[JohnHuang2]

Monday, March 25, 2002

Quote of the Day by Alissa 3/25/02

[Congressman Billybob]

I agree with the central points both of the article posted, and John's "2 cents" in response to it. I used a similar anology to "all the water in the ocean" in my latest column, linked below.

I think FReepers will get particular pleasure from my "toothpaste" explanation of money in politics.

We, the First Amendment lawyers, will beat his law in the US Supreme Court. The sad part is, it never should have come to that. The House, Senate and President all failed their sworn duties to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. That was what prompted my column this week, "Does Anybody READ the Constitution?"

Congressman Billybob

Click here to fight Shays-Meehan.

Click here for latest column: "Does Anybody READ the Constitution?"ybody READ the Constitution?"

The nation, as well as Congress and the President, will get a badly-needed civics lesson in that Supreme Court decision. I hope it comes down before November, so it can contribute to the forced retirement of come Congresscriters who place political interests above the Constitution.

[VRWC_minion]

You might be interested in a push poll I received Friday evening, two days after reform was voted on. It shows how the campaign is going to be played out on the negative side. Apparently the early targets are CT, Iowa, and Michigan. The following is the e-mail I sent to my representative that memorialized the call.

---

Mr Simmons,

This is to advise you about a push poll that was directed to me last night about 9pm in East Hampton. After establishing I was a likely voter, the oldest male and was a republican I was asked who I would vote for. After telling them the republican candidate most likely (because I don't know you because of redistricting) I was asked a series of questions which included (not exact wording) :

1. Simmons voted for 450 million in retro active tax benefits for Enron.

2. Simmons voted against school building.

3. Simmons voted against allowing us to sure HMO's and taking away benefits from elderly.

He then asked me would I still vote for Simmons. I told him his questions were based on flawed premises and that this was a push poll. I was surprised that he didn't tell me Simmons was an ax murderer but yes I will still vote for the ax murderer.

The contact person I was given for this poll is Amy Collier, 215-641-2200 ext 2247. I left her a message telling her the polling company was lower scum than Clinton.

I am angry about this call and am willing to offer whatever assistance I can to you in the upcoming election in East Hampton, please let me know what I can do to help.

---

[GraniteStateConservative]

Bottom line: Bush is unAmerican -- that's been the essence of the Democrat "message" of hate, paranoia and division.

That's been the essence of the message of some here at FR, too, sadly.

[Vinomori]

bump for exposing McCain's refusal to finish up his anger management classes

[Redleg Duke]

Target hit, as always. These idiots keep underestimating the President. They just refuse to learn.

Darwin at work!

[The Mayor]

Bump

[Starrgaizr]

From the moment Bush became our 43rd President, his political enemies have waged a steady, well-coordinated, systematic vicious smear campaign of personal vilification and character assassination.

You are correct about everything, except the intensive smear campaign began well before the election. Don't underestimate the power of amoral political demagoguery. It has worked many times for the Democrats. Yet, today at least, it is less easy (thankfully) to imagine the rote sleazefest working for the Dems in a general election. There is a bit of irony here -- after whitewashing the most sleazy Clinton behavior, getting traction over Enron, etc., gets tougher.

As for McCain, his behavior is that of a humiliated narcissist. McCain knows better than ordinary people. Political speech is less valuable than advertising beer and Big Macs, and we need less of it, not more. He should have been annointed, in his opwn humble view. He was not, and he seethes in bitterness. I am glad that Bush did not feel compelled to bring him somehow into the administration. He has a dangerous personality.

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks very much for your informed and well written "two cents", John.

[Howlin]

Instead, he turned to 212 of his (and his father's) friends

Let's all pretend Al Gore (and his father) didn't have any friends, okay?

And it's not MY fault John McCain doesn't have ANY friends. :-)

[BigTime]

I get the sense that conservatives are circling the wagons on this one and tyring to figure out what Bush is up to.

I agree that there is a gambit that is being played on this and I agree that it will help in the fall elections. I can even concede that greasing the skids on this bad legislation to reach a conservative Supreme Court also sounds like crafty politics.

But there is one problem. We may be winning the battle and defeating bad legislation, but we are sacrificing something sacred in the process for a win in the fall. We have sacrificed the only American dogma we have left when we play elaborate games of chicken with the U.S. Constitution.

While it is clear that there is upside to Republicans and a political play is at hand here, I believe we have sacrificed our ability to maintain the claims to truth and justice in our constitution by playing these games.

If we lost seats in Novemeber, so be it, if we can only gain them by trashing the only document we have to fight the post-modern, wishy-washy, moral relativism of the present day political left.

[hattend]

Instead, much to their utter dismay, Bush signaled his intention to sign CFR, throwing Democrat campaign strategy into upheaval. The party had planned to use the issue as a sledge hammer to whack Republicans in the fall. Tarnishing the President's reputation as a bellhop for Enron was pivotal. Now Democrats are worried they're headed for heavy losses in November.

I hope you're right...that's it's been planned this way all along. Do you get published anywhere other than FR? :-)

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Thanks to both of you for the pings.

JH2, your 2 cents is worth a whole lot more. I am thankful and heartened by your analysis.

I think Bush knows full well what he is doing and I think too many people sell him short. He seems to have the Dems' number and continues to sit high in the driver's seat. I have great faith !!!!!!!!

[Destructor]

"That means that, ironically, the big-buck soft-money ban will initially hurt the Democrats more than the GOP."

If this is true, then that would explain why President Bush doesn't have much of a problem with signing it into Law.

[BigTime]

In short, "reformers" are living in a fool's paradise -- their wrecking ball approach to "reform" will backfire in court. For Starr and Abrams, their case is as slam-dunk as it gets. Even militant McCainiacs are losing sleep, worried that Republicans may come out the winners. Doubling the cap on hard money donations to candidates will likely survive court challenge, but not much else. This gives Republicans, drawing from a much larger donor pool, an even greater advantage over Democrats.

In this Holy Week, I'm reminded of the first post-modernist, Pontius Pilate's question: "what is truth?".

Indeed what is truth? If we abandon our principles, the very bedrock of our American system, the constitution, we are abandoing our claim on truth right along with all the leftists. So what if Bush has to join the ranks of critics of constitutional rights of free speech? Hey, everybody, we'll pick up a Senate seat in South Dakota! Won't that be great!

Conservatives are facing a real challenge right now as we have to reevaluate our man. I believe this post and messages in support of it are really an effort to "let the healing process begin." This idea that it is OK to avoid vetoing bad legislation that deals with our constitutional rights is not just morally wrong, over the long haul it is politically wrong too.

When we ourselves abandon the single document that lays claim to "truth" in our society, we have given up the fight for everything we hold dear.

I think most conservatives are appalled at this bill and rightly so. But now the spin game has ensued and we desperately want to believe our guy did not leave us at the altar so we need to weave these elaborate stories about how this is actually a GOOD THING.

Even if we make gains in the short term, the long-term damage to our credibility when making arguments based on the constitution will be hampered because we willingly gave up on our claim of our God-given rights as outlined in the constitution.

When we so callously dispense with basic tenets of the consitution, how can we return to it as the basis of our arguments to keep this country from turning to socialism and away from our heritage?

[dixiechick2000]

Love your two cents, JH2! Right on the money!

BTTT

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Let's shovel in some dirt.

[GretchenEE]

bump

[Libloather]

In short, Democrats have dug themselves into a hole.

Nice job...

[Jhoffa_]

McCain-Feingold, needless to say, from the gitgo had more to do with petty vengeance than "reform" -- McCain's personal vendetta against Bush for trouncing him in the early primaries..

Ain't that the truth!

This began as a "vision" from John Mc@__ wipe and his sour grapes.

Now, it's grown legs and gone way beyone one little man's vanity.

Thanks McCain.

(Speaking of the Primaries, one of the hardest laugh's I ever had was over that McCain "Hand me the Constitution, I need to wipe" graphic that was all the rage at the time. Pretty ironic now, actually.)