Either the RINOS go or the whole Republican party does a Whig.
To paraphrase another Freeper:
Sen. Graham, if you make enemies in certain high places, you’re doing something right. But if every last living soul spits on the ground you walk on, you’re a frickin’ idiot.
We still have to deal with Mexican Mel down here in Florida as well.
You forgot Collins, up for re-election in 2008, and Snowe, up in 2010.
I am going to spend every spare minute and every spare dime I have to defeat all RINO candidates, and to get some new conservative blood in office. Our nation depends on it.
Your headline begs the question: if moderate republicans (and Hagel, incidentally DOES NOT belong on this list, appropos his opposition to the war), then what, pray tell, are they to be replaced with?
Seems to me the choice then lay between democrats and One-percenter republicans.
In that case, I’d rather have your “RINOs”, thnak you.
A bizarre statement I made on another thread has appeared where “Dangus” should appear as author.
Unfortunately, while these guys don’t represent the GOP, they have been successful in acquiring enough Dem votes to stay in office. The place to beat them is the primary.
Here in Michigan we got rid of RINO Joe Schwarz and replaced him with conservative Tim Walberg.
My biggest problem with Ted Stevens has nothing to do with social issues.
It’s his blatant and unashamed use of pork barrel projects and earmarks for Alaska.
His attitude during last year’s “Bridge To Nowhere” fracas showed how arrogant and out of touch he is.
John Warner has no dignity. He is a RINO of the worst type - openly contemptuous of conservatives, and of the Virginia Republican party. He is a true Country Club Republican, most comfortable when in the minority.
Guys like Coleman in Minnesota, I can stand him because at least he seems like he's on our side. When he goes against us, like on environmental issues, at least it's understandable due to the kind of state he's from. Hagel and McCain have no need to be libs; their states are conservative. They are doing it for attention and because they are not really with us. I say the hell with them, get rid of them, rebuild with a stronger group of conservatives and get something done next time. There will always be RINOs, but if a few of them are kicked out, and we elect a conservative President, the RINOs that remain will go along with the program.
I don’t like RINO’s, but lets worry about winning elections from the democrats first.
Chuck Hagel was NOT a member of the Gang of 14. Get your facts straight.
No Specter?
Sadly there wasn’t a ONE opponent for Richard Lugar in 06 (republican or democrat+ the indepedent/libertarian was a former democrat who didn’t sound libertarian, he sounded SOCIALIST! Still he garnered 24%).
And Spectre could kick the bucket anytime. But a rat would likely end up in the seat.
Let’s distinguish between the good RINOs and the bad ones.
Collins and Snowe have always been party loyalists, who vote with the party when their vote is absolutely needed. There’s no way they could be replaced by conservatives in Maine.
Lincoln Chaffee also came from a liberal state, but he was not a party loyalist. He defied the leadership and sank several important bills by one vote. We are better off without him, and his ideological soulmate, Jim Jeffords.
As for the others you name, that’s a matter that must be decided state by state. I would have thought that you could elect a conservative in Virginia, for instance, but the state seems to be going more liberal with each election.
Chuck Hagel and Lindsay Graham? Yes, I would agree that they have crossed the line and must go. I don’t know enough about their constituents to say if they should be replaced by good RINOs instead of disloyal ones, but they have proved themselves to be treacherous in the clinch, and that’s not the way even a good RINO behaves.
Everything that does end up happening in the future will also depend upon if “Shamnesty” legislation is successfully killed forever as well as if the creation of the very socialistic North American Union is also killed forever. If these two “very bad things” do eventually become U.S. law, then the Republican Party, conservatism, and the existence of a decent U.S. as a country will all eventually disappear probably forever! If conservatives truly end up prevailing over all of these bad things, then they can successfully target both Democrats at every political level and “RINO” Republicans at every political level for both the short-term and for the long-term all over the U.S.!
I’d agree with those who think the seat might well go to Mark Warner, who remains extremely popular for whatever reason, if John Warner is defeated in the primaries. I can’t imagine Virginians electing Jim Gilmore to the Senate. The man has some good conservative credentials but he was basically a one-trick pony. “No car tax” won’t get him elected again.
Maybe Kilgore could win, but he’s have to run a heck of a lot better campaign than he did for governor. Other conservatives mentioned in one post are barely known in the state.