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The White Flag Republicans
Townhall ^ | 2/16/07 | Hugh Hewitt

Posted on 02/16/2007 6:38:46 AM PST by Valin

Today’s vote in the House will be significant only for the light it will cast on the Republicans. We know the Democrats are committed to defeat in Iraq, and Congressman Murtha is the gift of clarity that keeps giving.

But we will also get the outlines of the extent of the White Flag Republicans, and while not all of them will draw the same level of ire as term-limit pledge breaking “Lawnboy” Ric “It Runs Like A Deere” Keller, the WFRs will not escape that designation even if the war goes well and Iraq stabilizes. At a crucial moment, they bolted.

They are leaving behind a House GOP badly scarred. I doubt very much if the message isn’t getting through or the NRC or the NRCC. The latter will have to radically restructure if it is to get grassroots appeal back. I won’t be giving to the NRCC because it will be supporting WFRs.

The best NRCC Chairman Tom Cole could do now is get busy identifying the 2008 challengers to defeatist Democrats. The lassitude displayed thus far is very troubling. There is great passion among the victory voters, but they cannot put it to any use because the GOP has not given them anything to fight for. The sudden growth of the Victory Caucus hints at this desire to engage, and all that energy could be turned towards electing serious candidates, preferably experienced veterans familiar with the stakes and especially with Iraq and Afghanistan and the enemy, but the House GOP leadership seems indifferent to the base, and glued to a political calendar that was used in the era before new media or the war arrived. Many have observed that the left is far ahead in the organizational understanding of politics on the web, and rarely has that been as obvious as the past three weeks. Obvious, but unacted on.

I had assumed that after the November elections the GOP on the Hill would hear what everyone was saying to them. But it turns out they got the slogans down, but internalized nothing of the need to engage in a completely different approach to the debates ahead. They are almost completely powerless in the House, and thus are only a rhetorical force. They have nothing but arguments to make to the public, but they are getting rolled in debate after debate because there is no party position that hasn’t been undercut by backbenchers, and there is not anything approaching a communications strategy.

“Hapless” is the word that comes to mind. The congressional representatives of the Party of Lincoln and the Party of Reagan have never been collectively less committed to victory and less able to communicate than today.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 117republicans
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1 posted on 02/16/2007 6:38:47 AM PST by Valin
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To: Valin
Why shouldn't the WFR's bolt and run? The president won't stand up for the troops against the communist in congress, so why should they?
2 posted on 02/16/2007 6:54:19 AM PST by thiscouldbemoreconfusing
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To: Valin
The Republican House leadership is pathetic. They are clueless.
3 posted on 02/16/2007 6:59:42 AM PST by ReaganRevolution ("Fight the enemy, support the troops, back the President. There can be no end save victory.”)
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To: Valin

The terrorist continue to try and break the will of the American people.They know if the American people where untited they just wouldn't have a chance. The Lib. Dems. and their so called "Peace movement" , with help of the media is falling right into their hands.


4 posted on 02/16/2007 7:02:16 AM PST by alienken (Bumper sticker idea- We have God in heaven & a Texan in the whitehouse,LIFE IS GOOD!!(not so good,))
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing

The president won't stand up for the troops against the communist in congress

He doesn't?


5 posted on 02/16/2007 7:03:28 AM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing
The president won't stand up for the troops against the communist in congress

Since when?

6 posted on 02/16/2007 7:07:11 AM PST by A.Hun (Common sense is no longer common.)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing
"Why shouldn't the WFR's bolt and run? The president won't stand up for the troops against the communist in congress, so why should they?"

Well, here's my nomination for the most nonsensical post of the day. Well done.

7 posted on 02/16/2007 7:10:32 AM PST by Rokke
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To: Rokke

I'll second it.


8 posted on 02/16/2007 7:11:47 AM PST by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: Howlin

Honk Honk


9 posted on 02/16/2007 7:13:36 AM PST by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing
What?

Nothing could be further from the truth!

10 posted on 02/16/2007 7:13:59 AM PST by James Ewell Brown Stuart (I support the President and the war on terror!)
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To: All

Anyone familiar with the old film, The Four Feathers?
We should call them "White Feather Republicans."


11 posted on 02/16/2007 7:15:13 AM PST by zook (America going insane - "Do you read Sutter Caine?)
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To: Howlin

Honk!


12 posted on 02/16/2007 7:16:50 AM PST by A.Hun (Common sense is no longer common.)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing

What planet are you on?


13 posted on 02/16/2007 7:21:43 AM PST by golfisnr1 (Democrats are like roaches - hard to get rid of.)
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To: Valin

The Republicans threw in the towel the night McCain and the other six Judas's made their 'deal' with the Dhimmi's on the SCOTUS nominees. They basically emasculated themselves and their party.


14 posted on 02/16/2007 7:21:46 AM PST by johnny7 ("We took a hell of a beating." -'Vinegar Joe' Stilwell)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing
The president won't stand up for the troops against the communist in congress, so why should they?

Thank you.

Until Prez. Bush grows the balls to call these loser Dem alqaeda supporters out by name, the wimpy Republicans will continue to be wimpy.

15 posted on 02/16/2007 7:22:20 AM PST by Edit35
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To: Valin
Love the name given to these traitors, "WHITE FLAG REPUBLICANS"
16 posted on 02/16/2007 7:28:23 AM PST by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: MojoWire
i can't believe this is all happening. i just wrote senator durbin and told him how dare he and obama stand on the lincoln platform in springfield, when, in reality, lincoln would have put both their asses in jail for obstructing the war.

write to your senators, write to the rnc, and the dnc. we must fight at home and join grassfire in putting up adds supporting our troops. do it now!!!
17 posted on 02/16/2007 7:28:36 AM PST by vprin23512 (vprin23512)
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To: ReaganRevolution

They have been for a number of years, and have just recently gotten worse.


18 posted on 02/16/2007 7:29:27 AM PST by Sword_Svalbardt (Sword Svalbardt)
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To: MojoWire
Until Prez. Bush grows the balls to call these loser Dem alqaeda supporters out by name, the wimpy Republicans will continue to be wimpy.

It's not enough for Bush to say "We want to win in Iraq" or "we've got to stay strong in the face of terror" .

When some Democrap Senator publically declares US troops to be "terrorizing Iraqi's in the dead of night" or when some liberal Senator claims that Bush "lied" is is a "fascist" --- Bush should fight back.

By taking the so-called high road, Bush is saying, "C'mon, hit me again. I can take it."

The problem is, his image and that or our war on terror effort CANT take it anymore.

The country and the world, I'm afraid, is seeing GWB is a scared cat, afraid to put his critics in their place.

19 posted on 02/16/2007 7:30:14 AM PST by Edit35
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To: MojoWire

What are you talking about? Where are the chorus of voices from the nation taking these traitors to task?

Apparently, they aren't out there. GWB is the one person that has stood up for our military and soldiers day after day for six years, and then you try to blame him for these traitors.

The fact is that the majority of the nation is fat, lazy, Godless, moronic, cowards. That is not the President's fault, and it is not his job to insult duly elected members of Congress!!!

It is our job to elect good representation, and we have failed.


20 posted on 02/16/2007 7:35:09 AM PST by A.Hun (Common sense is no longer common.)
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