Platform battles risk GOP unity(The great Conservative purge continues)

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | August 10, 2004 | Ralph Z. Hallow

[Conservative Firster]

Immigration and homosexual "marriage" are shaping up to be the most contentious issues facing Republican platform writers in the weeks before the party's national convention, convention officials said.

[FairOpinion]

Recommended reading:

Kerry Reaches Out to Disaffected Republicans (to conservatives unhappy with Bush)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1188465/posts

But some analysts believe Kerry has a chance to pick up a few votes because of conservative dissatisfaction with free trade, record budget deficits and continuing violence in Iraq.

Seeking to bring back some of these folks, Kerry has adopted a number of arguments during his national tour. They include: Bush is more radical than conservative. In his stump speeches, Kerry says "there is nothing conservative" about piling up debt through record budget deficits, the "rush to war" in Iraq, or enforcement of the Patriot Act under Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Republicans, reclaiming the conservative mantle, said Kerry's default response to deficits is higher taxes. They also pointed out that Kerry voted for the Patriot Act and potential military action in Iraq, yet turned against both for political reasons. I'm more like you than you realize. Putting a premium on stops in rural areas, Kerry stresses his agreement with conservatives on certain cultural issues.

[GarySpFc]

So the Bush campaign wants a guest worker program, but does nothing to increase the legal immigration limit. That is simply a back door way to grant amnesty and hence more illegal immigration. Increasing legal immigration from all parts of the world is the key, and that way Mexico is not the favorite.

[bayourod]

Did you join FR a few days ago just to post ant-Republican/Bush articles?

Tancredo ans Schlafly are both Anti-Bush. Tancredo's website/organization is run by Pat Buchanan's sister. Schafly is a professional fundtraiser who specializes in appealing to Bush haters.

[applemac_g4]

The GOP is already MIA on immigration.

If they surrender and accept gay marriage, I walk.

[nickcarraway]

Phyllis Schlafly who has been a major force in the Republican party for 40 years, and wrote some of the seminal works that lead to the reagan revolution?

[meenie]

I wonder how blasting Schafly and Tancredo is heiping to elect Bush? Alienating conservatives and forcing them to stay home or go third party is not the way to elect Bush.

[fso301]

As long as they want to work hard and make a better life for themselves, I'm not oppossed to granting liberal work visas as long as the U.S. Constitution is changed to grant citizenship to a child born in country only if at least one parent is a citizen in good standing.

[George W. Bush]

Schlafly and Tancredo bump. I can't believe these kinds of attacks on them.

It's like some bizarre personality cult.

[RFT1]

There is a group of Republicans, who think of themselves as conservatives, but in reality they base their views on whatever the WSJ op ed pages and Limbaugh thinks, sort of like monkey see, monkey do, and its sad really. Since people dare question the conservatism of others, they start with the personal attacks against them.