The GOP, Party of Cowards

Ever Vigilant ^ | 12/23/2003 | Lee R. Shelton IV

[sheltonmac]

Most Americans seem to believe that Trent Lott deserved to suffer for his "insensitive" comments at Strom Thurmond's birthday celebration. Now that Lott has been forced to step down as Senate Majority Leader, neo-conservative Republicans are the ones cheering the loudest.

"We've wanted him gone for a long time," some have said. "We needed to get rid of him and move on with our agenda." The trouble is, no one in the party seems to know exactly what that agenda is.

Of course, that hasn't stopped neo-cons before. Pragmatism has always trumped principle, and as long as the polls reflect public approval for their actions, they really don't care about anything else. They must increase their majority in 2004 at any cost, and to do that they must first shake their xenophobic image.

As everyone knows, the GOP has long been branded as the party of racists. Such labels have been successfully utilized by the liberal left for years, and Republicans have tried everything to keep those labels from sticking. The end result is that in order to present the voting public with a kinder, gentler GOP, Republicans typically begin adopting Democratic positions.

It's the same three-step process every time: 1) liberals make the accusation of racism against a Republican, 2) the Republican denies the charge and 3) the Republican agrees to sign on to the liberal agenda, hoping that in doing so he might prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is not a racist. The entire fiasco surrounding Trent Lott is only the latest example of this kind of Republican cowardice.

Lott's comments sparked all the predictable reactions from all the usual suspects. Men like Al Sharpton and NAACP president Kweisi Mfume —both veteran champions of racial divisiveness —wasted no time in attacking the senator.

Sharpton, who had remained strangely silent in 2001 when Senate Democrat Robert Byrd let fly with his "white niggers" remark, said, "[Lott] should step aside. No one is saying that if the people of Mississippi want to elect him to the Senate that they don't have the right to do that. But to be the head of the party in the Senate, given the sensitivity of that position for the interest of the country and the party, Mr. Lott should step aside."

Mfume's response was a bit more harsh. He called Lott's little speech "hateful bigotry that has no place in the halls of the Congress," and dismissed Lott's subsequent apology as "too little, too late."

Reacting to the verbal barrage from the left, the neo-cons scattered. No one even bothered to mention the possibility that Lott was simply acknowledging the distinguished political career of his 100-year-old colleague. Nobody proposed that when the senator from Mississippi implied that we would be better off had Strom Thurmond been elected president in 1948, he was referring to some of the more noble causes Thurmond stood for, like states' rights and a less-intrusive federal government.

No, the neo-cons were so desperate to prove that they could be just as racially sensitive as their slightly more liberal counterparts that Lott's political fate had already been sealed. He was the perfect fall guy, and his sacrifice was worth it if it meant keeping the GOP in power.

Republicans, listen up. Whether you agree that Trent Lott should have resigned as Majority Leader or not, his ousting is yet another sign that you just don't get it. No matter what you say or do, you will always be viewed by the left as a bunch of bigots and racists. Bending to political peer pressure doesn't help —in fact, it makes you look weak. The sooner you learn that, the sooner we can begin repairing the damage your party has done to the conservative cause.

But it's probably too late. The mob has spoken, and Trent Lott has been forced out of his leadership role. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah summed up what Republicans expect of Bill Frist, Lott's successor: "I think Bill has a kind of a more moderate record and a more moderate approach toward things, and I think that it's going to be very difficult to criticize him."

In other words, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." And that, my friends, has become the battle cry of the neo-conservatives in the GOP, Party of Cowards.

[dirtboy]

Another flippin' idiot who doesn't get it... For everyone who agrees with this imbecile, read this carefully...You idiots who are in the business of ragging on "neo-cons" for being realistic

Now THAT was a quality personal attack. :^)

[TLBSHOW]

better watch out the Bush People aren't done with Tips Yet!

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The Justice Department is forging ahead with establishing a network of domestic tipsters_despite being dealt what may be a deathly blow to the plan: House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, inserted last week a ban on the program in the bill to form a new Homeland Security Department.

"The administration is continuing to pursue Operation TIPS. We're continuing with that course of action," Barbara Comstock, spokeswoman for Attorney General John Ashcroft, said in an interview Friday. That was the same day Armey's committee approved the bill. "We believe the program represents an important resource and that it's been misrepresented to date."

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/politics/3708406.htm

[maxwell]

The GOP, Party of Cowards

Hey now, hey now... If you wasn't bigger'n me, I'd whup yer ass, boy...

[dogbyte12]

TLB beating a dead horse bump.

[RnMomof7]

Hey you got it so the shoe must fit huh?


This is the kind of things the one worlders do not want to tell you


A Connection?
A Connection? The number of manufacturing jobs in Los Angeles County fell in the decade to 587,000 from 861,000, a decrease of 32%, census data show . . . Los Angeles County's median income dropped from $45,600 in 1990 to $42,200 in 2000 when adjusted for inflation. LA Times May 15, 2002

---

A how to guide to Mercantalism
To develop a globally competitive industry, China needed foreign capital and talent. In 1995, the government set out to get both with Project 909, a five-year plan with ambitious goals for building chip plants and developing technical expertise. China lowered barriers to foreign investment and set up high-tech zones offering free land and tax holidays. To encourage Chinese factories to use chips made in China, the government imposed a 17% tax on imported semiconductors and charged just 3% for those produced domestically. Los Angeles Times October 22, 2002

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A lose-lose situation
Wouldn't it be refreshing if our officials in Washington had the courage to admit what most voters have long figured out - that making goods cheaply in developing countries hasn't done much to raise the standard of living for most foreign workers, nor has it turned them into consumers of American products. Rather, in too many instances, global trade has meant soaring unemployment for low-skilled Americans who can least afford to lose their jobs. Glenn Burkins Charlotte Observer August 12, 2002

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Ag exports tumble
America's agricultural trade surplus has tumbled from $27 billion to about $12 billion since 1996 while imports have risen 20% and exports have fallen 12%. Modesto Bee 12/09/01

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American manufacturer tells it like it is
"We are a small job shop in Arizona. Two years ago we had 36 employees. We now have 12. Two of our customers have moved their source of supply offshore and have told us to expand into Mexico or lose them as customers due to labor costs. Good luck USA." -- Mike Kapel, American Precision Machining Inc., Phoenix Arizona

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American Wages
The most recent federal statistics, for 2000, show that American manufacturing production workers are paid $19.86 an hour in wages and benefits, compared with $2.46 in Mexico and $6.79 in four newly industrialized economies in Asia -- Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Washington Post January 30, 2002

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http://www.tradealert.org/tradefacts1.asp

[dirtboy]

Psssst! Earth to TLBSHOW - that article was from July 2002 - well BEFORE the HSA bill was passed and signed by the President.

Spam, spam, spam, spam...

[M. Peach]

"TLBSHOW nails the triple Lutz as he effortlessly spins his way to his new position. Even the French judge is impressed... "

OMG! Hilarious! - Don't tell me you just made that one up....I think even TLB had to laugh at that one... Wasn't that the same dive Rodney Dangerfield did in "Back to School?"

[dirtboy]

Don't tell me you just made that one up

That I did. I do my best work when I'm grumpy...

[Joe Hadenuf]

TLB beating a dead horse bump.

You don't really believe that horse is dead do you? The extreme left is just oiling and tuning up their super weapon, the race card.

You aint seen nothing yet.

[cynicom]

M. I never understood how Lott was ever voted in as majority leader. The reason and method of removal had the full backing of the democrats/republicans and the media.

Democrats play hardball politics, they bend over for no one. Now thanks to Bush, they have another club with which to pummel the republicans in 04. It was not Gore that decided to bow out, he was pushed. In the next two years, if Hillary thinks Bush can be beat, she will enter the fray and throw out the lackeys now running. Will Bush stumble in two years????? His Father did.

[M. Peach]

"Democrats play hardball politics, they bend over for no one."

I beg to differ - Just think of Barney Frank...

[dirtboy]

The extreme left is just oiling and tuning up their super weapon, the race card.

They trot that out all the time, but Lott was dumb enough to give them a target they could hit. However, the GOP, by forcing Lott to step down as ML, now has made it possible for that weapon to backfire on the Dems.

Sheez, better stop now before the Metaphor Police come and drag me away...

[hchutch]

Your rant about immigration is a non sequitor for this discussion.

Let the Demcorats have a former KKK recruiter in a leadership position (ranking member of the Appropriations committee) while Republicans REMOVED someone who turned out to have a history of making comments that I and a number of others could reasonably interpret as saying we should have elected a segregationist as President.

You've seen the quote that Luis Gonzalez has posted elsewhere. There is, in taking the evidence into account, no other way to interpret the comments Lott made. And quite frankly, such an agenda is contrary to the Constitution.

Stuff it - we police our own ranks. If you don't like it, tough.. Get a couple of quarters and call someone who cares to hear your whining, because I DON'T.

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[M. Peach]

Seriously - I think his future will depend on the outcome of the situation in Iraq.

[cynicom]

M...Please not that!!!!!!!!!!

[TLBSHOW]

As the Ann Coulter said, Trent never said that we should have elected a segregationist as President.

[dogbyte12]

Worst comeback ever!

[Joe Hadenuf]

TLB beating a dead horse bump.

You don't really believe that horse is dead do you? The extreme left is just oiling and tuning up their super weapon, the race card.

You aint seen nothing yet.

They trot that out all the time, but Lott was dumb enough to give them a target they could hit.

I got news for you, it aint never going back into the barn. Bet the rent.

[Poohbah]

As the Ann Coulter said, Trent never said that we should have elected a segregationist as President.

And I say that if Ann Coulter actually said that, she needs a refresher course in the English language.