"THAT which you believe"---"An open letter to Republicans"

6/23/02 | redrock

[redrock]

"This is free ground. All the way from here to the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man born to royalty. Here we judge you by what you do, not by who your father was. Here you can be something. Here's a place to build a home. It isn't the land--there's always more land. It's the idea that we all have value, you and me, we're worth something more than the dirt. I never saw dirt I'd die for, but I'm not asking you to come join us and fight for dirt. What we're all fighting for, in the end, is each other."

What is it that you believe???

A real question....since so many times on this forum, and others, the Republican 'mantra' has become a simple one.

Defeat the Democrats..whatever the cost..the Democrats are the enemy...(sort of Orwellian in it's simplicity)..repeated time after time...and anyone who dares to ask questions of George Bush's policies and actions is loudly shouted down.

But here's a 'news flash' for ya.......It may be that the Democratic Senators...Representitives.....leaders ARE the enemy of maintaining a Constitutional Republic.

But...the average member of the Democratic Party...is not.

The average member of the Democratic Party is just brainwashed..(for want of a better word)...

Just like the average member of the Republican Party is in danger of becoming.

"This is a party, this Republican Party, a Party for free men, not for blind followers, and not for conformists. "

So..I'll ask my very simple questions once again......

And Republicans who wish to rant and rave about 'third party' this or that...go right ahead.

But George W. Bush barely won the last election.....

You NEED staunch conservatives ( nowadays I guess we would be considered 'radical'.....) to help re-elect him....and others of the party..

CONVINCE us.........that at a certain point you will be willing to fight for 'old time values'.....

CONVINCE us ...that you have not become slavish followers of GWB...in much the same way as some did with Clinton....that you will ask the 'hard questions' (and demand the answers).

CONVINCE us.......and you will not do so by the constant dismissal of our very real concerns.

CONVINCE us.......

-----------------

So where do we 'draw the line'????

Should we elect rapists or murderers...if they are members of the Republican Party..and could 'help retake the Senate'???

At what point do you say 'this far and no further'???

Must every single American 'prostitute' themselves in order for one political party (one which on CLOSE examination is no different than the other one) to 'control' government???

I have certain values and beliefs...based upon my Belief in God.

Should I just throw those Beliefs and Values away...and close my eyes....just so the Republicans can win???

The basis of this Nation is a hardcore belief that the values and ideals (sorry to use that word..ideals...seems that word anymore has the same effect on Republicans as a Cross does to evil) that founded this Nation are important....

[brat]

"Don't kid yourself the NEW BASE of the GOP only wants conservatives around on election day for their votes. They know they can't win without us but once the election is passed they can't distance themselves fast enough from us."

Bravo.

[Japedo]

Unfortunately, almost All are RINOS, hence why it MUST STOP putting them into office. We'd do good to follow the likes of Ron Paul, Even Bob smith, I know he has angered a lot of people with his anwar stand, however his vote is 80-90% with the constitution and Conservative philosophy. :)

[brat]

"We have taught the world how to do Capitalism, but we can loose it with impatience for the perfect politician."

Have we? Many of us disagree on the issue of Free Trade. Where is it written in the Rep slate that Free Trade is a must? I think its destroying our country and favor a return to fair trade and a tariff system rather than tax the citizens to death, as did our founding fathers over the voice of free trader Tom Jefferson. For that I'm called a RINO. And much worse. :0)

[cva66snipe]

Yes I was correct it was indeed a Republican who said it. A Republican whom the party needs to dump he's a disgrace. My source is from an interview of Schippers. This can not be justified nor can his not guilty vote following that comment.

http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/9/6/231758

Sen. Ted Stevens

NM: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens – you revealed in your book that he was the guy who told you, "I don't care if you've got Clinton on videotape raping a woman then shooting her dead, you're not gonna get 67 votes." Anything to add there?

SCHIPPERS: Yeah. It was obvious that Ted Stevens' role – he was the one picked out by the leadership to cow the (House impeachment) managers. After the initial attack on Lott by the managers – remember when Lott came over and told us, "Listen, you're not gonna dump this garbage on us" – the managers all attacked him. Not physically, of course, but they just jumped all over him. I think from then on Lott kind of avoided confrontations. But he sent Ted Stevens in, who was a kind of irascible guy. And his job was to just hammer us down. But to be very honest with you, it didn't work.

[exodus]

To: redrock
Trent Lott personifies my dilemma on this issue. There is no one I would less like to see as Senate Majority Leader. Except Tom Daschle. In the real world, those are my choices. I don't like that my alternative to Tom Daschle is Trent Lott. I think Trent Lott is a worthless, spineless, blow-dried empty suit, who -- if the Republicans do re-take the Senate -- will let Tom Daschle run the place anyway, just as he did before Jeffords switched sides.

I cannot express enough contempt for Trent Lott in this family forum. However, does that mean I would rather have Tom Daschle instead, just for spite? I had my bout with spite.

I had it in 1992, and my reward was eight years of William Jefferson Clinton. Lots of us showed ol' man Bush just what we thought about 'read my lips.' Sumbitch can't keep a promise, we'll show him, we'll vote for Ross Perot.

Been there, done that, got the stained dress.
Never again.
# 18 by Nick Danger
*************************

So that's your answer, Nick Danger?
Give up your principles?

Bush Sr. barely lost, so Clinton is your fault?
Not so. Clinton won because Bush lied.

The Republican Party got the message.
Because of that message, we had the "Contract with America,"
and controlled both houses of Congress.

Then Newt Gingrich and his followers betrayed that Contract,
trying to avoid the titles of "mean-spirited" and "hateful."
They even allowed Clinton free rein in his treasonous activities.

Remember the projections that the Republicans
would gain about 20 seats in the Senate?
Instead, they lost their majority.
Why?

It wasn't because of third party opposition.
They lost because the Republicans
were as dis-honest as their Democratic opponents,
and thus lost the faith of their people.
They lied.

Why did our current President Bush win?
It wasn't because of his high qualifications.
Bush barely won,
because of what could be called "protest votes" against Clinton.

Gore lost because of his and Clinton's well-publicized lies.
Like the first Bush, his dishonesty cost him the Presidency.

[brat]

It isn't that Conservatives deserted Bush, its that Bush deserted Conservatives, just like W is doing today! Put the blame where it belongs.....on the policies.

[seenenuf]

If you think free trade is destroying the Country, how do you feel about Unions?
I wonder what Tom Jefferson would think about the state of education - thanks to the Dept of Ed. being in bed with the teacher's unions for decades.

[browardchad]

Great thread, mainly because it's been generally civil.

Just a personal observation to those who criticise threads like these -- I think there are many people lurking who can learn much about conservative principles from the point/counterpoint of sane political discussion on Free Republic, most especially when it doesn't degenerate into name calling or insults.

Thanks, redrock.

[exodus]

To: Nick Danger
Thank you,
I've heard these rants all to often and they don' accomplish anything.
People need to get off their buts and DO Something
to help the party get back to its foundations,
Not win the other parties elections for them.
# 23 by tricky_k_1972
*************************

How do you expect to return the Republican Party
to it's conservative foundations
by electing liberal politicians like George Bush?

What kind of message are you sending to future Republican officeholders?

[Arch-Conservative]

The purpose of Buchanan's book, "A Republic, Not an Empire" is that the United States is far too entangled in the affairs of foreign nations. His gist is that we are falling into the trap of imperialism, and that getting entangled worldwide is counter to our national interests.

To my mind, this is isolationism. I think it to be in America's best interest to export those ideas which made us great. It in our best interest to be imperialists - not to the extent that we actually establish an Empire, in the traditional sense of the word, but so that we use our might to establish pro-American regimes around the world.

This is not meant as a slap at Buchanan, whom I have a great amount of respect and admiration for. But I am afraid that such a world-view is not conservative - and, to the extent that Buchanan is not conservative, I cannot agree with him.

From the right,
Adam D. Elrod

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."

[exodus]

To: redrock; TwoStep; Gophack; ElkGroveDan "...Republicans believe that government should be limnited to doing for people those things which they cannot do for themselvwes. The right to determine individual destiny should lie in the hands of the individual. Similarly, Republicans believe governmental power and resources should be kept close to the people through their state and community leaders, rather than cetralized in distant big government..." You can get (the Republican Mission Statement) from The California Republican Party, 1903 West Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506 or at www.cagop.org. You can also pick it up at any Republican registration table in So. California, at the mall where the Republican Women are registering Republicans for the 2002 election. If you don't know why you should be a Republican after you read it I only have one comment. Ignorance can be cured, stupidity is forever.
# 24 by broomhilda
*************************

Yes, I've read it. It says what I believe.
It could be taken from the Libertarian website, as well;
libertarians believe the same thing.

The difference is that where the libertarians live those words,
the Republicans just give lip service to their creed.

[brat]

, "The worth of a nation is the worth of its people."

And the people aren't worth much these days. Greed and power rule and have corrupted our very core.

[Luis Gonzalez]

The post is real simple, we are free to chose what political ideology we follow as individuals, and while I would detest anyone who would chose communism, I will give my life in the defense of his right to make that choice.

Freedom can be real scary sometimes.

[cva66snipe]

GW Bush is just our POTUS. He has no leglislative power except to sign or veto leglislation. If you want true change in the nations direction work at cleaning up the houses. Let me ask everybody this simple constitutional question. If the house and senate had properly preformed checks and balances on Bill Clinton would Clinton have been the tyrant he was? I really don't think so. POTUS isn't the problem nor really the answer to our current problems. Demanding reform of our congress and senate is the answer in the short term.

This nation is ripe for another Bill Clinton to occupy the White House simply because the people refuse to fire congressmen and senators who refuse to uphold their constitutional duties. That is what the last 9 years have boiled down to. The Leglislative Branch is out of order. Fix that and it doesn't matter who is POTUS as it will be the voice of the people once again in control. You can't curse one parties Congressmen and senators as being tyrants and socialist when you refuse to weed out those in your own party as well.

[VinnyTex]

It wasn't Stevens that said anything about raping the nun. It was Babs Boxer.

[Luis Gonzalez]

BRAVO!

[exodus]

To: Nick Danger
When the Republicans take back the Senate, Lott has got to go.
I've never agreed with anything more that you have intimated Nick.
His allowing the other side to run the show was absolute pansiism at it's worst.
The term spineless is actually a compliment to this shell of a man. Go Don Nickles.
# 26 by DoughtyOne
*************************

Trent Lott would not be the leader of Senate Republicans
if the Republican Party were unhappy with the job he's done.

It's not the spinlessness of Trent Lott you need to worry about,
that's just a symptom of the spinelessness of the Republican Party as a whole.

[exodus]

Hey, Luis.
How ya doin' my friend?