What's a Conservative to do? (Post-Toomey)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | 5/9/04 | Gery Steighner

[swilhelm73]

You know, you really should have quoted the next line after the one you did also...

And what makes this truly a problem is the Republican Party is our only hope to advance conservatism. Make no mistake - third partyism is a recipe for disaster.

[MplsSteve]

I am a centrist Republican and I agree with you.

I have no time for Republicans who switch parties and become a Democrat.

They are traitors. Here in Minnesota, we have had several high-profile GOP office-holders who've made the switch in recent years. In all cases, they were badgered and bullied for years by conservatives.

One of these officeholders did make the switch partially out of political expediency. She wanted to run for Governor in '02 and knew she couldn't get the GOP nod...and switched. I had previously supported her...until then!

However, the bottom line is...you fight your battles WITHIN the GOP.

I say the same thing about Pat Buchanan and former Senator Bob Smith...although he came back to the GOP later.

[c-b 1]

There will NEVER be a true conservative congress because these pol-puppets controlled entirely by the elites, who have much to lose under a conservative agenda, will not let this occur. We must push for a 3rd party that truly represents 95% of the people living on my street. This cartel is a fraud.

Do you have any idea what it takes to build a party capible of winning elections, don't feel bad, the current 3rd, 4th, and 5th partys don't either.

Socialists have infiltrated both major partys, we need to take a page from their play book, it is much easier to take over an existing party than to build another from the ground up. It is being done in a few states already. Pushing for something won't get it done, we have to get up from our keyboards, and make it happen.

[JeepersFreepers]

The following is a copy of a letter I have just sent to the Republican Senatorial Committee in response to their request to complete a survey and send in a donation:

Dear Senatorial Committee:

I am not returning the survey as the most important issue is not listed which is the confirmation of conservative judges that will interpret the law and not legislate from the bench. The Senate has failed to aggressively confront the Democrats as they filibuster the President’s nominations. Obviously, this is not even a priority. The only priority seems to be maintenance of power.

Also, I am not sending a contribution since the Senatorial Committee supports RINOs who do not support the Republican Platform, the President’s agenda nor conservative values. Most egregious was your support of Arlen Specter (RINO-Pa). Here we had a chance to get rid of one of the worst senators in the party. Pat Toomey, a true Republican, would have easily won had the Senatorial Committee, along with the rest of the Republican establishment, not strongly undermined him by supporting Specter. I heavily contributed to Toomey’s campaign only to be undermined by the Senatorial Committee and the Republican establishment.

Now with Specter as future head of the Judiciary Committee, he will be able to block the President's judicial nominations even if the party attains a filibuster proof majority in the next election. Specter successfully worked to defeat Robert Bork during the Reagan administration. I am aggrieved by Toomey’s defeat at the hands of establishment Republicans.

Conservatives will never have a true majority in the Senate until we get rid of RINOs like Chafee (RINO-RI), Snow (RINO-ME), Voinovich (RINO-OH), McCain (RINO-AZ) and most especially Specter (RINO-PA). I realize that it is difficult to get real Republicans elected in the Northeast but it was possible to have gotten rid of a RINO in the Midwest. An opportunity has been lost.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Perhaps those supporting Hoeffel want a Democrate senate with Lahey as juticial committee chief and Daschle as majority leader. After all, that's how they are planning to vote.

[byteback]

Well obviously you should vote for the Democrat. Losing the Supreme Court is the best tack for Conservatives. In fact vote for Nader too. Join the million Mom march, the ACLU and donate to Boxer's campaign. Clearly this is the best way to advance the Conservative agenda.

[Tamzee]

Specter is much farther to the left than I prefer but he does sometimes vote with us on important legislation, sometimes providing a critical vote. These are items he voted with us on last year and they were extremely close tallies. He is also not radically to the left on abortion as he voted to pass the partial-birth abortion ban and he voted to pass Laci and Conner's Law which recognized a fetus as a separate victim of violent crime.


“Death Tax” Repeal. S. Con. Res. 23 (Roll Call 62)
2003-03-20
This amendment to the Budget Resolution would have accelerated the repeal of the Estate Tax from 2010 to 2009. ACU supported the amendment. It passed 51-48 on 20 March 2003.
ACU supported this bill.
This bill was: passed
The vote was: 51-48

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Budget Resolution. S. Con. Res. 23 (Roll Call 134)
2003-04-11
The Senate adopted final spending and revenue targets for fiscal year 2004. This budget contained a total of $550 billion in tax cuts over a ten-year period. ACU supported this budget as the best possible under the circumstances. It was adopted 50-50, with the vice-president casting the tie-breaking vote on 11 April 2003.
ACU supported this bill.
This bill was: passed
The vote was: 50-50

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Marriage Penalty. S. 1054 (Roll Call 155)
2003-05-15
This measure was a trade-off between general tax reductions and an accelerated phase-out of the Marriage Penalty. ACU rejected such a trade-off and opposed the amendment. It failed by a vote of 49-51 on 15 May 2003.
ACU opposed this bill.
This bill was: defeated
The vote was: 49-51

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Taxes on Investment. S. 1054 (Roll Call 171)
2003-05-15
This amendment would phase out the tax on dividend income. Taxing dividends is a form of double taxation that discourages investment. ACU supported this amendment. It was adopted by a vote of 50-50, with the vice-president casting a tie-breaking vote on 15 May 2003.
ACU supported this bill.
This bill was: passed
The vote was: 50-50

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Tax Cuts. HR 2 (Roll Call 179)
2003-05-15
This bill reduced taxes by $350 billion over 11 years, phasing out dividend taxation and accelerating tax rate reductions already in place. While not strong enough, this bill set up passage of a stronger House-Senate conference report with more tax relie
ACU supported this bill.
This bill was: passed
The vote was: 51-49

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Nuclear Weapons Development. S. 1050 (Roll Call 186)
2003-05-20
This amendment would have prohibited research into low-yield nuclear weapons. ACU believes such research is vital to national defense and opposed the amendment. It was defeated 51-43 on 20 May 2003.
ACU opposed this bill.
This bill was: defeated
The vote was: 51-42

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU



Military Base Closings. HR 1588 (Roll Call 205)
2003-06-04
This amendment would have canceled the next round of military base closings. ACU believes our military must be as “lean and mean” as possible, and that closing some bases can contribute to a strong defense. ACU opposed the amendment. It was defeated by a vote of 42-53 on 4 June 2003.
ACU opposed this bill.
This bill was: defeated
The vote was: 42-53

This Senator voted: In Opposition of ACU



Prescription Drug Benefit Means Testing. S. 1 (Roll Call 261)
2003-06-26
This amendment would have barred a cost-saving means test for new benefits in the Medicare prescription drug bill. ACU supported means testing and opposed this amendment. It failed 38-59 on 26 June 2003.
ACU opposed this bill.
This bill was: defeated
The vote was: 38-59

This Senator voted: In Opposition of ACU



Malpractice Reform. S. 11 (Roll Call 264)
2003-07-09
This bill would have limited expensive medical malpractice lawsuits that are driving up insurance costs and driving doctors out of practice. ACU supported the bill. Although the vote to cut off debate received a majority 49-48 on 9 July 2003, 60 votes are required to end debate under Senate rules. The measure failed.
ACU supported this bill.
This bill was: defeated
The vote was: 49-48

This Senator voted: In Support of ACU

[Tamzee]

What's a Conservative to do?

Use his or her brains and vote for the rightward most viable candidate... Specter.

[Sun]

You said, "I think we need to vote the Democrat line against Specter this fall. I would hardly ever recommend such an action in normal circumstances, but this isn't a normal circumstance."

Why not vote for the Constitution Party candidate this November? If Hoeffel gets a lot of votes, the Republican establishment will just think folks want more RINOs.

With grassroots help, perhaps the Constitution Party candidate will cause a big upset, and win!! There's plenty of time to make this happen. If in 1970 James Buckley won under the New York State Conservative Party because conservatives were fed up, there's no reason why this can't happen in PA, because conservatives are fed up!

[nickcarraway]

What's a Conservative to do?

Get used to the idea of no more conservative (or moderate, for that matter) judges. Get used to the idea that President Bush is now unable to fill a Supreme Court Vacancy. Get used to the idea of A Supreme Court with 6-8 justices, and that the Court won't be at full complement until next time there is a Democrat president.

[cruiserman]

You get Zip done when you are out of power. Ask the libertarians how far consistency has gotten them.

IMO the libertarians were never serious about winning. They influence public debates through CATO. Lots of libertarian ideas are becoming mainstream, like privatizing (eliminating) social security.

[BillyBoy]

I agree with Sun.

Please consider supporting Jim Cylmer for U.S. Senate. As I noted, PA is going to end up with a liberal Senator one way or another, but you don't have to sell your soul and vote for that on election day.

JIM CLYMER
for
U.S. Senate
www.jimclymer.com
See post #370 for my explaination why Jim is the only acceptable candidate

[vannrox]

"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, 'What should be the reward of such sacrifices?' Bid us and our posterity bow the knee, supplicate the friendship, and plough, and sow, and reap, to glut the avarice of the men who have let loose on us the dogs of war to riot in our blood and hunt us from the face of the earth? If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"

--Samuel Adams