Posted on 11/09/2006 7:48:23 AM PST by SmithL
Washington -- Republicans woke Wednesday to a coast-to-coast wreckage in the midterm congressional elections that many acknowledged was of their own making.
Tuesday's political earthquake -- destroying Republican majorities that took decades to build -- slammed the door on the Bush era and opened the door to recrimination, regrouping and a rethinking of the party's governing philosophy.
"I can tell you none of us wants to spend a minute longer in the minority than we have to, but I think we recognize that this is not a loss where you can just repackage the same agenda and move ahead," said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who coasted to re-election by campaigning against "earmarked" spending for lawmakers' pet projects and for comprehensive immigration reform. "We need a major course correction, and some of us have been making that argument for quite a while."
Just what that course correction will be -- a return to the party's small-government roots, a new centrism or something else -- will take shape as surviving Republicans choose new leaders, decide how to work with the new Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate and take sides in what will be a wide-open contest for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination to succeed President Bush.
The loss of the House was expected, but the loss of the Senate came as a hard shock to the party. The consequences are devastating to the survivors, who with their majorities also lose the chairmanship of every policymaking committee -- the power centers on Capitol Hill.
The post-rout housecleaning started first thing Wednesday.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert announced that he would step down, while back-bench fiscal conservatives led by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., began plotting a takeover.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Here is the crux of the problem. We've got guys that have no core convictions, they just try to guess what will get them elected.
The GOP must get back to its conserivitive roots bigtime.
Mitt Romney in 2008.
Interesting comment by Flake---"small government," si. "Comprehensive immigration reform=amnesty," no. This is the GOP's problem. It needs to figure out if it indeed represents Americans or immigrants first. There is a necessary place for LEGAL immigrants, but Flake's not getting athe message, and having Graf and Hayworth lose doesn't help send it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Agreed, but I wonder if that's even possible. Has the Reagan Revolution become just a fond memory?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
This should work, but someone like Hagel will probably spoil any attempt!
"Mitt Romney in 2008."
Yup, another triangulator is just what we need.
I agree that there are only a handfull in the GOP with core conservative convictions...but I am not sure that this is the ONLY cause of the rout.
Has ANYONE mention the price of gasoline having an effect?...there are millions of people out there who pay little attention until their cable rates go up, or gas prices spike....How can we explain the fact that EVERY state that put forth an ammendment defining marriage as man and woman saw that ammendment approved by 60% or more, yet they voted for senators and congressmen who belong to the party that supports gay marriage? The two do not compute.
I saw this in South Carolina once....a dem ran for governor promising the lottery...people who don't know a dem from a republican voted the idiot into office...once they had the lottery...they didn't vote the next time...he lost his re-election...
I could be wrong, but I think there were millions of votes due to gas prices...they blame whoever is in office.
you want McInsane or Rudy instead?
Like readin', rittin', and rithmetic. :-)
One way I see it is that Dean, Pelosi and Reid sold their souls to get this election win, by bringing in more centrist, even conservative candidates. They might have planted the seeds that ultimately result in their own doom within the party. And that would be a great result. This country is much better off if truly the Democratic Party can move back towards the center, where they were before the moonbats took over the party in the early 70s.
Gas prices? They're low now. I think if anything can be generalized it was impatience with the war.
Good start. What about Iraq and the War on terror? What about Social Security? What about Health care? What about the cost of education? YOU many not care but people voting will care.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
The planks I laid down are definite ideas, not questions. If you have answers to your questions, please lay down more planks.
New law to end earmarking bills - must be made into a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT...........or it won't work......
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