Saturday Night Beck (Bennett's Beefs with Beck's Bloviations)

National Review Online ^ | Sunday, February 21, 2010 | Bill Bennett

[TruthHound]

To say the GOP and the Democrats are no different, to say the GOP needs to hit a recovery-program-type bottom and hang its head in remorse, is to delay our own country’s recovery from the problems the Democratic left is inflicting. The stakes are too important to go through that kind of exercise, which will ultimately go nowhere anyway — because it’s already happened.

The first task of a serious political analyst is to see things as they are. There is a difference between morning and night. There is a difference between drunk and sober. And there is a difference between the Republican and Democratic parties. To ignore these differences, or propagate the myth that they don’t exist, is not only discouraging, it is dangerous.

[Reno232]

I think some of you are misunderstanding what Beck is trying to do. The fact is, the Pubbies did such an awful job w/ their stewardship when the had control, that they ended up losing control of Congress, & ultimately the White House as well.

The mood of Congress has certainly changed since Beck started his “crusade”. I think the Pubbies are doing better, not great, but better since then. I think Beck simply wants to keep the heat on lest they fall back into the error of their ways. Let’s face it, it’s not hard to imagine them doing so given their recent history.

Many of the guys that handed the power back to the Dem.’s are still there. I’m glad Beck is keeping their feet to the fire. Do you think the MSM will?

There is a wave of change sweeping the nation & we can’t afford to have that wave snuffed out by complacency. Beck, & Rush to some extent, are some of the only ones willing to put it all on the line to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Bottom line, whether you like Beck or not, people are talking & listening, & that’s a very, very good thing. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that. If nothing else comes of Beck’s crusade, the fact that he’s got people talking & listening, is quite remarkable & worth celebrating, whether one likes him or not.

[EverOnward]

So who are the chosen ones deemed worthy to speak about the Constitution? And who sets themselves up as the high-and-mighties (empowered by what authority) to appoint whoever they deem worthy to speak? Lord Bennett appears somewhat jealous of the attention he craves.

[philman_36]

How many professional “pundits” have gone from punditry to a career in politics?
Not many, not that it matters.

Isn’t it usually the opposite track?
Why, yes, it is. Isn't that curious in and of itself!

Pundits do not get elected...
They have to enter the arena to get elected and I don't see any of them stepping up to the plate!
...they can’t shake the talking head image.
And this is supposed to be a bad thing? Most talking heads have higher name recognition than most politicians.

[ohioWfan]

Both parts of that post were nonsensical based on what I posted.

Is that what you intended? To make no sense whatsoever?

btw, if you're saying "Bush is not in office any longer," why are so many BDS'ers still running around screaming about him requiring factual clarification of wrongheaded posts?

Also.......I hope you appreciate the ongoing legacy of President Bush in selecting Roberts and Alito, two strong conservative SCJ's.

Doesn't require walking on water, but it's a good thing to most conservatives. Not to you, preach?

[I see my hands]

I was referring to a different "he".. your post pal: sam.

[ohioWfan]

Aha...........oops.

Sorry for missing that, but I see what you mean. :)

[potlatch]

POTLATCH

[cycle of discernment]

You wrote:

“Then pray tell, what did the Republitards do to reign in the profligate spending when they controlled both houses?”

Did you not read what Bennett wrote?

He specifically addressed this and remakred that many GOP have ADMITTED they blew it. I’ve heard over and over myself. Why is there this resistance to give the devil his due?

Okay.

Now, do we just want bloody red meat or a real solution?

The point is, real work HAS been done by solid conservative republicans to refocus GOP efforts along conservative principles—they should be given credit, not devoured in some ‘yesterday’s news” mindless rage/temper tantrum.

I’m beginning Beck is chasing his tail in some overwrought zeal of to much celebrity, too bad— as his instincts and common sense, when not given over to maniacal self indulgence are dead on.

We do not cannibalize ourselves. It is STUPID.

Bennett is right.

[zeestephen]

ohio,

Re: Justice Samuel Alito

You seem to have forgotten that Bush's first choice was his center-left White House Counsel, Harriet Miers.

It took an outside-the-beltway grassroots Conservative rebellion, led by Rush Limbaugh and Michele Malkin, to put Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

[philman_36]

And I agree with Andrew Breitbart: the largest battlefield and place of impact is within the world of media, not simply winning an election or two.

Do you have the article where that is stated or perhaps the exact quote?

[samtheman]

ohioWfan.

This is what I originally said that drew a reaction from you:

We need a purging of the soul in the Republican ranks.

That is not the same thing as "purging the Republican Party of people like George W. Bush". Those are YOUR words, not mine.

I purposely used the words I used to highlight a TENDENCY, in many Republicans... most certainly in George W Bush... to make BIPARTISANSHIP a goal in and of itself.

It's that TENDENCY that MUST be purged... otherwise we're all no better than John McCain.

Do you not agree that the nomination of John McCain was a travesty? Do you not see the role George W Bush played in that nomination?

And when I say role, I mean so in a broad sense, not saying George W Bush actively campaigned for McCain in 2008.

But he may as well have. After years of wishy-washy policy... he set the stage for McCain.

And it was McCain who gave us Obama.

[grumpygresh]

I think Beck wants to be a 3rd party troll. Beck just cares about Beck. I’ll bet Beck would not be adverse to accepting some dough from Soros under the table. Soros knows how to divide and conquer.
I’m glad Levin is naming names. Bennett too. We don’t want a stupid third party because, we don’t want to live (or die!) under the one party Democrat tyranny.
When Levin starts naming names, others will follow.

[ohioWfan]

Actually, it took a failure of Miers to get through the Senate interviews.

A lot of people took credit for that, but she just didn't do well.

And Alito was nominated by President Bush very quickly afterward, and, in case you've forgotten, is now on the Supreme Court.

I haven't forgotten anything. Roberts and Alito are on the SC because of President Bush.

[mulligan]

Agree, Beck is right about the spineless Republican’s. But this financial ‘armageddon’ has been going on for years. Can't be sure, but the huge defeat of Goldwater in 1964, in my opinion, eliminated any future real and basic conservative platform agenda's to the trash basket. From then on, just do what the Democrat's do, but slower and smaller. The Party lost it's way. Blame Bush if you like, he made many poor choices, but he loved America, did all he could to protect us and was not intentionally trying to destroy our Nation. There is an excellent article by Charlie Reese, 545 vs. 300,000,000. If you have not read, you should. It took both Parties to get us into this current financial holocaust. And Beck is trying in his way, good or bad, to tell someone, some group or some Party (hopefully the Republican’s) to stand up, admit government failures and begin to act intelligently, financially sound, Constitutionally wise and with the Nation's health and well-being first and foremost and political ambition a distant second.

[peeps36]

Bennet shows he's clueless when he refers to Mccain as a positive force in the republican party. The GOP has too many posers like Mccain, Graham and Snowe. What kind of republican supports cap and trade or open borders? There's a lot of dead wood that has to be thrown out of the republican party.

[streetpreacher]

I agree with you about Roberts and Alito. Thank God that we got better than we deserved didn’t we?

But there’s no doubt that Bush’s fiscal policies helped to get us to where we are today. That’s where my main gripe with him is/was (along with the border and amnesty).

In terms of social policy and the courts though, we probably couldn’t have done better... and we dodged a bullet. We could have nominated Johnny Mac in 2000, a year he could have won... shudder...

I’m just ready to move forward with TRUE conservative change and not a default return to the government-lite status quo. Obama has provided us a wonderful opportunity that we shouldn’t squander.

[WOBBLY BOB]

Bennett is Newt with a better marriage vow.

[ohioWfan]

I see the nomination of McCain as a travesty, and I see it as the result of the media that McCain courted and stupidly thought would stick with him against a Dem. He was a media darling who became a goat. We all knew he would. He stupidly didn't.

There were also many Dem crossovers in the primaries that helped McCain along.

And when he was nominated, he campaigned harder against Bush than he did against Obama. He countered Bush at every turn when he was in the Senate. He took credit for Bush's successful surge.

He was as much anti-Bush as Obama was, so blaming Bush for his loss, frankly, makes no sense.

btw, saying we need a "purging of the soul in the Republican ranks," followed by George W. Bush, is even worse than the way I worded it.

It was both a misleading and confusing statement, with no implication of bi-partisanship whatsoever. The implication was that George W. Bush damaged the soul of the Republican party. And he didn't.

[streetpreacher]

I just watched a video of him yesterday; that’s why it was fresh in my mind. I will try to scan my history later to find it.

Actually, if you google, it’s the video where he tells the NY Times reporter that she is a despicable human being.

[samtheman]

FrdmLvr, If the day comes that Beck openly calls for people to vote 3rd party, then I will openly criticize him.

Until that day comes I say this: he’s doing a good job introducing conservatism to many who would otherwise just not get it at all.

And Bennett and Levin should cut him some slack. Especially Bennett, who’s pretty much an intellectual lightweight.