Meg Whitman and the GOP's emerging austerity caucus

Seattle Times ^ | October 1, 2010 | David Brooks

[calcowgirl]

(snip)

Whitman is representative of an emerging Republican type — what you might call the austerity caucus. Flamboyant performers like Sarah Palin get all the attention, but the governing soul of the party is to be found in statehouses where a loose confederation of uber-wonks have become militant budget balancers. Just as welfare reformers of the 1990s presaged compassionate conservatism, so the austerity brigades presage the national party's next chapter.

Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana who I think is most likely to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, is the spiritual leader. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is the rising star. Jeb Bush is the eminence. Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Rob Portman, a Senate candidate in Ohio, also fit the mold.

These are people who can happily spend hours in the budget weeds looking for efficiencies. They're being assisted by budget experts from the Hoover Institution, the Manhattan Institute and freelancers like Bob Grady, who did budgeting in George H.W. Bush's administration. Members of the caucus have a similar sense of the role history has assigned them. "This state had a party for 10 years and I'm the guy who got called in to clean up the mess," Christie says.

Christie is the Hot New Thing in the group . . .

[SoConPubbie]

Which is best? I don’t know, although there are well-meaning Freepers who are firmly convinced of their respective positions...all of whom sufficiently make their case that it’s hard to determine a clear-cut winner of the debate.

As for me, I can't vote for someone who thinks Abortion is a good thing. Add in the fact that her positions are constantly changing and she supports the Global Warming Scam and is an open-borders fraud and you have someone who is completely wrong for the job of leadership.

Furthermore, add in the fact as established by history, that a left-leaning Republican(as she is), always leaves the GOP party in worse shape than they found it, and it makes no sense then to support such a candidate, none at all.

You are right in your assessment, RINO candidates such as Meg Whitman just lead us down the path of socialism at a slightly slower rate.

Finally, California is going to implode. I'd rather not have a Republican (even if she is marginally a Republican) at the helm when the ship sinks.

The Democrats got us in the condition we are in, they need to take the blame for the inevitable destruction of California.

I want the GOP to be there to clean up the mess post-collaspe.

[GeronL]

People should protect themselves by NOT rubbing up against Democrats. Especially since they might take that as rutting.

[I am Richard Brandon]

We need California to be split into at least two States. Currently it is too big to fail and every District is gerrymandered in the incumbant’s favor. So let’s gerrymander the new North California into a Dem State and let the new South and East California go Pubbie. That way the (put your own insult here) voters in the northern San Fran/Sacramento axis will have to pay for their policies. Let’s see how long they last.

[Magic Fingers]

Do you think SoCal would go Republican in that hypothetical split?

[calcowgirl]

It’s no wonder that Uber-RINO like David Brooks would be pushing this type of prattle.

Yep -- you can always count on him for that!

[I am Richard Brandon]

Depends if LA is in or out, and also I was careful to include east with south - then “Yes.”

[calcowgirl]

Jerry Brown created the mess thirty years ago by setting up the massive SEIU staffers, Radical Environmental wackos, Pot smoking lobbyists, redirecting the road system monies to cover the union pensions, massive tax increases , and massive state regulations that drove business out of the state.

You forgot "preys on children and kills small animals."

What? You just made those things up? Yep -- Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger hold the record for increasing taxes beyond all others.

However -- this article was not about the election in California or Jerry Brown. It was about the future outlook of the GOP with the liberal Brooks saying that Meg & Jeb are the type that will dominate the party in the future. I don't know that Brooks has ever been right about much as he probably said the same thing about Dick Riordan (does he even still call himself a Republican?).

[calcowgirl]

How did McCain not make that list?

;-)

And don’t forget to add Meg’s support for a guestworker program for housekeepers.

[FreeReign]

And don’t forget to add Meg’s support for a guestworker program for housekeepers.

Is that you Gloria Alred?

[calcowgirl]

You have a problem with discussing some of the outlandish positions of our candidate?

What part of telling the truth do you have a problem with?

[FreeReign]

Is that you Gloria Alred?

You have a problem with discussing some of the outlandish positions of our candidate? What part of telling the truth do you have a problem with?

Candidate Whitman claims she thought the housekeeper was legal.

So Whitman's position apparently is that people with a legal status can be hired. That's as conventional a position as one can get. Yet you think it's an outlandish(lol) position.

That's the truth. What part of it are you having trouble with?

[calcowgirl]

So, you would favor a guest worker program for nannies and housekeepers? How about gardeners?

I would find the above outlandish.

Apparently you and Meg do not. So be it.

[FreeReign]

Candidate Whitman claims she thought the housekeeper was legal. So Whitman's position apparently is that people with a legal status can be hired. That's as conventional a position as one can get. Yet you think it's an outlandish(lol) position.

So, you would favor a guest worker program for nannies and housekeepers? How about gardeners? I would find the above outlandish. Apparently you and Meg do not. So be it.

You twist the truth.

Whitman thought the housekeeper was legal. Obviously, somebody who hires a person who they think is legal, is taking a common position and NOT an outlandish psosition.

And btw, you don't tell the truth about what I'm for either. I'm for stricter immigration quotas. And there is NOTHING that I said that would suggest otherwise.

So why do you have a truth-telling problem?

[calcowgirl]

Meg said that (one of) the solutions for the immigration problem is a guest worker program
so “someone like Nicky can actually work here.”

I don’t think that we should be importing guestworkers (slaves) “like Nicky” who have no skills
and work as domestic help.

There are plenty of unskilled people out of work to take ($23/hr) jobs.

Since you jumped on the thread attacking me for my post about Meg’s position, I could only assume that you agreed with her.

[ncalburt]

Calcow or Calwhatever is a TROLL .Check out her response to me defending Moonbeam Brown and trying to rewrite history about Pete Wilson !

She took my earlier post : ""“”Jerry Brown created the mess thirty years ago by setting up the massive SEIU staffers, Radical Environmental wackos, Pot smoking lobbyists, redirecting the road system monies to cover the union pensions, massive tax increases , and massive state regulations that drove business out of the state""""

Her reply was "You forgot “preys on children and kills small animals."" What? You just made those things up? Yep — Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger hold the record for increasing taxes beyond all others.""

Yes, the so called conservative poster was real upset that I listed off Brown real history and she was defending JERRY BROWN , the radical leftist SEIU troll while she trashes the GOP candidates . Granted , Arnold is No Repub but not a tax raiser!

A few weeks ago she was posting that Rick Scott was a RHINO and Don't vote for him blah blah,,,,
You know Rick Scott who took on Hillary over Hillarycare and Obama over Obamacare.
Yes, she was ranting he was a RHINO.

Don't trust a single word posted by her or him.

[calcowgirl]

Once again — the thread is NOT about Jerry Brown.

Correcting your BS is not “defending” Brown.

Study some California history, Please!

[ncalburt]

Your DEFENDING radical SEIU / Cal Nurses UNION/ ACORN Jerry Brown said it all .

You can't undo your posts and your non stop trolling for Brown or Stink in FL or who ever.

I think you outed YOURSELF was a cleansing moment for all of us here !

[calcowgirl]

I have never defended unions or Acorn or Jerry Brown.
But when you post inaccurate garbage, I will correct it.

Please STOP posting lies and cut the namecalling

[ncalburt]

First , Your posts are full of misinformation.
Your running around trashing Repubs and You got upset when I listed off Moonbeams disastrous regime in the 1970’s and actually tossed out some misinformation about Peter Wilson and Arnold being bigger tax increasers than JERRY “Prop 13 “ BROWN .
Second, you were upset that I put a stop to one of your numerous “ lets trash MEG sessions “ which I believe is your agenda to help out Jerry Brown.

And you proved my point with your one of your usual snide attacks on me.

You have some nerve preaching to me about not knowing Cal history.

Prop 13 was VOTED IN 1978 to put a stop to Gov Jerry Brown's non stop Tax increases.

Jerry Brown life's goal is to reverse Prop 13 !

Now you actually contacted an FR moderator after I did what you do here which is to CLIP and EDIT someone’s posts to use against them.

You're one of the most snarky and vicious posters on this site.
Your non stop trashing of Meg Whitman is unreal.