Posted on 03/04/2010 11:59:35 PM PST by iowamark
Sen. Jim Bunning cut a deal with Democrats to release the hold he had blocking a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits and subsidized COBRA health insurance. But the impact of his stand against more deficit spending will hang over Washington for some time. When he said on the floor Tuesday night that, "If we cannot pay for a bill that all 100 senators support, how can we tell the American people with a straight face that we will ever pay for anything? That is what senators say they want, and that is what the American people want."
The Inside the Beltway media will insist that Bunning was throwing sand in the gears of Republican political momentum, but I don't think that American people saw it that way. To most Americans concerned about our country's future, this latest "deal" makes the rest of Bunning's Republican colleagues appear all the more politically cautious for not backing him up.
My guess is that some of those Republicans up on Capitol Hill flashed back to the beating that Newt Gingrich and the Republicans took for shutting down Washington back in the mid-1990s budget battle. They were focused -- as they all too often are -- on Washington's echo and perception chambers. In this case, that was a mistake.
All you have to do is spend a little bit of time outside of the Beltway mentality -- read state-based or local blogs and the comments on some of the larger national blogs, listen to talk radio, talk to moms in the carpool line -- and you realize that Bunning's stand was not the wild-haired maneuvering some folks in Washington made it out to be. igns.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
I’m starting to sense that Jeri may just jump into the political fray as a candidate rather than a pundit.
I think she is just being a pundit, but she is a good pundit. I really don’t think she wants to be president. I also don’t think Fred Thompson really wants to make a run. Many of the Fred Heads are pulling for Sarah now, and I don’t think the Thompsons object to that too much. I supported Fred last time but he had his day and now it is Palin’s
I didn’t say president, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her run for congress at some point. It may be years, as she still has very young children.
I could see her making a successful run for congress. Good Idea.
Actually, You should get her on the horn and make that suggestion. She may never have thought of making a congressional run. I would contribute to her run.
After Fred’s tragic endorsement of McPain, Jeri seems to be the better half of that marriage by far. I’d vote for her over most establishment Republicans, those fine politicians otherwise known as proud members of the McCainiac Fan Club.
Any official reason why Jeri quit the radio program w/hubby?
Sean asked Jim how many Conseravatives would it take to win back the Senate and he answered 30.
Well, 30 new conservatives would help to offset the entrenched RINOs already there.
There are much worse things in this world than McPain. I was a Fred Head and I was not going to vote after his concession, but as I though about Obama I decided that I had no choice. McCain’s choice of Palin made my choice easy. I am going to continue supporting Palin through thick and thin. I believe that she has the enlightenment of the nation at heart (she could bring us out of Obama’s dark-age).
You truly sound like a Sarah-bot. I’ll give you that. Personally? I’m not into idol-worship.
As for McCain, he’s busy pulling out all the stops in an internecine war between grass roots conservatives and party centrists. Sarah, for whatever reason, is backing the wrong side.
Now you can claim Sarah is only doing it out of loyalty or to keep a promise, but the fact remains. She could very well help put McCain over the top.
This could be the most difficult primary in McCain’s career, but he’s got millions to spend (left over from his halfhearted presidential bid) and the backing of party insiders. What do you think he’ll do if he wins?
This is probably his last re-election attempt. If he wins, he’ll have nothing left to lose—no more reason to hold back on conservatives. The true McCain will come out as we’ve never seen before. It won’t be pretty, but there won’t be a damned thing you, I or anyone else can do about it!
I think most FReepers understand the risk here. A Republican majority led by the likes of McCain will probably achieve most of what the Democrats are struggling to pass even now. Political deadlock will be over, bipartisanship will reign, and Sarah Palin and anyone else who helps bring THAT about deserve all the scorn I can dish out.
But there are signs some Republicans get it. Later today, Sen. Scott Brown will introduce an amendment that will return about $80 billion in unspent and uncommitted stimulus dollars to taxpayers via a lowered payroll tax.
No! Use that $80 billion to reduce our debt by $80 billion! How frickin' hard is that to understand? Our debt needs to be paid off, and every billion helps.
I disagree with you, other than on the Sarah-bot bit. I think McCain will do the right thing if he is re-elected. I am happy with his performance on the Obamacare issue. My main concern with the Arizona primary is the effect that it will have on the general election. I think Hayworth started out okay, but I think he is starting to allow his ego to get in the way, and it is looking like he is willing to scuttle the election just to see McCain lose. I am not saying McCain is any better in that regard, but he is the incumbent so it is a little more understandable that McCain would be willing to go to the trenches in the primary. I am not being inconsistent on this issue either; I responded to one of McCain’s fund raising emails by e-mailing that I didn’t approve of McCain’s negative campaigning. I also wrote that McCain should consider retiring from the Senate and consider a cabinet position in the Palin Administration. I am reserving my opinion of Hayworth until I see how he handles his defeat, or victory in Arizona.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.