We here in Bucks County, Pa. saw our 1-term Republican Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick, a "squeaky clean" father of six, a man who prior to 2004 served 10 years as a conservative elected County Commissioner, a humble man who never cheated, spoke harshly, or uttered one word of derision against anyone -- and he lost on Tuesday by 1,400 votes. (approx. 125,500 to 124,100).
Michael Fitzpatrick supported President Bush's Iraq policy, with some caveats such as we need to develop a fresh policy to win, etc. (a stance most Iraq war supporters accepted, including myself)
Fitzpatrick also won accolades and endorsement from the Sierra Club for previously developing and funding a plan to purchase approx. 200,000 acres of farmland for Open Space.
He was resoundingly pro-Life, and a devout Catholic, and was beloved of Democrats and Republicans alike the past 10 years for his keen interest in creating parks and improving our 'environment'.
On Tuesday night, the volunteers at our local Republican campaign headquarters were calling and calling stacks and stacks of phone numbers of normally reliable Republicans, yet they would not come out to vote.
Why? I am certain it was not Michael Fitzpatrick.
I believe that the Republican dilemma is that most people know in their hearts that we MUST continue a shooting fight with Muslim extremists in Iraq or elsewhere, but they just cant stomach to see our fresh young American boys coming home maimed or dead.
Freedom exacts a heavy price. Unfortunately, an additional 10-percent of Americans on Tuesday loudly stated that they refuse to pay the price.
Both of your analyses are exactly right. As for Rush, well, he used to be right. Now he's just morphined himself into compliance to that degree that he's even fooling himslef. Is it fair to judge if he's clean, maybe not. But I heard his voice change seven years ago. I kept telling my husband, Rush doesn't sound right! It may be a different, prescribed drug, but to me, he still doesn't sound right and I can't listen to him. As for fresh American blood being sacrificed. Let me tell you what was a moving moment for me. I had occasion to go to the West Point Website and I saw an area dedicated to the allen. The pictures I saw there of young boys and girls whose lives were lost shook me. Lost so that a nation of crazies could continue a religious slaughter that was begun shortly after Mohammed died. All the while our borders were open.
I had a chilling thing happen the night before 9/11. A Palestinian waiter at a restuarant told me that terror would be on our streets before we knew it. Then, he spent much of his evening huddling, smirking and laughing with two apparently Ecuadoran busboys. At the time, I thought, that guy is making negative comments about my country to those guys and corrupting them. Next day: 9/11. How many homebread terrorists do we have? And we are sending our boys and girls over there? V's wife.