On Thursday’s "Situation Room," CNN reporter Bill Schneider proclaimed that Republicans need to move left in order to recover from their midterm losses: Posted on 11/09/2006 4:19:09 PM PST by lowbridge
Posted by Scott Whitlock on November 9, 2006 - 18:15.
On Thursday’s "Situation Room," CNN reporter Bill Schneider proclaimed that Republicans need to move left in order to recover from their midterm losses:
Bill Schneider: "Will Republicans move further to the right? Not if they got the message of the election. Republicans lost because they abandoned the center. Independents voted Democratic by the biggest margin ever recorded. The election also provides an alternative model of a Republican who moved to the center and thrived."
Who is this shining example of moderation? Why, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He actually won by becoming a liberal, but perhaps that’s what Schneider meant.
Schneider also provided examples of new Democratic "moderates." Among these cited were Joe Lieberman, Heath Shuler, Bob Casey, and Jon Tester:
Schneider: "The Democratic majorities in the House and Senate include a lot of newly elected moderates like Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a former Washington Redskins quarterback who was courted by the Republicans, and Brad Ellsworth, an Indiana County sheriff who signed a pledge not to raise taxes. In the Senate, there is Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Jon Tester of Montana and Jim Webb of Virginia, who used to be a Republican and was President Reagan’s navy secretary. And Joe Lieberman will still be around."
Joe Lieberman may support the war, but his lifetime American Conservative Union score is 17. Moveon.org campaigned for Montana Senator-elect Jon Tester (Click on Link and scroll down to Montana). And anyone who expects Bob Casey and Jim Webb to be moderate or conservative will likely be disappointed.
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 4:37pm on November 9, follows:
Wolf Blitzer: "So how will the new equation work? And can Democrats work with President Bush? Let's bring in our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. Bill?"
Schneider: "Wolf, there are two ways of looking at what the voters have created. You could say they voted for divided government or government of national unity. President Bush seems to want a government of national unity to succeed".
Bush: "It's in the national interest of the United States that a unity government, based upon a constitution, that is advanced and modern succeed."
Schneider: "Except that he was not talking about the United States. He was talking about Iraq, where warring sects have to figure out how to work together, same as here."
Pelosi: "Democrats are ready to lead, prepared to govern and absolutely willing to work in a bipartisan way."
Schneider: "Can it happen? There is reason for hope. The Democratic majorities in the House and Senate include a lot of newly elected moderates like Heath Shuler of North Carolina, a former Washington Redskins quarterback who was courted by the Republicans, and Brad Ellsworth, an Indiana County sheriff who signed a pledge not to raise taxes. In the Senate, there is Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Jon Tester of Montana and Jim Webb of Virginia, who used to be a Republican and was President Reagan’s navy secretary. And Joe Lieberman will still be around. How accommodating will Republicans be? Moderate Republicans have diminished in number. Representatives Jim Leach of Iowa and Nancy Johnson Connecticut were defeated. So were two moderate Republican Senators Lincoln Chafee and Mike DeWine of Ohio. Will Republicans move further to the right? Not if they got the message of the election. Republicans lost because they abandoned the center. Independents voted Democratic by the biggest margin ever recorded. The election also provides an alternative model of a Republican who moved to the center and thrived."
Schwarzenegger: "We fight our causes but, in the end, we find common grounds. This is the California way. The voters have endorsed it. I embrace it."
Schneider: "If unity government is going to work in Iraq, the various parties will have to disarm their militias. Some steps toward ending the political arms race might be a good idea in this country, too. Wolf?"
Blitzer: "Give us a little sense, Bill, ‘cause you've been covering this political story in Washington for a long time. The seismic nature of this power shift that we're seeing happen right now between the executive and the legislative branches of government."
Schneider: "This is a very big shift, Wolf. We haven't seen it since 1994 and it was very dramatic then and it hadn't happened then for 40 years. Now it's 12 years later. So you can say that it isn't even once a decade we get big shifts like this."
Don't you wish!!!!!!
Bill Schneider, when we need advice from a whiny wanker like you, we'll call........ don't hold your breath, though!
Did this guy advise the Democrats to move right after 1994?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
The only reason Joe Lieberman was reelected to the Senate from Connecticut was that he was backing up the president on the war while is partner Chris Dopey Dodd was screaming to withdraw our forces.
Connecticuts Citizens were not that stupid to allow someone more liberal then Dodd into the halls of the U.S. Senate and unfortunately the Republican party did not have a good candidate on the ballot. Thats the way it is and thats why Lieberman is in the Senate.
Why does schneider care what we do? They are obsessed with us.
No, they lsot because stubborn Bush refused to can Rumsfeld 3-4 months ago, when it would have made a huge difference. They also lost because the base was disgusted by the spending spree and amnesty push.
You are right.
Absolutely!
This much is true. Why is the question. IMO, the pubs lost the center on immigration. Making 12-20M immigrants felons scared the center. This does not reflect my opinion on immigration, but I think it is true. If this was a referendum on Iraq, we would have lost 40 seats by wide margins. We lost 20 some by narrow margins to conservatives come Democrats, i.e. Blue Dogs.
The center wins, just ask the new Blue Dogs. Much as we may dislike it, it is true.
They couldn't confirm Bolton, no ANWR drilling, didn't extend tax cuts, didn't offer private Social Security accounts, barely enforced the border at the last minute, Bush wanted guest workers, oh the largest new entitlement ever, runaway spending - exactly how was this a too conservative government? Oy.
Schneider is dumber than a white sock.
The message sent was the need for CHANGE, as in all 6th term midterms.
It was not to become liberal.
It was actually an election that showed center-right candidates were preferred....the Dems who were elected were "moderates" for the most part.
This was not a mandate for liberalism, and based on Nancy Pelosi and the other Dems today, I think it is clear that at least for now, they realize that.
He's right. Let's drop everything we believe in and move left so we can be popular and the cool kids will play with us.
Will Bill Schneider ever put a cork in it? Not "if" he still doesn't get the message of what CNN's ratings being in the crapper means.
So the best I can hope for is that he heed my advice, and promptly go f**k himself.
Geez, Bill, your masters are the ones who encouraged conservatives to stay home because the GOP wasn't conservative enough - and now you're trying to sell it the other way?
Wanting it both ways - No dependence on foreign oil / no drilling off the coasts - abortion: legal, safe and rare / 1.5 Million babies murdered each year. If we didn't know you for a lib, Bill - the both ways thingy would give it away.
Patrick said yesterday that he is willing to take on liberal in DC and will fight for conservative values.
This is the type repub we need and must attract to return to being the party of limited government, etc.
Moving left is why they lost. With some of them, any further left and they may as well be Democrats.
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