Posted on 07/21/2007 2:23:18 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The GOP leadership is waking up to a persistent reality, and it's one that has fundraisers and strategists at the RNC up at night. Conservatives, the core constituency of the Republican Party, are irate. Far from a passing hobbyhorse, the illegal immigration issue has galvanized Republican voters like no single issue in recent memory, and conservatives are refusing to let it go.
The Senate's comprehensive immigration bill, backed by the President and pushed by the GOP establishment, was more than a mere legislative miscalculation, is was the straw that broke the conservatives' back. Moreover, to listen to conservatives, it wasn't merely the legislation itself, but the strategy used by those trying to sell the bill. Conservatives are hopping mad at what they regard as unparalleled arrogance on the part of their Party's own leadership--arrogance that has rank and file Republicans digging in their heels, and vowing to go all the way in their efforts to defeat anyone associated with the bill.
With an election year approaching, the GOP is anxious to patch things up and move on. As in the past, the Republican establishment knows that come what may, when Hillary Clinton steps onto the stage, even conservatives outraged by the comprehensive immigration strategy will come running home. But as they are discovering, moving on may not be as easy as before. "Not this time" say many conservatives, who regard the immigration deal as merely the final insult from a party that has lost its way, and who vow to sit out the 2008 elections rather than compromise on their values.
"Money talks" and many conservatives feel that despite relying overwhelmingly on small money contributions, the Party caters only to big business interests in its policy. As a result, many conservatives are holding back their small contributions, and a grassroots effort to starve the GOP leadership into enforcing the borders has begun.
A favorite tool for angry Republicans is the so called "Bush Peso," that longtime GOP contributors are printing out on their home printers and enclosing in all Party solicitations. It is evidence of a new attitude among many conservatives--give us genuine conservatism, or else.
And slowly but surely, the message is getting through.
The collapse of John McCain's campaign is the most visible sign of conservatives walking away from GOP leaders associated with the comprehensive immigration strategy, but as Senate Republicans gear up for an election year, many are worried about their own reelection prospects.
Conservatives, it seems, are taking names and reminding their Party that they will not allow this issue to die. Rather than contribute to the Party's machinery--the RNC, NRCC, or NRSC--contributors are taking the time to investigate how their Senator voted, or whether their Congressional Representative voiced support for the legislation, and they're contributing accordingly.
Indeed, some analysts have suggested that 2008 could be a banner year for primary challenges to sitting GOP lawmakers. From South Carolina to Nebraska to Alaska, longtime GOP Senators are closely watching the groundswell of support for new conservative leadership.
In the midst of a campaign season in which there is no sitting Republican Vice President, or heir apparent, and an angry base clamoring for government accountability, the stage is set for a conservative revolt...and if you're a pro-amnesty incumbent, beware, your days in office may indeed be numbered.
cool, I’m famous now!
I borrowed that from you a year or so ago. Events just keep proving how spot on that comment was and is.
Dump/defeat the RINOs!!
__________________________________________
BTT
Agree. We don’t need a Fifth Column within the conservative movement. No more Quisling/RINO/Rockefeller Republicans.
Self Deportation of Illegal Aliens
Reset the minimum wage for employees that employers DO NOT validate against the federal register.
1. Have states set a minimum daily wage of $200 per day for each and every employee that is unverified against the federal register.
2. Make the employer liable for all applicable social security, federal and state income taxes, workman’s compensation, health insurance, 401(k) and any other withholding or matching funds available to verified employees at the reset minimum wage.
3. Make the reset minimum wage eligible for class action claims against the employer for any and all employees not legally validated.
4. Enable workers to use cell phone video for evidentiary purposes against employers.
5. Sit back and watch the great sucking sound of illegals self deporting themselves back across the border.
According to Rushbo, the two parties are NOT the same.
lol I’m a prophet AND famous.
And humble too. Proud to be humble.
Right. The Dems will drive us over a cliff at 100 mph, and the GOP will push us over it in a shopping cart.
“The national GOP fundraising machine has stopped wasting their postage on me.”
They have stopped wasting it on me too! After about four donation requests sent back with my note that I am only supporting conservatives, not RINOS, I have not received any more! No more calls either!:)
They just THINK “we’ll go running home!” The GOP left us long before we left them. McCain is just the first of many RINOS to feel the heat.
THAT is TOTAL arrogance on their part. They're going to get a big shock come election time. I'm sure NOT going to forget, and even though both of my Senators voted against it, they put us through hell twice on the way to that victory, and it was NOT won easily.
Domenici the RINO made a dash back home to NM to try to smooth things over, but it's NOT going to work. He has to run in 08, so I'm sure he's plenty worried. He's a career politician who needs to retire, or be booted out of office. NO MORE STINKING RINOS!!! I'm going to use my money wisely by contributing to the PRIMARY campaigns of conservatives that I want to beat RINOS. I don't care what state they are from either.
Bump to find later..thanks for the post.
Boy, these people are cutting edge. Nothing gets by them.
I disagree, people escaping religious and political persecution should have priority for entrance.
That's not my highest priority, but I do support giving that consideration greater weight than many other factors, such as geographical proximity to the US. However, the relative weights of the various factors to be considered is a negotiable point. What's not negotiable is a de facto formula that results in half of all immigrants coming from a small list of neighboring countries, most of whom need substantial social services and are not objects of persecution in their home countries.
Mel Martinez was appointed to head the RNC by President Bush himself.
Hmmmmm....
I’ve seen that picture somewhere before...
Why, yes you are. Because, as you'll be informed by the Pubbie faithful, it's SO much better for a politician to do all those things you just listed as long as there's an (R) next to their name. That makes all the difference in the world!
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