Posted on 05/13/2009 9:24:20 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
This weeks endorsement of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist by senior Senate Republicans is being cheered by GOP senators as a move toward the middle.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) endorsed Crist over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a protégé of former Gov. Jeb Bush and a more conservative candidate.
The decision by McConnell and Cornyn was the first such choice since last months defection of Arlen Specter to the Senates Democratic conference. Moderate GOP senators like Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine used that opportunity to publicly warn the party to be more inclusive towards centrist voices like Crist.
Collins on Wednesday praised the choice of Crist as proof that party leaders were paying attention.
I think its a great sign that the party took a pragmatic approach, recognizing that hes going to be the strongest candidate, she said.
. . . . .
Should Crist win, he is likely to be an independent member of the party in the mold of Collins or Snowe. But Cornyn and others said it is more important to win enough seats so that they have 40 votes to block the Democratic agenda.
Its more a recognition of the popularity and support that Charlie Crist has, said John McCain (Ariz.), the 2008 GOP presidential nominee who considered Crist as his running mate. Hes a guy who really has broad support all over the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
How long before he supports a massive federal wasting bill, conservatives yell at him, and he switches parties?
37 years old, past Speaker of the state legislature, Cuban American, weak on immigration, great on all else.
RINO’s need to go ASAP! It’s up to the base to tell them they’re through. How do we get that message across to these disgusting hypocrites??
“Should Crist win, he is likely to be an independent member of the party in the mold of Collins or Snowe. But Cornyn and others said it is more important to win enough seats so that they have 40 votes to block the Democratic agenda.”
That doesn’t make any sense at all, if you can’t be sure of their vote, what’s the point of having them elected.
DAMMIT YOU PEOPLE..WISEN UP! There is NO SUCH THING as RINOs....this IS the republican party now....PERIOD. Either we boot them out starting next year or we start a new party. End of the story. It’s gotten too damn easy to just pass someone off as a “rino” ....this IS the party....
If he's weak on immigration then he can't be that good. Maybe better than Crist but that's not saying much. The horrible legal and illegal immigration policy in this country is arguably the biggest danger facing it's survival.
The GOP moved WAY to the middle in this past POTUS election - and see what it got us... a loser.
The Republicans were the strongest when they have been the most conservative...especially fiscally conservative.
When the Repubs started acting more like liberals - what happened? They started losing. Now we have a super-majority Democrat controlled Senate and a sizeable Dem majority in the House.
Good strategy, GOP...
PUKE>...
FU GOP
Or his amnesty cheerleading ‘incident’
Their idea of centrism is my idea of the most leftist half of the Democrat Party.
I say let them lead as this type of Centrist. And let them do it from within the Democrat Party.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
As I said on this subject earlier, if you have to choose between 90% agreement (Rubio), 40% (Crist), or 10% (Dem) it makes since to go with the 90%, especially since 100% agreement is impossible for all of us, since we don’t agree with each other 100%.
The problem isn’t 40-90% agreement ... it’s what is the 10-60% disagreement?
When you can’t be certain about how a RINO is going to vote - you might just as well have a Dimo in the seat. You can be absolutely certain how they will vote.
I wouldn’t consider voting for somebody I agree with only 40% of the time. I have never found a candidate I agree with more than 90% of the time, and that includes President Reagan and Senators Goldwater and (James) Buckley.
News Flash: Don’t line up behind Snow, Collins, SpectRE and Crist....or we’ll KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE ;-) “
Same goes for here. Don’t be surprised at the number of FReepers who WILL stand up behind Crist, Bush, Cornyn, and the like...the “bushbots” are still here, though they may remain “in the shadows”...they’ll reappear about the time they, again, plan to shove down our throats the only “electable” RHINO who THEY deem can beat Obama. Those who object will be accused of being “one issue voters” or accused of supporting the opposition.
How quickly some have forgotten that we got into this mess when GWB refused to shut up about “comprehensive immigration reform” in a critical election year, and we lost BOTH the house and senate. If they choose to FORCE on us another pro-amnesty candidate like McCain, Thompson, Palin, the party will REMAIN divided.
That said...know that now you officially meet a bonifide Bush-bot that agrees with you on what the future should be all about, but disagrees with 3/4 of what you said about GWB. Immigration, Prescription Drugs and the "compassionate" part of the C Conservatism were not only a mess in his admin - I would go so far as to say I felt totally betrayed and was appauled at the lack of compassion or respect he gave to those who voted for him and Americans who cared; however in the decency, character, and National Security depts - he will remain in my mind as one of the best Presidents we ever had. Heart and soul, he is a good man - you cannot convince me otherwise. Again, I would say that his stance on Immigration actually had a silver lining...that continues to grow with this train wreck of a President we have now....Conservatives are active again...off their butts and active. You cannot put a pricetag on how valuable this is. Shuting down Congressional phone lines and these TEA parties would never have happened until WE got fed up...and - look at the second great gift from all of this (I'm a Conservative and naturally positive) we got Republicans, Independents, and Dims together at these TEA parties (hubby and I had a BLAST being around other TRUE Patriots) we were united!
I ask that you join me, and so many others to help "the right thing" surface in America. I hope that many will see the light and know that BHO is the most horrible of the horrible and his "leadership" has brought out the freak show of the century...taking America down a path to Dictatorship and Tyranny, and Conservatism is the only pathway out.
Oh...and one more thing....THE PAST IS THE PAST. Let’s join together and work toward a better future. The outcome is in our hands. America needs us to work together to help her future now...not blame others about the past.
Just what in the Hell are Republicans on a national level doing playing favorites in a state primary? What an insult to the intelligence of Florida voters! The paternalism these people display makes me want to puke.
I wouldn't like this even if they had backed the right candidate (which they didn't) on the principal that the people in the state should be allowed to make their own choices. They made noises about doing this in Pennsylvania by supporting Ridge. They did do this in Rhode Island a few elections ago by supporting Chafee. This just reinforces the case that most of us make about donating directly to the Conservative candidate you like....otherwise, the National party will continue to load us up with liberals.
And oh, by the way, what are they going to do when Crist gets outed in the fag movie "Outrage" when it comes out???
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