Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 09/16/2010 7:49:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
So be it. Jedi.
“They say she can’t win and that by supporting her, I’ve helped lose the seat for Republicans,” DeMint said. “Well, I’ve been in the majority with Republicans who didn’t have principles, and we embarrassed ourselves and lost credibility in front of the country. Frankly, I’m at a point where I’d rather lose fighting for the right cause than win fighting for the wrong cause.”… “National Republicans are not going to invest real money in this race and her primary opponent, Rep. Mike Castle, is refusing to endorse her,” DeMint wrote to supporters of his political action committee, the Senate Conservatives Fund.
“The dirty little secret in Washington is that the establishment is quietly rooting for Christine to lose so they can continue to peddle their discredited line that conservatives cannot win.”…
Republicans say DeMint is giving himself too much credit for O’Donnell’s victory, given that he only threw his support behind her 72 hours before voters went to the polls and after she surged from enthusiasm from tea party activists.
“Anyone who writes down that he had a significant impact in that election is smoking crack,” one senior Republican aide said.
Much more at the link above, including a reminder that DeMint himself was preaching the gospel of unity in the name of victory literally yesterday. To be fair, this is hardly a case of him picking a fight; GOP Beltway types of all stripes, from senators to aides on down, snipe at him regularly (and usually anonymously) for pushing principle to the point where, they believe, it detracts from electability. O’Donnell’s win was the paramount example of that, which is why this is all coming to a head. His point about people rooting for O’Donnell to lose because they believe conservatives can’t win is cheap, though, notwithstanding the fact that it’ll be greeted rapturously by “true conservatives” ever eager to believe the worst about their enemies (and RINOs are the enemy this week). Of course conservatives can win. They’ve been winning for years, and in a cycle as disgusted with Democrats as this one is, they can win even in bluish states. The question isn’t whether conservatives can win, it’s whether they can win at all times, in all places, irrespective of the quality of their candidate. Most “true conservatives” think they can, which is why if O’Donnell loses in Delaware or Angle in Nevada, etc, it is and can only be (a) the fault of the damned RINOs, just like everything else in the world, and/or (b) because America’s not quite ready yet to elect 60 Rubios. Supposedly we’ll get there — eventually. I’m wondering, though, what Palin thinks about that because here’s what she said just a few weeks ago about Scott Brown:
Palin, in an interview on Fox Business Network, was asked whether the Massachusetts Republican was “on notice” for siding with Democrats on several key votes. “Well, you know, take the consideration, though, that that’s Massachusetts,” Palin said. “Perhaps they’re not going to look for such a hard-core constitutional conservative there, and they’re going to put up with Scott Brown and some of the antics there.”
Yeah, perhaps not. In which case, what do we do now? Support a centrist like Brown or keep nominating Jim DeMint types until the People’s Republic of Massachusetts finally sees the light? If the answer is the latter, then riddle me this: How come Sarahcuda supported centrist Carly Fiorina instead of Chuck DeVore in the deep blue state of California?
Here’s video of DeMint on Fox yesterday emphasizing that he doesn’t want a Republican majority if it doesn’t stand for anything. I agree — but define “anything.” If a majority of Republicans agree that Congress needs to repeal ObamaCare, balance the budget, and reform Social Security and Medicare, does that qualify as standing for something, or do we stand for “nothing” if we fail to agree with DeMint on everything? Maybe, as a friend suggested on Twitter, I’m reading too much into this and DeMint’s fundraising e-mail is really just a clever way of playing good cop/bad cop, beating up on the Beltway RINOs with their tacit approval in order to kick up a little extra money for O’Donnell in Delaware. Could be, but I take him seriously when he gives these lectures about principle. Scott Brown wondered at yesterday’s caucus meeting whether there’s any room for moderates to disagree on issues anymore; I’m sure that DeMint would say yes but I’m not sure why he would say yes except for the fact that, deep down, he worries that “true conservatives” in some states can’t win without RINO votes. (That’s probably the case for Rubio in purplish Florida, at least.) If you guys want the RINOs out because they’re holding conservatism back, they’re a cancer on the party, blah blah blah, that’s fine but be forthright about it. The sooner this shakes out, the better for everyone.
Update: DeMint’s office sends along this op-ed from last year in which he calls for a “big tent” in the GOP. Like I said above, I don’t doubt that when pressed he’ll say he welcomes moderates in the party. Any smart vote-seeking politician would say the same. But what does it mean in practice?
To win back the trust of the American people, we must be a “big tent” party. But big tents need strong poles, and the strongest pole of our party — the organizing principle and the crucial alternative to the Democrats — must be freedom. The federal government is too big, takes too much of our money, and makes too many of our decisions. If Republicans can’t agree on that, elections are the least of our problems…
Freedom will mean different things to different Republicans, but it can tether a diverse coalition to inalienable principles. Republicans can welcome a vigorous debate about legalized abortion or same-sex marriage; but we should be able to agree that social policies should be set through a democratic process, not by unelected judges. Our party benefits from national-security debates; but Republicans can start from the premise that the U.S. is an exceptional nation and force for good in history. We can argue about how to rein in the federal Leviathan; but we should agree that centralized government infringes on individual liberty and that problems are best solved by the people or the government closest to them.
Serious question: Does that last bit mean that Scott Brown, who voted for financial reform, and Paul Ryan, who voted for TARP, are out? Is Chris Christie out for supporting a path to citizenship for illegals? How many deviations from the principles laid out by DeMint here are tolerable? I’m not asking for infinite leeway — just read my posts about Charlie Crist or Arlen Specter — but are we now at the point of zero tolerance? Here’s a quote for you about TARP: “Every person who voted for it is going to have explain if not apologize for their vote on it.” That’s not from Jim DeMint, it’s from … Mike Huckabee. Is Mike Huckabee, of all people, now setting the litmus test?
read later
not sure, but he isn’t a very coherent writer. This article is all over the place.
I hope after the elections, Jim Demint starts naming names of these RINO senators with their long knives. They have stabbed him in the back, and DESERVE TO BE NAMED.
After all, we need some good RINO targets for 2012.
You can bet that The Tea Party Movement is already evaluating candidates for 2012. And with two years head start, we should be able to pick off a lot more.
De-Mint is at least a decent Republican... I say that because he had the ability to bring much of this up years ago before the county was in dire straits. If he had been more vocal before this, who knows what would have happened.
Things are unfolding before us that never before would had been deemed possible. The deficit is beyond our imagination and this government seems to think that spending more borrowed money is the answer. Thank goodness a few Republicans are waking up, but most seem oblivious to the problem.
That means that only the voters and citizens of this country can make a change. That is why the November elections are so important. If it does not happen now, it could very well be too late.
The only question is which do they hate the most and I vote for
RINOs
It's the reason the RNC has no credibility and cannot raise funds..it is infested with RINOs.
“Do or do not... there is no try.”
“[Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.”
“So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?”
This is pretty much a declaration of war by DeMint.
Pretty bold move.
If he's a Romneybot he'd better get on the train, Romeny endorsed O'Donnell yesterday.
Has a certain ring of authenticity about it. I am more firmly convinced than ever that the establishment RNC & Co.. are a whorehouse, indistinguishable from the DNC & Co. whorehouse across the street.
Mr. DeMint’s past support for that double-talking, mealy-mouthed King of Grecian Formula is what prevents a lot of us from getting behind him 100%.
If he would disavow any support for Romney, all of this would make me a very happy woman.
DeMint just told Greta that in 2012 he likes Mitt Romney, then Sarah Palin and he named Newt, third, so Romney-bot doesn’t apply to Senator DeMint.
Yes, it was...but was it also a good political move? I happen to think that he is both a believer and also a pragmatist. He sees the coming wave and is trying to take advantage. Not that it is always wrong...but be cautious.
Urgh... seems that I distrust all politicians these days...
DeMint just told Greta that in 2012 he likes Mitt Romney, then Sarah Palin and he named Newt, third, so Romney-bot doesn’t apply to Senator DeMint.
I got my ass handed to me several times last night on this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2590114/posts
Rebel Jim DeMint sparks GOP Senate civil war
For suggesting Sarah has been pulling the weight in this fight.
Not a bad plan. "Trustworthy politician" is an oxymoron.
The TPX is concerned with fiscal matters first. Defense second, and social once we get the fiscal straightened out.
FINALLY, that is what we have all wanted to hear for so long. FINALLY.
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