, had to come here and apologize personally for quoting ,as an authority ,a person (many times).....who could not be reached,called or seen in person.

He was fooled he said.He had to do it on his newsletter,too.

A poster here outed him and I must be misspelling his name as I can't find him.

[tet68]

Yes, it's up to US to get out and do our best.
We know the rats are going to use every trick in the book
to return to the halls of power.

WE CANNOT AFFORD FOR THAT TO HAPPEN!

All those,"We'd rather vote for a democrat than Bush" idiots
want all of us to suffer for their nitpickin beliefs.

I suppose they have forgotten we are engaged in a WAR, one that is far from over.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The lesser of two evils is still evil. Bush has done very little (domestically) since the 2001 tax cuts to make me want to vote for him.

[Columbine]

Isn't Doug Thompson the dude from Capital Hill Blue.......who knew Wilkenson? Hey Doug still meeting with make believe people?

All of Doug's so called "journalism" consists of clandestine meetings with "unnamed sources".

[arete]

And if a democrat is elected come november.......we will blame YOU!

Better that than another four years of Bush and his band of NWO socialist neocons. Vote against socialism. Vote for American and Americans by voting Constitutional Party in Nov. Give the NWO spending weasels the boot.

Richard W.

[prov1813man]

"FRIGGIN' MORONS" Indeed. I said this before but here it is again:

It's best for America that our great President be re-elected. One thing we all need to learn from the left is not to despise the day of small beginnings. Their incremental approach has rendered us a misinformed, increasingly unarmed, God-sneering nation of baby murderers. Had they put their total agenda on the table from day one none of these things would have happened. We are not paying 400 billion for medicare, we are paying 400 billion to reverse the above pattern of moral and political decay. A bargain at twice the price.

Anyone who votes for the party of anti-Christ, either actively or passively (staying home, etc.) is voting in line with America's enemies both foreign and domestic.

---

:

[Miss Marple]

I believe it was William McKinley, and a fine job he did.

William, look, Doug Thompson is talking to invisible people again!

[Free_at_last_-2001]

President Bush is evil? Who did he rape? Who did he murder? Did he allow drugs in through Mena? Does he snort cocaine on the Oval Office desk? Does he pleasure himself in the Oval Office sink? Does he give our nuclear secrets to China? Does he conspire with our enemies? - Well put!

[tet68]

Obviously not enough tinfoil in your diet.

[Beenliedto]

CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE...VOTE 3rd Party!...;)

Might as well... you'recutting off your nose in either case, so why not be honest with yourself and vote your true beliefs.

[Neets]

Yes, go and vote CP.

Get rid of socialism and neocons and stay off of the Republican Plantation.

Rah rah to another Seminar C/P poster.

News flash for you guys and girls, we didn't count on your vote in 2000 and we sure as hell aren't counting on it in 2004.

In other words...gnat.

[tet68]

The job of the President is foreign policy.
If GWB did absolutely nothing about domestic policies
I would be perfectly happy.

Do you have a problem with our foreign policy today?

Can you imagine it under Kerry/Dean/Clark?

[Beenliedto]

Anyone who votes for the party of anti-Christ,

Which one is that?

[Dog]

And the last time we as a party did that...1992.

We got William Jefferson Clinton.

[Krodg]

Vote for FREEDOM, not Republican/Democrat hegemony. Support the Constitution Party.

Nope. The last time I was that foolish, I helped elect Clinton. Never again!

I'll complain, write letters, send emails and sign petitions urging changes, but I'll never help elect another Democrat. Never again!

[MEG33]

I finally left out an n and found his name!He really was great on this matter.