Posted on 11/09/2006 1:17:29 PM PST by neverdem
After a nasty campaign season in which both sides traded insults and accusations, can they work together in the future? It is a question sure to be directed at Republicans and Democrats, but it might be profitably be asked of feuding libertarians and social conservatives as well.
The midterm elections didn't make a peaceful outcome more likely. Instead both sides acquired new ammunition. Reputedly libertarian Arizona narrowly rejected a ban on same-sex marriage (though similar measures passed everywhere else they were on the ballot), rebuffing social conservatives. Minimum-wage hikes passed in six states, which isn't very libertarian -- and neither were many of the Democratic victors, despite the Libertarian Democrat meme. Expect the finger-pointing to continue in this increasingly ugly dispute.
Consider the much-discussed culture war of words between former House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Focus on the Family head James Dobson. After it was reported that Armey described "Dobson and his gang" as "thugs" and "bullies," the Texas Republican didn't back down. Instead he blasted certain "self-appointed Christian leaders" for being "big government sympathizers who want to impose their version of 'righteousness' on others."
Dobson didn't exactly turn the other cheek. He responded by calling Armey "a very bitter man" who was motivated by past slights -- Dobson backed an unsuccessful leadership challenge by his "close friend and hunting buddy" Steve Largent -- and seeking to reposition himself within the Republican Party at the expense of religious conservatives.
Other Christian right leaders objected to Armey's assertion that congressional Republicans were being distracted by issues like same-sex marriage. "If it weren't for the marriage amendment in Ohio, John Kerry would be president," the Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land told the Washington Post on...
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
On Tuesday, Republicanism, not conservatism, lost
After the Thumpin' Say a prayer for the republic.
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Interesting the two things the President pushed through in the name of Compassionate Conservatism (No child and Medicare Prescription) were democratic, large governement vs what most conservatives want; he twisted a lot of GOP arms to get it passed.
Along with illegal immigration (-- another thing the dems want) these large government issues is what made many conservatives sit out the election. I don't know what to say about the libertarians, a third party vote is what Hillary is depending on and a lot of people voted libertarian rather than vote for either side. Do the libertarians really want to see Charlie Rangle take away their guns (he's already saying he wants to work with Bloomberg to do just that) and other constitutional rights?
Old Fusion ....... Confusion
Darn, I thought this post would be about Fusion.
me too...
The joke is, No Child Left Behind and Medicare Prescription are lousy ideas. Federalizing education is a terrible mistake. Moreover, I've never heard of a liberal who didn't hate it, so it made no friend there, either.
As for Medicare Prescription, I have recently retired, and I was advised not to touch it with a ten foot pole. My own private prescription plan offers more benefits for less cost.
Big government just isn't the best way to spread money around. In the end, all it supports is a big bureaucracy, with small change given out to selected clients to justify itself.
I bill for a doctor and it's caused confusion among the Medi-Medi patients and just caused confusion, didn't save them anything and there is only a small percentage of patients that didn't have a secondary with insurance coverage.
Yes, I was fortunate. I thought my prescription coverage might be dropped. A lot of employers did that, I think, since medicare prescription basically allowed them to weasel out of it and save money.
In the case of my friends and my sister-in-law, they did it before the Part D plan and it was abrupt from a major company.
Might not be possible. Listening to Bush, he almost sounded relieved, now that he'll get his way on immigration if he wants it. He even has a better chance of getting his pal Harriet to the SC now, should the opportunity come up.
He's not a good enough actor to not show the kind of disappointment this election should have caused him.
I'm feeling very cynical at the moment.
Thanks for the ping!
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