Posted on 06/12/2007 11:18:58 AM PDT by dangus
RINOS could be gone in six years. For starters, Conservatives can prevent the renomination of three of the worst RINOs, with minimal danger of losing their seats to the Democrats:
Sen. Chuck Hagel, although only 60, was thought to be possibly retiring at the end of this session of Congress. He has been the leading Republican supporter of surrender to Islamofascism. He was a member of the gang of Seven Republicans who opposed the use of Senate Rules to prevent a Supreme Court filibuster, as well as a champion of liberal Senator Arlen Specter. And, behind only John McCain and Lindsey Graham, is the third biggest promoter of the Senate Amnesty bill. He is opposed in the 2008 by Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning.
Sen. John Warner opposed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court. Although he has drifted slowly to the Republican mainstream, he even voted to bar gays from the Boy Scouts, and has been the fifth biggest promoter of the Felon Importation Act (also known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill.) At 80, he could easily retire after this Congress. Then again, a campaign by former Gov. Gilmore or (I kid you not) Attorney General Killgore might help inspire to retire with his dignity intact.
Sen. Lindsay Graham has to be about the most hated man in South Carolina. Elected in 2002 as a conservative crusader, Graham quickly moved hard to the left, becoming the poster child of sleazy inside-the-beltway whoring up to the liberals and "mavericks." Happy to vote conservative whenever his vote isn't needed, Graham was a founder of the Gang of Seven, he supported the McCain-Feingold Corrupt Incumbent Protection Act, and was the main point man on the Kennedy Immigration bill that even Jon Kyl disassociated himself from. He seems to have a preternatural knack for inspiring hatred, such as calling the vast majority of South Carolinians (black AND white) who oppose amnesty, "bigots," and sobbing to Barrack Hussein Obama that Obama was betraying conservatives who had "walked the plank" for him. If ever any Republican needs a knife in the back, Graham has always been most willing to deliver it. Fortunately, there is an ample supply of potential primary opponents.
Ted Stevens is pro-choice, pro-gay, and pro-illegal; he is also 83 years old.
By ousting Graham, Hagel, Warner, or Stevens, conservatives would almost certainly get someone more conservative to represent them. It's a little trickier to call for the ouster of Pete Domenici, who is also up for re-election. Domenici tends to be pro-life, but he has been a fervent supporter of illegal immigration. With New Mexico trending more and more liberal, what follows him could be worse. Personally, if no strong candidate emerges as a challenger, I'd hold my nose and re-elect Domenici. At 76, he is probably will serve only 7 more years, until 2014, by which time hopefully the New Mexico Republican Party will have re-established itself much better.
Thad Cochran is also up for re-election in 2008. He is fairly non-offensive, but has established a decidedly centrist voting record, taking choosing to side with Kennedy over conservatives a full 1/3rd of the time, making him more liberal than many of the very few notable white Democrats from Mississippi (such as DINO Rep. Gene Taylor). He will be 72 years old before being sworn in again. If he declines to run for re-election, he will almost certainly be replaced by someone more conservative.
2010:
George Bush and Rick Santorum pulled out all the stops to ensure the re-election of Arlen Specter over conservative challenger Pat Toomey. Santorum's re-election effort was doomed when Specter immediately pledged as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee to keep pro-lifers off the Supreme Court. Specter is not only the most liberal Republican, he seems to relish heaping cruelties apon staffers and purposely sabotaging other Republicans. Sadly, it may only be his health that keeps him from running for re-election; he is a 77-year-old cancer survivor.
Media whore, thy name is John McCain. But the man who consistently ensures he represents the Republicans on the Sunday talk shows by crusading for whatever pet issue 60 Minutes has drummed up is not looking likely to be re-elected. He is 72, but the savage brutality heaped apon him by his Vietnamese captors leaves him older and more distempered than most septuagenarians. More significantly, his once rock-steady 70% approval ratings have plummeted to below break-even. Surely, challengers must smell blood in the water of his red state. (Frankly, I hope State Senator Russel Pearce runs.)
After watching fellow liberal Ohioan Mike DeWine obliterated in his re-election effort, George Voinovich seems only to have redoubled his effort to infuriate the Republican base. Can the Republican Party of Ohio, devestated by liberalism and corruption rebuild itself by 2010? Those who defeated DeWine look like they will be soon feasting on the main course. Voinovich will be 72 in 2008, so he may even simply retire due to age.
2012
How bland is Dick Lugar? He ran for president, and couldn't even attract enough attention to have people make fun of his name. He has escaped conservative criticism in the very red state of Indiana, despite compiling one of the most liberal voting records in all of Washington. He is a member of the gang of seven, a pro-illegal stalwart, but he's also already 74. He may need help retiring, anyway.
There is? Sure wish I knew who they are.
Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."
Winning elections from the RATS can be done only in the general election. Firing RINOS is done in the primaries.
Just curious.
What do you define as “power base”?
Electoral numbers or influence within the Virginia GOP?
Or both? Or something else?
I said POTENTIAL primary opponents. I in no way mean that any of the following would necessarily run against Lindsey, but the Republican Party is quote strong in South Carolina, with 24 of 44 senators (2 vacancies), a huge majority in the House (and thus all the leadership positions and chairmanships), 4 excellent U.S. Representatives, a Republican governor, Lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Comptroller, Adjutant General, and Commissioner of Agriculture.
The only position the Democrats hold is Education Superintendent, and two U.S. House districts. And I don’t think John Spratt or James Clyburn are going anywhere!
Sen. Jo Ann Davis would be awesome!
Sadly, the power base of the Virginia GOP is Fairfax County, a RINO preserve.
Ravenel?
Gresham Barrett?
Collins has no Conservative opposition up here in the People’s Republic of Maine. Great place to visit BUT not live.....
Now, that's better. As soon as a Conservative announces against him, I will make a donation to his/her campaign! I won't forget that little fag calling us bigots!
Don’t worry... she will.
He is - That’s the joke. or is it that he’s the joke, we get so confused by Mel
Frankly, I’m about this close -> <- to wishing mayflies live long enough to empthy their bowels on Chuckie’s grave.
My oh my, aren’t we bitchy today!
Thats fine. But the talk here is of purging and not a whole lot of beating democrats.
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