Posted on 09/27/2006 11:30:48 AM PDT by truthandlife
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey has launched an attack on Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, saying Dobson and his "band of thugs” are "nasty bullies” and accusing the Republicans of pandering to the Christian right.
In an interview with Ryan Sager, author of the book "The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians, and the Battle to Control the Republican Party,” Armey said the GOP was "adrift and rudderless” in its commitment to small government.
When pressed by Sager about what he feels is wrong with today’s Republican Congress, Armey – who became majority leader when the GOP took control of Congress in 1994 and retired in 2003 – said: "The criteria of choice in just about every behavior you see in Congress today is politics. Where in the hell did this Terri Schiavo thing come from? There’s not a conservative, Constitution-loving, separation-of-powers guy alive in the world that could have wanted that bill on the floor.
"That was pure, blatant pandering to James Dobson. That’s all it was. It was silly, stupid, and irresponsible. Nobody serious about the Constitution would do that. But the question was will this energize our Christian conservative base for the next election.”
Sager asked why it seems that Christian conservatives are more powerful now than in the 1990s. Armey replied: "To a large extent because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies. I pray devoutly every day, but being a Christian is no excuse for being stupid. There’s a high demagoguery coefficient to issues like prayer in schools. Demagoguery doesn’t work unless it’s dumb . . . These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can appeal to a large demographic.”
Armey, who was first elected as a Congressman from Texas in 1984, toned down his remarks – but only slightly – in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 23. He again brought up Dobson: "The national representatives of the social conservative movement used to be sophisticated and tolerant. Today, they are sophomoric and angry. It's an embarrassing spectacle seeing leaders bullied around by the likes of James Dobson, or watching the Christian Coalition team up with MoveOn.org in support of bigger government.”
Armey – now chairman of FreedomWorks, a national grassroots advocacy organization – did not reserve his criticism for the GOP, going on to write: "Perhaps the only thing more embarrassing than being a loyal Republican in this election season is being a loyal Democrat. Although the party has offered no proposal to fix Social Security, the aspiring House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate majority leader hopeful, Harry Reid, held yet another press conference recently denouncing the secret Republican plan to "privatize" the failing entitlement.
"While Democrat pollsters are no doubt telling their candidates that the P-word will effectively scare seniors and other swing constituencies to the polls, this strategy has consistently failed in past election cycles.”
Check out my post 199 if you would like an explanation. I realize now that I let anger get the best of me.
Dang, it hurts to find out that I am ignorant... but "rank" ignorant at that! I guess I need to work on my FR image pronto. ;-)
LLS
Yes, let's be practical. Why are we conservatives expected to throw in the towel some two years before the 2008 election and agree on a liberal presidential nominee? It ain't gonna happen! Millions of conservatives will sit it out or vote for a third party, rather than turn over the reigns to liberals.
If you want to read my explanation, read my post 199. As I told another Freeper; I let anger get to me and post something I have never talked about outside of one conversation.
LLS
Christophobia is alive and well.
See post 199 for my explanantion. I did not accuse Armey of extra-marital anything. Read again what I said, and then read 199.
I have caused several Freepers to get upset at me, and have only myself to blame for having to wasted 30 minutes that I could be fighting dims with. Although I regret making the post out of anger, I stand by what I say in 199.
LLS
See ya!
What is happening? This seems so odd, unless he plans something, and these remarks will make him a hero among the leftist elite. I would say that when I think of James Dobson, I think of forceful speech. I don't consider him a "bombthrower" as O'Reilly would put it, or a thug. Wasn't Dick ARmey the one who called Barney Frank, "Barney Fag"? I don't think Mr Armey should be casting aspersions on Rev Dobson.
>Armey replied: "To a large extent because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies...<
Thugs, Mr. Armey? Christians just want the Republican party to remain the Republican party. But the party has drifted so far left that we Christians MUST speak out. I wouldn't characterize us as you so rudely do, but we're finding that it takes fire to fight fire. A good thing you are leaving because by your rhetoric, it is obvious you have been in Washington far too long. You also owe Dr. Dobson a sincere apology.
What did Hannity do?
Oh MM. You've got it all wrong again! See my 209. :o)
YOU SAID IT RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Prick Armey, we never knew you.
And now that we do, we don't like you.
Thank God and Greyhound you are gone!
I have lost respect for Armey now.
Who is Dr. James Dobson and why should I care one way or another if he's under attack from a retired congresscritter???
I live in Iowa and am a caucus goer. I will do everything possible to see that these two do not get the nomination but if they do, I'll have to hold my nose and vote for them. They're still probably slightly better than Hillary.
James Dobson is no thug, nor does he have a gang of bullies. I am sick and tired of the overblown rhetoric from Democrats, but this, from a Republican, is a real stab in the back.
This is the thanks we get for saving the Republicans hides in 2000, 2002, and 2004.
Little does the party realize, or perhaps they DO, that it is the " religous right" that dominates the party. If we ( yes, I AM ONE) were to pull out, the Republicans would not win another election and would be forced to either extend the olive branch or fold up!!!
What happened to Armey? He used to be conservative and pro-life. Maybe knocking the Christians is the only way to get some TV time. He is a great disappointment to me.
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