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Silver Lining in GOP's Dark Cloud
Real Clear Politics ^ | June 9, 2007 | Jack Kelly

Posted on 06/09/2007 7:10:23 AM PDT by gpapa

President Bush has cast a huge, dark cloud over the Republican party. But in that cloud's very size there may be a silver lining for the GOP. Most of those Americans who don't think President Bush made a mistake by going to war in Iraq are appalled by how clumsily the war has been conducted.

The president's strong backing for the "comprehensive" immigration reform bill now before the Senate, compounded by his attack on the character and motives of those who oppose it have split the GOP. Thousands of Republicans have changed their voter registration to "independent." The proportion of voters who identify themselves as Republicans has fallen to 30.8 percent from 37.3 percent during the 2004 election campaign, according to a recent Rasmussen poll.

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; fredthompson; giuliani; illegalimmigration; romney; sellout; vampirebill
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1 posted on 06/09/2007 7:10:26 AM PDT by gpapa
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To: gpapa

Bush, doing the job (wrecking the Republican party) Democrats only wish they could do.


2 posted on 06/09/2007 7:12:46 AM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions----and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: gpapa
On Judges and taxcuts alone Bush has done far more good for the Conservative Movement's future then all the screaming lunatics on the radio, or penning columns. Time for the mindless twit Bush haters to finally sit down and shut up. They have done nothing but scream bile at this President since day one.

Sorry but the 100%ers, like Kelly here, can look in the mirror if they want to know who the REAL enemy is. They have all spent all their time screaming bile at the GOP because they could not have only 100% of only what they wanted.

Frankly, GET OFF OUR SIDE. They are cause far more trouble then they "help" with their perpetual whining and always angry rantings.

3 posted on 06/09/2007 7:14:40 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: saganite

Since the Dem’s been so successful with their politics of personal destruction, I think Bush is getting his revenge with the immigration bill. He’s dragging them down with him.


4 posted on 06/09/2007 7:15:29 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: saganite

No the rabid loser Bush haters who spent all their time doing nothing but screaming bile at the GOP, (i.e.YOU) because they were not getting only what they wanted the second they decided they wanted it did that. Bush is just the scapegoat for the complete lack of mental or emotional discipline amount the Conservative punditry and Talkers and their mindless drone followers.


5 posted on 06/09/2007 7:16:49 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: gpapa
Contributions to the Republican National Committee from small donors have fallen by 40 percent
Only 40%? Who are the other 60% numbskulls still giving money to this cabal of liars?
6 posted on 06/09/2007 7:17:03 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: gpapa
But in Mr. Bush's uncanny ability to alienate Republicans......

Its called "leadership" don't you know?

He thinks its doing "whats good for us"....

7 posted on 06/09/2007 7:20:05 AM PDT by B.O. Plenty (Give war a chance...)
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To: gpapa

I guess Dubya is not nearly obsessed with his legacy as was Bubba during his two terms.


8 posted on 06/09/2007 7:20:24 AM PDT by shortstop (Press "1" for English.)
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To: MNJohnnie
Nope--do not agree. I am one who held his nose when Bush signed McCain-Feingold. Still supported him. Hated the Harriet Meiers nomination, but moved on. Also, complained a bit when he fired Rummy AFTER the election instead of before, and believe that dumb act cost us several house seats.

The LAST straw for me and, I believe, many others has been this idiotic, America-destroying, Ted Kennedy-supported immigration bill.

I will not defend Dubya anymore, but you go right ahead. And I will not call you any names.

9 posted on 06/09/2007 7:20:50 AM PDT by Pharmboy ([She turned me into a] Newt! in '08)
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To: samtheman

Big business and Chamber of Commerce types, who are hedging their bets by also donating to dumocrats.


10 posted on 06/09/2007 7:21:42 AM PDT by gpapa
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To: MNJohnnie

I can not understand your blind faith in politicians, especially those who are REPRESENTATIVES. The definition I understand is the rep should take the will of the voters of their state to the federal government.


11 posted on 06/09/2007 7:23:35 AM PDT by mirkwood ("May noise never excite us to battle, or confusions reduce us to defeat.")
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To: Pharmboy

Gee the same people who spent all their time the last 5 years bitching and whining endlessly about everything GOP don’t think THEY are partly to blame for this mess?

Spend all your time whining, just like Leftist Democrats, the Republicans suck! Now you want to act surprise people listened to you?


12 posted on 06/09/2007 7:23:59 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: MNJohnnie

“They have done nothing but scream bile at this President since day one.”

That’s not true if the majority are like me. I fought haard to have the Pres. re-elected. I realize that his hands were tied by do gooders that felt we should be sensitive to the terorrists needs. But when he sought to destroy this country by his open borders agenda is when most of us put our foot down. If he is not for us, he is againsst us(just to coin a phrase).


13 posted on 06/09/2007 7:24:48 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: MNJohnnie
They have done nothing but scream bile at this President since day one.
For most of the Bush presidency I have been one of his most ardent backers. Go back and read my posts (older than a few months ago). I even defended him during the Harriet Miers fiasco, in which I was still willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But this immigration bill, this teaming up with the fat murderer from Massachusetts, and with very dirty Harry Reid, is too much for me.

Although I still laud President Bush for his stand in Iraq, and still back the war 100%, I can't think of our President without feeling deeply and totally betrayed.

To fight a "war on terror" and leave the border completely open, and then to team up with the fat murderer and dirty Harry to open it up even further, is a betrayal of monumental, stupendous and historical proportions.

George W Bush will go down in history as the Jimmy Carter of the Republican Party. Which is sad. Truly and terribly sad.

14 posted on 06/09/2007 7:24:50 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: gpapa
Most of those Americans who don't think President Bush made a mistake by going to war in Iraq

But I think all ten of them are still behind him.

15 posted on 06/09/2007 7:26:01 AM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: mirkwood
Wonder when the Conservatives Establishment got so stupid? Utterly moronic the way they figure 100% of nothing is better then 70% of something.

The dirty truth is Dinocons don't actually want to get anything done. They just want to be able to sit on their butts on the side line and whine endlessly about everything. See in the Minority they don't actually have to explain or lead or teach like they would in the Majority. No as the Minority all they have to do is sit around and bitch, bitch, bitch.

Seems that is all they are capable of doing.

16 posted on 06/09/2007 7:27:30 AM PDT by MNJohnnie (If you will try being smarter, I will try being nicer.)
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To: MNJohnnie

“Frankly, GET OFF OUR SIDE.”

There’s no one but you and a dwindling few left on the Bushbot side. Turn off the lights if you are the last one to leave.


17 posted on 06/09/2007 7:30:03 AM PDT by FastCoyote
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To: MNJohnnie

It’s not a question of only two positions, love Bush or hate him.

For instance, I fought the Miers nomination tooth and nail, not because I hated Bush but because I thought he was making a foolish mistake and that it would be better for him if he withdrew her before the Democrats gleefully confirmed her. I thought that if he admitted his mistake and moved on, then he could get back to doing good things.

Also the Iraq War. Just about all of us support it. Bush and Rummy had the good sense to go around the clintonoid hangers-on in the Pentagon and put Tommy Franks in charge, and in spite of Turkey’s sabotage the invasion was brilliantly conducted. But then the whole thing fell to pieces, largely because Bush had never bothered to clean out the State Department or the CIA or the other branches who were tasked with the occupation.

The CIA was totally incompetent, and the military had to build their own intelligence operation before they could even begin to capture Saddam and his leaders. The Rules of Engagement were stupid, the fight against the terrorists was half-hearted, the obvious next step of taking out Syria was neglected, giving the terrorists a base to work from.

There again, Bush had the right instincts, but his leadership was terrible, because he never took the trouble to put trusted and capable people in his various agencies. We had the lesson of LBJ’s half-hearted conduct of the Vietnam War and his unwillingness to do what needed to be done and let the generals do their job, yet Bush repeated LBJ’s mistakes.

Yes, Bush is a man of honor, but he seems not to understand how to run a country, hose out his enemies, or handle the press.

Now he is screwing up big time. Can he get back on track, as he did when he withdrew Miers and nominated Alito? Frankly, I don’t know. I was optimistic then, but much less optimistic now. He doesn’t seem to learn his lessons. This immigration fiasco is not just an insult to his base, it flies in the face of the rule of law, it violates the constitution, it is destructive of our country and its freedoms. If he keeps pushing it, as he seems determined to do, he will be remembered as a president who accomplished only a few good things—tax cuts, SCOTUS appointments, the defeat of the Taliban, and the defeat of Saddam.


18 posted on 06/09/2007 7:35:43 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: MNJohnnie

The Rockefeller Republicans never liked being in the majority. In some way, perhaps subconsciously, I think they tried, and succeeded, in losing control of Congress.

It would seem they’re trying their hardest now to lose the White House as well.

This stuff isn’t complicated. A cursory glance at public opinion and political reality would have informed the White House that amnesty was a non-starter, and would pretty much kill the GOP. They pushed it anyhow. What does that tell you?


19 posted on 06/09/2007 7:35:57 AM PDT by B Knotts (Anybody but Giuliani!)
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To: Pharmboy; MNJohnnie

“Nope—do not agree. I am one who held his nose when Bush signed McCain-Feingold. Still supported him. Hated the Harriet Meiers nomination, but moved on. Also, complained a bit when he fired Rummy AFTER the election instead of before, and believe that dumb act cost us several house seats.”

Ditto me.....also add hiz attempt at NAU, or Western hemisphere Union, hiz little fantasy of hiz own EU trilateralist-ready-for-NWO legacy.


20 posted on 06/09/2007 7:37:25 AM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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