Posted on 02/12/2008 7:25:36 PM PST by Kaslin
When asked about the 29 Republican-held seats that will go up for grabs this fall, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., gently corrected this reporter.
"As of today," Cole said at a breakfast briefing for reporters. He didn't say that further retirements are expected, but he wasn't exactly ruling them out, either.
Cole then recalled how one unnamed GOP leader recently said to him: "Cole, you and I better get out of here before all of the good jobs are gone."
It was a joke. Sort of.
One election cycle as the minority party and Republicans are stampeding to the exits. While at least five of them are trying for higher offices, most are opting to simply quit. They are one retirement away from the record number.
Cole put the best face on the situation Tuesday, telling reporters he did not take the job to preside over the "dismantling" of the party. There's no reason why the GOP can't beat the odds this fall, he said.
"The biggest problem I have, and the Republican Party has, is morale," Cole said. "We went through the worst defeat since Watergate (in 2006), and yet there are still 10 more (GOP House) seats than Ronald Reagan had on his best day."
On Monday, Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., a contender for GOP leader in 2006, became the latest Republican to drop out. By contrast, the Democrats have a mere five open seats going into the fall election
(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...
This is because the RINO neo-cons never moved far enough from their Democrat roots. They were liberals with stock holdings, and voted accordingly, and put on some window dressing to appear marginally conservative.
The RNC (which may as well stand for RINO neo-cons) have opposed conservatives in Senate and House races, and presidential races since Reagan left the stage. If the Republican Party doesn't, and won't represent Constitutional conservatism, they are arguably no better than the Democrat Party, and need to be replaced. With what, we don't know yet.
I intend to vote for every conservative on the ticket in November which of course leaves McCain out. I will even work to get State, local and Federal candidates elected in my state, but I won’t pull the lever for McCain. Nor will I work for him, send money to him or support him in any other way. He won the nomination without conservatives and for the most part without republican support so he can call on his independent and Democrat friends for votes this fall.
He can call an illegal to replace my vote because I have no intention of voting for him regardless of who wins the Democrat nomination. I have lost my fear of the boogeyman and no amount of telling me what a BAD Republican I am will phase me either since I an no longer a Republican, good or bad, as of yesterday.
Right guy- wrong body part.
I wish I had the time to go back and look at stuff from election night 2004 and the following week, when I was getting flamed for suggesting that the voters weren’t all out there clamoring for a 1,000-year rule of Republicans. The hole that was dug by the unilateralist/neocon coalition is going to be tough to crawl out of, but we have to fight to do it if we want a decent democratic republic in our future.
“Last I checked... all 435 House seats go up for grabs this fall, and every two years”
A technicality when incumbents enjoy a 98% reelection rate. “Up for grabs” means an open seat in a swing district.
Yes, you are correct. And no, I'm not paranoid because I really couldn't care any less.
Everyone keeps forgetting that if there are more conservatives in the House and Senate, even if McCain WANTS amnesty, he won't get it because they won't vote for it!
Then I hope you're also looking forward to Clinton 2.0.
If the GOP is clueless, then maybe we each need to send a postcard to them and tell them WHY folks didn’t bother to turn out for the primaries; because the primary system is so messed up we can’t even count on it being only Republicans to choose our nominee.
McCain thinks we NEED a permanent Democrat super-majority. The Republican leadership thinks we NEED a permanent Democrat super-majority.
Clinton 2 or McCain or Obama will all give us Amnesty and a permanent Democrat governing majority. If McCain wins and gets Amnesty he will be the last Republican President alongside the last House of Representatives with more than maybe 10% Republican membership. Senate representation will decline more slowly because some are there for 2 more years, some 4, some 6.
This is exactly the point I was trying to make.
Obama said last night that he’s going to end the war—by pulling out our troops. C’mon people, is this where we’re headed?
Bookmark.
Agreed. I despise McCain, but will work for the republican candidates lower on the ticket.
We cannot win the Presidency, so Congress is essential!
No the biggest problem the republican party has is its total abandonment of conservative principles, and this moron, not seeing that, just shows who bad the problem is.
and as far as your comment goes
If we do not get the majority back, we will not see it for decades to come
Who the hell is the "we" you're talking about. The republicans sure as hell don't represent me any more than the democrats do. Jorje Bush and Juan McCain stand for pretty much the same things the Hillay and Obama do so why should I or any other real conservative give a f..k. The very slighly lesser of two evils is still evil.
Obama said last night that he’s going to end the war—by pulling out our troops. C’mon people, is this where we’re headed?
Isn’t that what the polls say the people want?
It’s checkmate I’m afraid.
One of our problems is that most of us hate government and, as P J. O’Rourke said, the last one left awake gets to spend the money.
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