Republican Self-Defeat

WSJ ^ | 11/11/05 | editorial

[machman]

Republican disarray on Capitol Hill reached self-ramming speed yesterday, as both the House and the Senate abandoned key policy priorities as they tried to pass a budget. Hide the children because this is getting ugly.

In the Senate, Maine's Olympia Snowe helped to scuttle even a single-year extension of the current 15% tax rate on dividends and capital gains that is due to expire in 2008. Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley was thus forced to postpone a committee vote on extending a tax cut that has been crucial to an economic rebound that since mid-2003 has been marked by 10-straight quarters of nearly 4% average growth. Tell us again why Republicans need 55 Senators?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Political Correctness, Liberalism = Marxism

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

In fact, I know of a nice piece o coastline in New London, that could be seized for this purpose.

I think the Kennedy compound and all adjoining coastal land should be acquired by the Federal government to preclude a hurricane disaster on that shore.

Furthermore, a hugh wind farm could be constructed to help power needs.

[EmilyGeiger]

What can we do? It seems bombarding them with calls doesn't help much, maybe we should call the RNC instead and make it clear we want party discipline. But who hands the discipline down? I AM so frustrated with this group. Wish we could just purge the whole Senate and start all over again.

[montag813]

Don't these people realize that the only way to lower their constituents' gas bills is to increase exploration and refinery capacity? If they do so the voters will thank them. If they rather are acting purely out of environmental ideology, then the GOP does not truly have a majority in Congress.

[Soul Seeker]

No, this isn't an issue of not being monolithic.

RINO's see an opening to take control of the agenda. They are doing so. If the Majority slapped them down and made them bleed, they'd go back to their corners and behave properly as they once did. Seems the only one willing to break backs, though, was Delay.

The rest of the Frenchicrats are too damn spineless to do what needs to be down to stamp out this little rebellion by the RINO's, and their majority is now teetering on collapse because of of it.

[Labyrinthos]

And make the bum below Speaker? No thanks.

As long as we keep voting these RINOS back in they will continue to act like RINOS. They need to know they are expendible. At the very least, the party should focus on one or two RINOS and go after them with big bucks so that the other know they could be next. Also, there isn't any rule that says the party has to renominate these losers. Dump people like Sue Kelly at the primary stage so that we can vote for a real Republican during the general election.

Re Delay: While I hope he kicks the DA's butt in Texas, I have no use for Mr. Pork Barrel, who doesn't seem to understand that he is giving away our money. If the people in Alaska want a bridge to nowhere, then let them pay for it, and if peanut butter museums and research on the mating habits of green drakes are such good ideas then we shouldn't need government to fund them.

[machman]

I think the Kennedy compound and all adjoining coastal land should be acquired by the Federal government to preclude a hurricane disaster on that shore.

Furthermore, a hugh wind farm could be constructed to help power needs.

Cape Wind

About the Cape Wind project

The Cape Wind project—the first offshore wind park in the United States—will be built on Horseshoe Shoal, five miles off the Cape Cod shore in Massachusetts. The wind park will consist of 130 wind turbines, with a total maximum output of 420 megawatts. In average conditions the wind park will produce enough electricity to power three-quarters of the Cape and Islands with clean, renewable energy.

But guess who opposes this project?????

Energy crisis: A boost for wind farm?

snip:

Since 2001, developers of the Nantucket Sound wind farm have faced their share of obstacles.

Nantucket Sound "is going to get us to the next generation of wind farms."

A well-funded public campaign to kill it. A litany of bureaucratic hurdles. Fierce opposition from political heavyweights like U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and Gov. Mitt Romney.

[paul544]

Fact is, Republican's in swing districts no longer feel invulnerable. They don't want these votes coming back to haunt them.
This is due to the general weakness and lack of leadership in the party right now.

This is one time where it is "Bush's fault". If the top of the ticket is weak, you can't expect vulnerable congressmen to fall on their swords with no hope of help from the leadership.

[manwiththehands]

Only 25 Republicans can throw a wrench in things? Our problems are worse than we fear.

[Obadiah]

What is up with Sensenbrenner?? A staunch conservative who led the House impeachment. Wow. This is hard to believe.

These guys are THROWING AWAY OUR MAJORITY! It will be a bloodbath in 2006, and few will care because these boneheads refuse to get their act together. A bunch of weenies trying to get along with the Democrats. Goodbye, 2006.

[Psalm 73]

Great, all three of Konnecticuts republican Representatives voted NO -
It's tough when your Democrat Senator (Lieberman) is more conservative than your three Republican Representatives put together.

[Mister Da]

And NONE from Alaska. Telling.

[KenmcG414]

Maybe its time for a third political party. RINOS do us more harm than the RATS.

[andy58-in-nh]

The portion of ANWR that is proposed for development is not some pristine wilderness, filled with galloping elk and frolicking bears dining on salmon in clear, cool streams, with wildflowers and butterflies flitting in the gentle breeze below a majestic sky. Instead, it is this:

The MSM, in league with the Dumbocrat Party, have once again buffaloed Republicans, and fooled the public.

[johnny7]

Sensenbrenner is a surprise... even Simmons from CT. I knew Johnson from CT was worthless... the rest I'm not surprised or not familiar with.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

But guess who opposes this project?????

A cadre of egotistical bums who parade around in costume purporting to care about national defense, the environment and the "little" people.

Actually all they are interested in is a mirror, some booze and a shot of viagra!

[ARCADIA]

And make the bum below Speaker? No thanks.

I would rather have a minority voice, then no voice. The RINOs have to go.

[jec41]

The rest of the Frenchicrats are too damn spineless to do what needs to be down to stamp out this little rebellion by the RINO's, and their majority is now teetering on collapse because of of it.

Actually about a month ago Conservatives started screaming for war. They declared themselves the base of the GOP and demanded that there be a debate of ideas and victory would be ours. The defeat of Miers won the first battle but now they seem in disarray and and unprepared as to how to fight the war. If the present ideas are defeated are their any new ones? Like it or not government has never been from the left or right but in general from the center.

[sittnick]

Illinois might be the worst example of he GOP that you could use.

On the surface that might appear to be the case. However, downstate is full of Reagan Democrats who will vote for a good conservative Republican. It wasn't that long ago that a pro-life pro-gun Dem had the gubernatorial nomination (Glenn Poshard). He was actually better than the criminal RINO who won the general election (George Ryan).

Blago is quite vulnerable, and the pubbies have a good chance of cleansing itself of the "suburban bimbo from hell" vote (term trademarked by BlackElk), and picking up a lot of good pro-life, pro-gun, not particularly interested in economic minutiae types. This includes not only the farm areas, but the many small industrial cities like Rockford, Peoria, Bloomington, etc.

The RINOs will have their own candidate in Judy Baar Topinka. The "fiscal conservative" types have Gidwitz. Complete conservatives have Rauschenberger and Brady. Oberweis is kind of all over the place.

I believe that either Rauschenberger or Brady could take out Blago. Gidwitz is a corporate guy (no political experience), and except for the unusual case of Peter Fitzgerald (who supports Rauschenberger)that doesn't usually work out so well around here.

So, in a nutshell, Illinois looks just as bad as Connecticut. Unlike Connecticut there is still plenty of fight left. Our legislature won't have a homo civil unuion act any time soon. In Connecticut, supporting that was considered MODERATE!

This period of Dem dominance is a good opportunity to cast out the long-entrenched RINOs here in Illinois.

[Night Hides Not]

RINO's see an opening to take control of the agenda. They are doing so. If the Majority slapped them down and made them bleed, they'd go back to their corners and behave properly as they once did. Seems the only one willing to break backs, though, was Delay.

Great points, all. There is no discipline coming from the ex-wrestling coach.