RNC Memo Warns GOPers Not To Distance Themselves From Bush

The Hotline (National Journal) ^ | March 28, 2006

[Karl Rand]

Republican pollster Jan van Lohuizen, in a memo written for RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, warns that if members of Congress try to drive a wedge between themselves and Pres. Bush, it'd be akin to adding weight to an anchor. GOpers are "W Brand Republicans" whether they like it or not. And van Louhizen, who has polled (often secretly) for the Bush White House under the RNC aegis for years, is worried about low turnout.

Time Magazine first reported on the memo this weekend, but the full text is below.

[Stellar Dendrite]

what are you quoting? that text is not from my post

[zook]

I wish it were that easy, Jim. I don't even see a Republican court overturning that particular ruling. But I agree with you completely about continuing to vote for Republicans over Democrats.

[fallujah-nuker]

I refuse to shut up. When the leadership of this country is wrong, I will call them on it and I don't give a damn which party it is!

If the QB on your team was running the wrong way it would make sense to tackle him rather than block for him.

[Killborn]

I see that the majority of the problems you are confronting is based on perception. I don't have a problem with Miers, DPW or any of the millions of issues that people are screaming "BETRAYED!" about. A little calmness goes a long way. Even if we turned 180 on certain issues, it can't be any worse than what the DEMs did and will do and it can always be corrected under the guidance of the GOP, especially if people vote in the primaries and put more conservatives in.

I have lost count the number of times where a calm and careful examination might have given the GOP and the President a lot of leeway. Unfortunately, one of America's favorite sport is Monday Morning Quarterbacking and many Americans have the visual acuity of hindsight.

I thank you for your calm and level headed post and wish you much luck in this important year.

[EverOnward]

"It's quite revealing that you are willing to sell your president out during time of war. That you want to take vital national resources and devote them to rounding up and deporting every illegal alien. It's quite revealing that you can't see how "lettuce" is an analogy for a range of goods and services. I'd say I'm more patriotic that you are."

Oh yes. Only total agreement with elitist Republicans is patriotic. No resources should be used to deport one solitary illegal, especially "vital" resources -- because those resources are better used in.... well in....

And those "vital resources" are what exactly?

[EternalVigilance]

From the first post on the thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605129/posts?page=1#1

[Reagan Man]

In the 2000 Prez race, Bush proposed a $158-billion increase to Medicare over 10 years, with $12-billion per year over 4 years to help the eldery poor out with prescription drugs. What did we get? Bush created the largest entitlement program since LBJ created Medicare in 1965. A trillion dollar drug entitlement program that is nothing but cradle to grave liberal socialism.

In 2000 Bush proposed improving national educational standards and creating a voucher system. With the new 2007 budget just released, federal Education spending under Bush has gone up 86% since he took office.

Lets not forget the three huge discretionary spending bills Bush signed into law. A transportation bill containing over 6,000 pork barrel earmarks, and a huge energy bill and farm bill.

Bush and the GOP COngress are big government Republicans, not fiscal conservatives.

If the President and the GOP Congress somehow get their way and install a backdoor amnesty program under the guise of a guest worker program, the GOP will lose many conservative voters for both 2006 and 2008.

[aureliusk]

we lack the political will to do the things some people are calling for here.
I dont lack the will .The people I ELECTED fooled me . THEY lack the will. Who the HELL represents MY interest anymore? WHO .WHO ? I really dont know. I supported Bush %1000 since day one but this time he gave me the shaft BIG TIME. What the hell is he doing ?

[garandgal]

I don't want to pay $15 for a head of lettuce just so I can savor the fact that it was picked by an American.

Lettuce was $.99 cents/head in my Iowa grocery store today. Please do tell, how raising wages even at an exaggerated estimate of three or four times would raise the cost of a single head of lettuce to $15.

One third of the $.99 is probably freight, packaging, and marketing costs. Another $.10 is profit to the grocery store. That leaves $.55. Another small portion is profit to the grower...leaving maybe $.45. Of that $.45, more than likely..half is spent on chemical and machinery costs.

I seriously doubt that more than $.15/head is spent on illegal labor harvesting this product.

So, you could increase labor wages by five times, and still pay less than $2/head.

[zook]

America should do all it can reasonably do to stop more people from coming here illegally. America should do nothing to stop goods and services from crossing its borders.

[RHINO369]

"Just curious: is it more expensive to hire illegals? or use a machine? If this is about finding good machines to do the work, then it's not really about Americans losing job opportunities?"

It depends on what job the illegals are doing. Alot of the time the employer knows he can make a nice profit with illegals, but is unsure if the risk of buying new equipment will pay off. The problem with this is technology is growing at rapid paces, everything is becoming more and more efficient. So the Presidents great idea is to import millions upon millions of poor uneducated people who have no interest in learning our language. So when machines start doing more and more jobs, they just go on welfare. On top of that Bush wants to send the jobs like designing the machines, computers, and robotics to India and China. Basically leaving most Americans to suck off of welfare, or sell each other life insurance. We export our jobs and import third world refugees.

[Stellar Dendrite]

my mistake, i just didnt get it because your comment was directed towards mine @ #100 and not @ #1

[texasbluebell]

I'll try to remember that...

[Mini-14]

I pointed out earlier that illegal immigration hurts Democratic working class voters more than anyone else. It undermines the unions and depresses black wages.

I have quite a few friends and relatives who are die-hard Democrats. They are angry about illegal immigration.

This is not a Republican / Democrat issue -- it is business owners and PC elitists versus the country.

[durasell]

Lettuce was $.99 cents/head in my Iowa grocery store today.


$1.49 here in NYC/

How much are your cheapest tomatoes?

[aureliusk]

You pass a tough law that would put employers of illegals in jail for a long time. when the jobs go so will they . You act like the war would make anything else impossible to do . Flat out blunt , hire an illegal and you lose your business and serve jail time..Is it that too upfront to do ? this country needs some laws with balls and some plain language leaders.

[zook]

You had, what? 48% of Americans voting for John Kerry? What do you think his view on this is? Americans talk tough about these things, but their talk is cheap. If most Americans felt the same way you did, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. The problem would have already been taken care of.