Posted on 02/10/2006 6:18:47 PM PST by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON - Republican national chairman Ken Mehlman on Friday outlined a political strategy for 2006 to portray Democrats as too weak to protect the country and to bypass the mainstream media to spread the GOP message.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mehlman roused the crowd at a Washington hotel to cheers as he told them President Bush had finally responded to decades of terrorist attacks.
"For a generation, terrorists learned they could make war on free nations without fear of war in return," Mehlman said, adding that Bush understood how to respond. "On Sept. 12, the terrorists got war in return."
Bush's stance on fighting terror is very popular with participants in this annual meeting of hard-line conservatives from around the country and so are his federal court appointments.
But many at this national conference question the Bush administration's spending, deficits, immigration policies, prescription drug plan and increased use of federal power.
The GOP chief said such grumbling is healthy for the Republican party and the conservative movement.
John R. Bolton, the U.S.. ambassador to the United Nations, keynoted the conference dinner, sketching out the Bush administration's efforts to reform the UN.
Bolton's targets included waste and abuse of peacekeeping operations reported by the UN itself that he said virtually matches in losses the amount the United States contributes to the operation.
He also condemned a "culture of anti-Semitism and anti- Israel" that he said was pervasive at the United Nations and includes offices that exist only as part of an anti-Israel network.
Turning to Iran, whose nuclear programs have been referred to the Security Council, for possible punitive action, Bolton said Iran should follow Libya's lead, which abandoned its pursuit of unconventional weapons and shipped the technology to a U.S. facility at Oak Ridge, Tenn. Bolton drew a laugh by saying the United States could find room at Oak Ridge for Iranian nuclear equipment, as well.
"Like Libya, they can come to the conclusion that their pursuit of nuclear weapons is more harmful than the elimination of the program," Bolton said.
The fight against terrorism is centered in Iraq, Mehlman said, and the only way to prevent terrorists from taking charge there is to stick it out and win.
He quoted Democratic chairman Howard Dean saying that the idea the United States can win in Iraq is wrong and reminded that Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., accused American soldiers of "terrorizing women and children."
"Democratic leaders always seem to blame America first," Mehlman said, "especially when a Republican is in the White House."
Mehlman said the loss in popularity of the mainstream media — both the evening network news and daily newspapers — is an opportunity for conservatives. He pointed to the growing popularity of talk radio and blogging.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told the group he plans to push for a Senate vote in May on the inheritance tax, called the "death tax" by conservatives. And he said he would push for a vote June 5 on "the marriage protection amendment" that seeks to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
What is this "potray" statement -- more MSM bias.
Democrats ARE not only weak on terror, but they consistently side with the terrorists against the American people.
GOP most definitely need to keep getting their message directly to the people.
Sad, but true. I hope they find their missing backbones. They better do it soon.
Now, there are rumors of big time corruption swirling in Florida Government. The prison chief was unceremoniously fired today. Later in the day, the former head of the Florida Correctional Privatization Commission plead guilty to fraud charges. State record keeping and audit processes have been "diluted" and legislative leaders are going public with the concerns about the accuracy of contract records. Couple this with the DNC strategy of painting Republicans as crooked, and I fear that the Rat party may make some striking gains this year.
The Republicans could strike back with their own corruption charges. I have heard rumors of Democratic kickbacks and fraud in the California DGS. The Rats are wide open to corruption charges, but a corruption "free for all" among the parties would expose too many cockroaches. So, the Republicans will probably cave on the corruption fight just as they did on the clinton impeachment fight.
Bringing up the Marraige Amendment for another vote is nice, but Frist should also bring up the court/jurisdiction-stripping bill passed by the House a while back that would remove jurisdiction from the federal courts over the marriage issue. I can't remember all that it did right now, but I think it specificially listed the federal DOMA law as not being subject to judicial review.
This would have the advantage of calling the bluff of all those Senators who oppose the Amendment, but who claim to support the federal DOMA and the right of states to settle the issue for their own purposes. Such a jurisdiction-stripping law would simply give more teeth to the federal DOMA and to state govts. Cries by the Left that its an attack on 'judicial independence are absurd, as the power is cleary granted to Congress by the Constitution; it'd be like saying that a Presidential veto is an assault on Congressional independence. And since all members of Congress take an oath to defend the Constitution, then why, conservatives should ask, would they support the federal DOMA in the first place if they weren't confident of its constitutionality?
Time may be running out on this one, as the matter is bound to reach the Sup Court in the next few yrs, which means that, barring another retirement, the matter will probably be decided by Anthony Kennedy.
Someone tell me, please. The GOP "message" would be?????????????
Rove summed up the Republican message extremely well, if only the Republicans would listen to him. It's a little long, but definitely worth reading or re-reading.
Transcript: Karl Rove 's address to RNC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1562337/posts
PING for REAL Conservatives
"Politically Correct RINO's" on FR need not reply!
GOP Congressman and Former POW Rips John Murtha
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1576009/posts
"...I did spend 29 years in the Air Force, and I served in Korea and Vietnam and spent 7 years as a POW in Vietnam and more than half of that in solitary confinement. I know what it is like to be far from home, serving your country, risking your life, hearing that America doesn't care about you as happened in Vietnam..."
Sam Johnson Viet Nam Vet Hero AND POW gets it PING!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1527080/posts
JOHN O'NEILL Viet Nam Vet Hero STILL GETS IT PING!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1526505/posts
Time for the real conservatives on FR,
be it Republicans, Independents or Democrats
(like Zell Miller and John O'Neill) to band together
and oust the looney left and RINO's
The "Politically Correct RINO's" on FR are the same group
who "swore"
klintoon, hitlery, hanoi kerry, sanbdi ber(bur)glar, al bore, jane beno,
would be prosecuted for
pardongate, chinagate, the bribes in upstate NY in the 2000 NY Senate race, waco, etc, etc,
"when" the "time was right".
For those who "forgot" what Hanoi Kerry
did in the past read on and learn the truth.
Hanoi Kerry was still a USNR officer while he:
gave false hearsay testimony to Congress
negotiated with the enemy
helped the US lose a war
abetted in the deaths of millions
created a hostile environment for all servicemen
http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/index.php?topic=Documents
Karl Rove knew, Nov. 7, 2004 , that hanoi kerry would try to run in '08
and knew Swift Boat Vet's would be called upon,
again, to serve our country.
Rove Credits Swiftvets With 'Energizing' Bush Vote (Thank You Karl Rove!)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1345603/posts
Mr. Mehlman took an even tougher line against the press, which has been highly critical of the surveillance program.
"The media calls this program 'domestic spying,' " he said. "This is the same mainstream media that called a story based on forged documents 'fake but accurate.' "
Put some ice on it,MSM! LOL!
Great quote!
It's amazing what Republicans can do, if they just stop worrying about being PC, and say what needs to be said.
BTTT
Curious is it not how no matter what the story, the Whine All The Time choir turns it into yet another excuse to rant and rave about Republicans. Hmm, fires 100% of the time at Republicans. Makes you wonder just what side the Whine All The Time Choir is REALLY on?
Build a strong National Defense force for the 21st Century.
Kill Terrorists.
Appoint Conservative Judges.
Renew the Tax Cuts.
Reform the Tax code.
Reform Social Security and Medicare.
Does the GOP know what the term, "Illegal Immigrant," means?
Funny thing is, the Dems would cheer if we did that, thinking that FINALLY their message is getting out, and the 'Pubs are dumb enough to hang themselves. They really do live in an alternate political universe.
Thanks for the ping.
The message would be, "Vote for me, I have an "R" by my name". No longer enough, sorry. Blackbird.
Thanks for the ping!
The best strategy, is to stop illegal immigration
Agree
WITHOUT a guest worker program.
How?
No flame intended.
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