Wandering through the blogosphere this weekend, I’m amazed at the number of so-called conservatives who were busy taking shots at the Republicans over health care. In rants as ignorant as Glenn Beck’s they claim not to see what the Republicans have done and they whine that the Republicans and the Democrats are the same. Boo hoo. Idiots. Enough of you whiners. For the rest of you, let’s talk about what the Republicans have been doing, because it’s been impressive.The Republican strategy has several parts and each have been executed perfectly.
1. Unity. The Republicans’ most impressive achievement has been maintaining unity in the face of intense pressure. And make no mistake, unity has been achieved. Even Joseph Cao (R-La), the sole Republican YES the first time through, will vote NO this time, just as RINOs Snowe and Collins did. Said Eric Cantor (R-Va): “The American people don't want this to pass. The Republicans don't want this to pass. There will be no Republican votes for this bill.”
Complete party unity is rare, and it is this unity that has put the Democrats’ rear ends in the ringer, because they cannot hide behind the “bipartisan bill canard.” They own this bill and its consequences. This also makes repeal easier as this bill is now seen as purely partisan, rather than for the benefit of the public.
2. Exposure. This bill is hanging around the necks of Democrats like a lead Albatross. And make no mistake, it’s not the blogosphere that made this happen, it was a concerted Republican strategy of constant attacks.
A. Defeating Obama’s Health Care Trap. Obama created the health care summit with the idea of trapping Republicans. He planned to expose them as the “party of no,” bereft of ideas, and thereby regain the public’s support on health care. But the Republicans, particularly Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), exposed Obama as a fool, who didn’t know the contents of his own bill and couldn’t explain how to sell Dan Rather watermelons. This denied Obama the momentum he needed and brought us to the present situation where the Democrats are terrified to vote on this beast.3. Undercutting the Democrats’ Confidence. The biggest problem for House Democrats has been fear that the Senate would not be able to pass the “fix” portion of the bill. To calm them, their leadership has been putting out a series of puffery statements about the process these bills will undertake. Specifically, they describe the process by saying that after the Senate bill is passed, the House will pass the “fix” bill, which will then be fast-tracked in the Senate, where Reid promises to have the 51 votes needed. The end.
B. Exposing The Crooked Deals. The Republicans pounced on, exposed, and exploited every one of the crooked deal the Democrats made to buy votes:• The Louisiana PurchaseAnd don’t believe for a minute that these issues had any traction if the Republicans hadn’t been pushing them. It was Republican staffers who found these deals, Republican Congressmen who exposed them, and Republican politicians who went on the offensive -- everyone from Republican Governors who disclaimed these payouts, to state Republican Attorneys General who threatened to sue over them, to every Republican Congressman who could find a microphone.
• Excluding union plans and raising the limits on the Cadillac tax in union-friendly states.
• The Cornhusker Compromise
• Medicare Money for certain districts in Florida
• A hospital for Chris Dodd
• Water in California
• And most recently, the special treatment for Kaiser Permanente, the biggest provider in Nancy Pelosi’s district.
Indeed, when the fix doesn’t happen, it will be Republican Attorneys General who lead the legal charge against these special treatments and who blast huge holes in the bill’s provision on 10th Amendment grounds.
C. Slaughtering The Slaughter Rule. Just as the cover-up from Watergate was worse than the act itself, the Democrats’ attempts to hide their votes have proven to be far worse than the vote itself. And it was the Republicans who’ve beaten this drum.
The Republicans took on the “deem and pass” provision and instantly named it the Slaughter Rule. Then they blasted the Democrats all over the country for trying such a sneaky, responsibility-avoiding technique. Add in that, at the same time, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Oh) went on the air and blasted the Democrats for their cowardice in being unwilling to put their votes on the line. He not only slammed the Slaughter Rule, he opposed Pelosi’s plan for a voice vote, demanding that Pelosi force her members to go to the floor before “God, their countrymen and their constituents” to unveil their votes.
When the Republican States Attorneys General announced they would challenge the Slaughter Rule on a constitutional basis, the Democrats finally abandoned it, but not before doing incredible harm to themselves. . . including voting to clear the path for the rule. When they announced they would challenge the Cornhusker Compromise, panicked Democrats tried to remove it from the bill, but couldn’t.
At the same time, the Republicans even opened their closed-door caucus meetings to the public just to contrast their open and honest position with the closed-door dealing the Democrats are doing.
The blowback from all of this has been intense. Most Americans don’t buy the “it’s socialist” argument, but they do understand evasion and cowardice when they see it. And it was the constant drumbeat from elected Republicans that exposed this.
But the Republicans have cleverly tossed a thousand wrenches into this. The Republicans in the Senate have been busy preparing challenges to every single page of the reconciliation bill, in the hopes of turning the bill into Swiss cheese. They have also been busy preparing thousands of amendments with the idea of delaying any vote until right before the election, to keep this wound fresh in the public’s mind. Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn has taken the lead on this. At the same time, normally collegial Senators like Orin Hatch (R-Utah) have been tossing the Democratic leadership's lies back in the faces of their wavering members: “If those people think they’re only going to vote on this once, they’re nuts.”
The effects of this on Democratic psyches cannot be overstated.
4. Abortion Brilliance. When the Republicans in the House backed the Stupak amendment, many bloggers whined that it was a sell out by the Republicans to support any portion of the bill. Why couldn’t these weak Republicans be as strong willed as these iron blogger, they insisted from their anonymous safety. Some of us, however, pointed out that it was a brilliant move to keep the abortion issue alive. This has now proven to be correct, as that issue has torn the Democrats apart. And even though it appears they've solved the issue for now, the price they paid among their supporters is heavy.
5. Taking It To November. In addition to the above, the Republicans have undertaken an aggressive campaign against the Democrats who have decided to vote for this atrocity. Every Republican who could find a microphone has blasted the Democrats on these issues and said, as Minority Leader Boehner said this morning, that this vote will haunt the Democrats in November and that the Democratic leadership is “sacrificing a big number of their members.” Warns Boehner: “I don’t think any American is going to forget this vote anytime soon.”
Or as Mike Pence (R-Ind) says: “I don’t know, quite frankly, whether victory will come on the third Sunday in March or on the first Tuesday in November, but victory will come.”
The Republicans have also begun running ads in the districts of every Democrat who switches from a NO to a YES, attacking their decision. In one entertaining moment, they even released a press release when Ohio Democrat John Boccieri announced his switch, that read: “Ohio Dem Uses Press Conference to Announce End of Stint in Congress.”
Coburn and Hatch have also promised to filibuster any pork promised to the Democrats to get their votes, and they have sworn to hold up the appointments of any Democrats who lose their seats in the coming backlash.
Again, do not underestimate the psychological effect of this.
6. Grinding Everything to A Halt. Since the Republicans can’t stop the health care bill, they have taken out other targets in retaliation. Indeed, Schumer and Dodd, and others, have all complained that the health care bill has killed their efforts to reach agreements on an immigration bill and financial regulation, as well as everything else.
7. The Big “R” Word. Finally, this morning, John Boehner trotted out the “Repeal” word. While the blogosphere has been whining for this for weeks, Boehner was smarter. By waiting to raise this word until today, he not only avoided giving the Democrats a reason to circle the wagons, but he prevented any sense from arising that the passage of this bill was inevitable, which has kept the heat on wavering Democrats. Now is the perfect time to use the big R word:
“If this bill passes, we will have an effort to repeal the bill, and we'll do it the same way that we approached health care on a step by step basis. I'd have a bill on the floor the first thing out, to eliminate the Medicare cuts, eliminate the tax increases, eliminate the mandate that every American has to buy health insurance and the employer mandate that's going to cover jobs.”Great work Republicans.
Well said, Andrew! I've also been impressed with Boehner, Cantor, and Ryan, in particular. Conversely, not so impressed with Steele and McCain (shocker, I know). Bottom line, they have shown unity, although their reasons why may be debatable.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I believe the Republicans should begin to tout if the bill is passed are these lame, incoherent promises that insurance premiums will magically plummet and jobs will fall from the sky. These are things that people (esp. those in favor of this stupid bill) will expect to see immediately. My guess is that by November the only thing we will see are 100,000 new federal govt IRS jobs. That will only make most voters angry and even more disillusioned.
I agree Andrew. I couldn't peel myself away from watching the trainwreck on C-SPAN until my kid begged to play Mario with his daddy, and I was impressed and proud of their steadfast opposition. I have been proud of their wrds and actions leading up to this debacle, and as disappointing as this bill is, the ongoing war for our country is exciting given these examples of actual leadership. To arms!
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I have been awed by the unity in the Republican Party. I fully expected a few to break ranks and claim to be peacemakers.
ReplyDeleteMany Republicans took awhile to wake up to the fact that the Democrats have no honor in their push to socialism, but they've learned. And they're continuing to learn.
There is no way this war can be fought by the normal rules. When we see Senators like Hatch announce their unwavering opposition to the bill and to any compromises, we know we're making headway. This isn't about moderate versus conservative. It's about the survival of a nation. Republicans of every stripe have joined in opposing this travesty, and as much as we may write about it on the blogs, it's those Republicans who will make the war a success. I stand with them, one and all. This is no time to be taking potshots and slinging purist doctrine at our friends.
Thanks Writer X!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think that now the Republicans need to talk about repealing the bill. They need to keep reminding people that no one has gotten health care from this thing. They need to point out what is happening to the costs of health care and health insurance. They need to point out the increased taxes and that everyone will not be fined if you don't have insurance.
If an insurance company raises rates a penny, the Republicans should be pointing to this bill. Every employer who drops their coverage -- point that out. Every job lost and every retired doctor, and every doctor or hospital or pharamacy that starts refusing to take Medicare.
Those are all horrible points, and there is no defense to those points. Moreover, there will be no benefits for several years that the Democrats can point to.
Well said Tam! I think they have really risen to the occasion and I have hope that they will win overwhelmingly in November and then undo this monster.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd asked me in November 2008, do I think the Republicans could do something like that, I would have said no. But they've really grown into this challenge, and I'm impressed. I'm very proud again to be a Republican.
I agree Lawhawk. I found it highly irritating that so many people were taking these mindless shots at the Republicans. They've truly stood up for the country and they need our unwavering support -- not pot shots that amount to little more than temper tantrums.
ReplyDeleteGreat word, Andrew! None of this is being said nearly enough. Immediately sharing this with all I know. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks JG! Definitely spread the word. I think the Republicans have done an incredible job here and it's time that they got the credit for doing so well with so few members.
ReplyDeleteAlso, they especially will need our support if we are going to undo this thing. So it's time that people came together on this.
Absolutely. People like Coburn and Ryan keep getting maligned and lumped in with broadbrushed criticism (Beck, as you noted) and it's time to stop.
ReplyDeleteJG, Agreed. I've been impressed with both Ryan and Coburn for some time now.
ReplyDeleteI am more than willing to criticize our side when it is wrong (as I've done), but I try to do it intelligently. I only want to call out our side when they are wrong. And, conversely, I want to praise them when they are right.
Too many people just want to whine and attack, and they ignore all of the good things the Republicans have done. Beck's rant (for which he was roundly criticized by conservative writers) is a case in point. What he said may have been true of the party generally in 2004-2006, but it's not true today and it ignores the amazing efforts of many of the good guys in the party today. It also lumps in too many good people with the bad.
For every RINO we've had, we've also had a dozen solid, conservative, intelligent, capable politicians. We should work to promote the good and call out the bad, not just tear the whole group down.
I am now and have always been a card carrying member of the Republican Party. At it's core, it has always represented the party that was strong on defense, fiscally respnsible, and summed up by the axiom "the government that governs best governs the least."I have often been less than impressed by the Republican National Comittee, and the party has often lost it's way due to the world of special interest lobbying.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that said, there have been several Republican elected officials, both at the Capitol and in Governorships and state legislatures who have distinguished themselves honorably during the past year.
Now is the time to start backing (be it financially, through volunteerism or other methods) candidates who will go hard to take back Congress in 2010.
Jed, I agree entirely. It's time to support the good guys and to do anything we can to help them fend off these pirates known as the Democratic party and to right the ship of state.
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan is the Man!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder when he will start his run for President?
Joel, I've seen a couple articles that said he was interested in running for President and others that have said he wasn't. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely say that he has impressed the heck out of me for some time now. His performance in this health care debate has just been his latest achievement.
From what I've seen, I think he would make an excellent President. I'm only concerned that the public would reject him because he doesn't have that flashy salesman look that so many people seem to fall for these days.
Still, I'd like to see him try.
Andrew,
ReplyDeletePeople will demand he run. I don't know if he will get through the process, but I do know I would vote for him in a primary. I would be conflicted if Palin ran, but still....By the way, that is a BIG consession on my part.
Joel, We try not to endorse here, but I would love to see him run as well. And I would be more than thrilled to see him as the party's standard bearer into the next election. Like I said, everything I've seen from him has been brilliant, as well as practical -- and those two traits rarely go hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteWho is recommending anyone? I am just stating my preferences. ;-)
ReplyDeleteJoel, LOL! I got you. You guys are free to recommend anyone you want, we just don't want people to see us as endorsing anyone in particular because we're here more to talk about policy than people.
ReplyDeleteI too have been impressed with Republicans as of late, Ryan is legit, but we gave them the courage that they needed, Tea Party, Blogs, Talk Radio, etc. and I include Beck in that. He can be a little quick to get in a circular firing squad, but in his zeal has exposed many of the subversives in the Barry administration, Van Jones, etc. …perhaps Reagan’s 80% rule would apply. The worst thing that could happen is a third party.
ReplyDeleteI’m getting really irritated with Michael Steele, he must close the primaries, so we can control who makes it through the voter, more specifically the conservative voters. We don’t need any more ACORN or SEIU shenanigans. Just a thought.
FYI, They just passed the health care bill. Now the fight shifts to the Senate and then to November and then to repealing the bill.
ReplyDeleteStan, I agree about closing the primaries. It's time that we make sure that only Republicans get to vote for who will represent the Republican party.
ReplyDeleteThis stinks. I am so angry right now. Thanks to all of you at Commentarama though for keeping the faith and keeping us informed.
ReplyDeleteAnon, Thanks. We're happy to help. Now it's time to get out there and support the Republicans as they try to undo this.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: I'm proud to say that not a single Republican sold out on any of the three votes. Now is the time for real courage, and complete tirelessness. This is going to take constant pressure to un-do.
ReplyDeleteInternally, the Republicans must continue to stick together as the bill now goes to the Senate. Externally, the Republicans must work without ceasing to kick Democrats out and get Republicans elected in their place in November.
If we relax for one minute, or show the least lack of resolve, we could be stuck with this monstrosity forever. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Here is a question
ReplyDeleteDid they use the slaughterhouse rules?
Specifically did they vote on a rule attaching ammendments to the Senate bill not voted on in the house and deeming that the Senate Bill to have been adopted by the House through the voting of this rule.
I watched and there were three votes all passed. I am uncertain if this was the final tally. Did the vote on the Senate bill by itself thus not violating the constitution. Given Stupak showed himself as the fraud he is at the last minute maybe this was the case.
If they did use the Slaughterhouse Rules then I want to donate money to Mark Levin for his court chalenge based on Article I section 7 I beleive (the passage about the recording of the yeas and nays.
Do you think this would matter?
Lawhawk, Agreed.
ReplyDeleteIndividual, They did not use the Slaughter Rule. They passed it in a straight up vote. They abandoned the Slaughter Rule when their Parliamentarian told them it wasn't going to work.
ReplyDeleteWell that is a good thing I guess but part of me wonders if we Republicans swhould have kept our collective mouths shut.
ReplyDeleteIf we were duplicitous and let them pass this thing in that manner we could have easily thrown the whole bill out and made them look like the namesake of their party mascot to boot.
But I guess it is best that we got them to abandon Slaughter. The precedent would have been devastating.
I guess then that any legal challenge will probably a lot more difficult.
Thanks for the update on that by the way Andrew.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate it.
Well, from the East Coast, I'm signing off...
ReplyDeleteJust one thought though. Does this mean that Charlie Rangel will finally be arrested for tax evasion and fraud?
Individualist, You're welcome.
ReplyDeleteI think the political damage of exposing this far outweighs the possibility of having this overturned by a Court. Especially, since I honestly don't think the Court would have overturned it.
The arguments advanced sound good in theory, but when it comes to these matters, it's rare that the Supreme Court interferes with the inner workings of the Congress, as the Congress is allowed to set its own rules except for the handful of requirements provided for in the Constitution itself. I think this is one of those instances, where the Supreme Court would decide that it had no power to intervene.
Bev, Good night. Thanks for the updates.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Rangel, I wouldn't be surprised if the Congress somehow clears him and he gets his chairmanship back once Pelosi thinks no one is watching. But we'll see. I hope not.
My husband and I had a long talk. "What now, for us?"
ReplyDeleteHis response is to vote with the R's and follow some sort of political revision, resistance...the fight...
I have a darker view and feel that votes will not be effective. And vote for what? We are not just broke (we have been "broke" for decades") We are in debt beyond paying "minimum payments." I believe this was a fiscal stop gap to a massive financial problem. I don't see what there is to vote for/against. You can alsways claim to be voting R b/c of the constitution but I do believe that has already been shredded.
I am not quite pointed toward a third party; i don't think it will gain traction with everyday voter.
It is a serious defeat in any way imaginable--I have read the bill on the net and the I read your post on immigration bill. What positive thing could a logical person think?
This is where an irresponsible electorate have brought us. Myself included. I'm the ultimate idiot. Never spoke up. Was bullied b/c someone might think i am mean to poor people or a racist or just plain crabby. Heck, they are about to meet crabby!
/rant over
America remembers the day President Lincoln freed the slaves. Likewise, Connecticut must remember the day that John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Joe Courtney, Chris Murphy and Jim Himes cast their vote to enslave the free. Theirs was not “a difficult vote for the good of the people”. No! Theirs was a vote for the sake of the Obama Presidency, and the will of a democrat-controlled congress - against the will of the people that elected them to office. We cannot reward their disloyalty and treachery with our continual trust. As we pause every 9/11 to remember the slaughtering of the innocent by radical Islamist murderers, on November 2, 2010, while in the voting booth we must remember that on March 21, 2010 John Larson, Rosa DeLauro, Joe Courtney, Chris Murphy and Jim Himes together with the Democratic Party chose to shred the Constitution. Make them pay. VOTE THEM OUT.
ReplyDeleteMalvi Lennon
CrisD, You're right, this is the result of an electorate that failed to pay attention, that let the promise of getting something for nothing cloud their judgment, and that fell for the idea of Obama.
ReplyDeleteI do think that voting Republican is the key. I don't think this is the same Republican party as they were even a year ago. This group is much more conservative and they have become much more responsive to the people who formed the Tea Parties. I think they will set this right if they can get the numbers.
And you're right, this is a defeat. But it's often in defeat that a huge victory will arrive. The Democrats spent their futures to get this, and now we need to make sure that they pay the price. November and the following November will tell us if that holds true.
Hang in there. America and democracry are remarkably resilient, and they correct their mistakes.
Malvi, Welcome. And well said. Yesterday's vote is one that we do need to remember and we need to make sure that everyone around us remembers. We also need to make sure that the Republicans remember and that they make repealing this monster their top priority. If the don't, then I would agree that a third party is the answer. But I think they will.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, come November, it's time to toss these people out. In the meantime, they should get no rest. People should keep calling their offices to complain. We should oppose everything else they try. And we should continue to show up at their town halls and rallies to protest their actions.
I am not happy that this thing passed but I am glad that most Republicans have allied together to fight this thing at the state level. Also, I have not heard so many lies come out of one person's mouth in one sentence since Ted Kennedy last spoke. I am of course referring to Pelosi's speech.
ReplyDeleteACG, Agreed. She is an amazing liar. She lies as easily as she breathes. Yet her side doesn't catch onto that. Oh well, we'll see how much they like her after November.
ReplyDeleteSorry Andrew I've gotta disagree with you. While Beck paints with broad stokes he's also the person that got massive amounts of people to pay attention to government. The independent kind of people. He's a history teacher for an hour a day. His rants might go a little over the top sometimes and he does say some stupid things from time to time but when you spend 4 hrs a day talking it's bound to happen. He's a common man speaking about common sense things.
ReplyDeleteSure Republicans are showing some back bone in the final hours but after giving up 99 yards to make a goal line stand it seems pretty weak and disingenuous. Are there some true Republicans in Washington sure a couple. Now that it's hip to be fiscally conservative again but they weren't all that long ago. I haven't forgotten that yet and neither have a majority of Americans.
When Bush caved on his capitalism beliefs and created to "big to fail." Well I said to everyone I knew that both parties are the same. When I heard some guy named Beck saying that not much later I was hooked. Bush also created another huge black whole of bureaucracy called Homeland Security. Yet again we've created a massive bureaucracy to do what we already have agencies to do specifically the FBI and CIA. The same Homeland Security that says I'm a domestic terrorist. Thanks Bush.
He speaks in broad terms because it's a broad time frame that he's talking about. Bush senior gave us the highly hated EPA. That's definitely not conservative it's progressive. Then we got the American with Disabilities Act. That's been used to screw thousands of small businesses with frivolous law suits.
I'm sorry I'm still pissed at the Republicans they got us into this mess to begin with. No one trusts them. The only reason that anyone is singing their praises now is because we just happen to hate Democrats more at the moment. If there was an actual third party.(I'm not calling for one just hypothetically speaking) That's where all the angry R's and D's would be joining up. I'm not going to start pretending that I have such a short memory. McCain anyone? Funny how he's willing to suddenly sling some mud for his senate seat but was so noble and counter productive during the Presidential election. He was never going to win no matter who he went up against. He saw to it through some deceptive practices in the primaries. Shame on you McCain and all your progressive friends.
Granted the Republicans are doing a solid job now desperately trying to stop this thing but in my mind it's penance for their sins that got us here in the first place. At the end of the day I blame Republicans because I expect this kind of crap from Democrats.
Skinner, I have to disagree.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the Republicans have held together since the election, not just in the final hours.
Secondly, they have been recruiting the very people we need to bring a new perspective in the Congress -- people who had real careers outside of politics.
Third, Bush I and II were indefensible, and I won't try to defend them. But it wasn't Bush who gave us the EPA (and OSHA and others), it was Nixon. And after Nixon came Reagan, ie. rebirth. The same thing is happening now. Imagine if people had dismissed Reagan and his new Republicans because "well, I won't forget what Nixon did to us."
Fourth, Beck is entertaining, but he's very wrong about history, law and economics. Also, I think it is simply wrong to credit him with waking people up. People woke up as soon as the Democrats started trying to implement their agenda. Beck, like the rest, rode the wave -- he didn't create it. If anyone has ever created a wave (beside Reagan) it was Rush and that was in the 1990s.
Fifth, McCain won through primaries, he was not crowned by the party. Thus, the indictment is against the electorate, not the party.
Finally, you say: "Are there some true Republicans in Washington sure a couple" -- but I don't accept that as valid argument. It's too easy to paint with a broad brush. If you want to accuse the Republicans of being bad, then tell me who you are talking about specifically. Right now too many people just use a broad brush and when called on it, all they ever come up with are the two to three famous RINOs. They are a miniscule part of the party. And holding them against the party is irrational. That's like saying all cops must be corrupt because three of them got arrested for taking bribes.
I had a feeling you would ;)
ReplyDeleteTo your first point I agree I just look at it in a broader time frame.
I see the Obama Presidency as the beginning of the goal line stand.
The 99 yards was what led up to the swearing in.
I agree with your second point as well. It's about damn time and it's a smart move but it also shows where the R's have been lacking.
To your third point my bad for putting out some disinformation that's embarrassing. I just remembered that it was an R that let this stuff become law. Hence the "their all the same attitude."
I think your right and wrong about the "don't forget what Nixon did to us." Remembering what he did in hindsight after the Carter administration just becomes circular in my mind because there are two different things in play. On the one hand people should remember what Nixon did to us so to be able to better distinguish true Conservatives from progressives when they come along. Which historically speaking in my lifetime has been exactly one, Presidentially speaking. On the other hand you have Democrats that ruin our economy and countries security. People have a tendency to remember things that are effecting them in the moment.
To your fourth point I agree that Beck is an entertainer. It just my kind of entertainment. Not having seen all of Becks shows I can't actually speak to his overall accuracy but from all the shows that I've seen I haven't found his economics or history to be egregiously wrong. Perhaps when you've got some time, which you probably don't have much of it might make for a good but touchy article ;) You are correct I can't give him sole credit only what ever his viewing numbers are so let just say a couple million people. Not much out of 300+ but it's something. Certainly not on par with Reagan but he's actually kind of an anomaly. I think Beck is a libertarian and Rush certainly has a larger audience but I think most people that are not conservative wouldn't listen to Rush if their life depended on it. Solely based on all of the misconstrued statements attributed to him. Beck on the other hand was going after Bush long before he ended up at FOX. He's got some street cred for being more in the middle which is an easier first step for the misguided lefties and unaligned independents.
To your fifth point you're right in the sense that it was the electorate but it was the Candidates that asked the electorate to do it. The official RNC chairman may not have come down from on high demanding it but had McCain one he would be the leader of the Republican party more so than the RNC. It just seems really shady but I guess politics are really shady.
cont. below
Here are all the Senator that voted for H.R. 1424 [110th]: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 this is just the Senate. That's either a lot of RINO's or or a lot of confused conservatives.
ReplyDeleteAlaska
Yea AK Murkowski, Lisa[R]
Yea AK Stevens, Ted [R]
Arizona
Yea AZ Kyl, Jon [R]
Yea AZ McCain, John [R]
Florida
Yea FL Martinez, Mel [R]
Georgia
Yea GA Chambliss, Saxby [R]
Yea GA Isakson, John [R]
Idaho
Yea ID Craig, Larry [R]
Indiana
Yea IN Lugar, Richard [R]
Iowa
Yea IA Grassley, Charles [R]
Yea KY McConnell, Mitch [R]
Maine
Yea ME Collins, Susan [R]
Yea ME Snowe, Olympia [R]
Minnesota
Yea MN Coleman, Norm [R]
Missouri
Yea MO Bond, Christopher [R]
Nebraska
Yea NE Hagel, Charles [R]
Nevada
Yea NV Ensign, John [R]
New Hampshire
Yea NH Gregg, Judd [R]
Yea NH Sununu, John [R]
New Mexico
Yea NM Domenici, Pete [R]
North Carolina
Yea NC Burr, Richard [R]
Yea OH Voinovich, George [R]
Oklahoma
Yea OK Coburn, Thomas [R]
Oregon
Yea OR Smith, Gordon [R]
Yea SC Graham, Lindsey [R
Yea SD Thune, John [R]
Tennessee
Yea TN Alexander, Lamar [R]
Yea TN Corker, Bob [R]
Texas
Yea TX Cornyn, John [R]
Yea TX Hutchison, Kay [R]
Utah
Yea UT Bennett, Robert [R]
Yea UT Hatch, Orrin [R]
Virginia
Yea VA Warner, John [R]
Some of them may no longer be in the Senate but this is what I'm talking about when I say gave up 99 yards and then make the goal line stand.
I'm glad they're making the goal line stand but really what other option do they have.
On a side note I saw Paul Ryan in front of Slaughters committee. That guy could be a Reagan.
I appreciate the time that you and everyone else puts into this site. It's fun to go up against some mental titans here at Commentarama.
Keeps us commoners on our toes ;)
Andrew and Skinner2cents
ReplyDeleteAs I read the comments here I am a little taken aback by the negative tone agaisnt the Republicans at this point.
I know that Ted Stevens of Alaska and Mel Martinez are no longer Senators. With luck Marco Rubio a solid conservative will step here down in my state.
I can understand it to some extent. We knew the enemy was going to pass this but it never stings as much as when it is passed. I think the fighting I am seeing is too much a despondency that we will not be able to overcome this bill. Truthfully I cannot offer a solution and can’t tell you that we can. My lament is that some of us seem to be missing the positive aspects that have been implemented since Obama’s election. Let me be the cheerleader here and tell you that while Skinner2 cents is right about the performance of Bush and the Republicans in 2000 – 2008 that I do not believe he is right about the character of what they wanted to do. I am not speaking of the Northeastern Rinos, Graham and McCain here but the rank and file. We gained control of the houses when Bush was elected only to have Jumpin‘ Jim sell us out in 2001. That was our first taste of the progressive nastiness to come. The problem from then on was the left being able to control the character of the debate.
Andrew and Skinner2cents I understand the animosity toward aspects of the Bush administration but also understand that our side did not ever have the benefit of forcing our policies on a level playing field. When Homeland security was being formed Bush refused to allow the TSA to be made government agency employees. The left are the ones that beat that back and the Rino’s went along. With SSN reform where we could keep a measly 4% of the 15.3% of our salaries confiscated for this program we hit a wall with the AARP. The Dems beat us back.
Even the TARP bill as asked for by Bush was not what the dems forced us to hqave. Remember Bush wanted nothing to do with bailing out Banks. What he wanted was for the money to be spent buying up the paper for failed mortgages. And guys we can’t really complain about him spending the 787 billion. Those were Fannae and Freddie loans even without any bill whatsoever we the American Taxpayer would be on the hook as WE though CIRA were co signers to the loans. We were going to pay no matter what ‘cause we Owed. Still Owe unfortunately. Need to Blame someone Blame Carter….
So what difference do I see today. Guys the narrative has changed. Even with the air falling out of the Health Care debate Conservatism is finally being demanded by average American’s across the country. Breitbart started it with Big Hollywood when he started telling Conservatives we can have a voice in the arts, theater, movies if we get behind the actors, artists, critics, writers, singers etc. that have been hiding in fear. Then when these power mad proglydites started shutting us out and immediately ramping up insult to our injury we got mad. People formed Tea Parties and were beat down by Union Thugs, mocked by MSM and we stood up and said no more. I have never in my 45 years seen conservatives come out and voice their opinion as I have in the last year.
And I strongly reject the notion we are ever crawling back in the caves of the rino country club and play get along with these statist jackasses. The narrative has changed guys, we are fighting. No more will our leaders state the government should not pay for that and the Left will be the only ones screaming in the street.
Stevens and Martinez are out. WriterX’s state is working on McCain. Mine is working on Crisp. We are going to get there……. We may be broke but that’s Ok . When this country started the founder’s were broke as well. The only way to go is up! Buck up!
Apologize for the long post but you got my passions up.
Skinner, Thanks! LOL! It's good to have our readers keep us on our toes too.
ReplyDeleteIt can't defend the guys who voted for TARP. That was a mistake and I think many of them have admitted as such. Still, they shouldn't have done it.
And to be clear, I am no fan of Bush or Bush II (or Nixon). Bush I lost me when he attacked Reagan, and his policies were exactly what we should have suspected. Bush II gave off all kinds of warning signs too, but people overlooked them because they thought he could beat Gore. And the results were disasterous for the country and the party.
You make an interesting point about Beck. He certainly wasn't as demonized by the left as Ruch was, but they worked hard to call him crazy. I think that Rush and Beck probably draw slightly different audiences, but I'm not sure. Beck seems to draw more from libertarian ranks.
Regarding Ryan, I completely agree with you. He impresses me to no end. I hope he goes far in the future.
Individualist, Long posts are fine, and I can definitely tell that you're upset by this. That's actually the reason I wrote the post -- I'm just as upset at all the anti-Republicanism that I'm seeing on the net.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think that the party made mistakes, BUT that those people are mostly all gone and they have been replaced by people who are doing a fantastic job for our side. It's time to support them.
Indeed, I think that by continuing to complain about the Republicans, people are just keeping the right from coming together and are giving comfort to the left in that they can continue to believe that the only legitimate choices are either the left or nothing.
Individualist: Don't forget us. We're working on getting rid of Boxer, and Campbell still seems to be ahead of both Fiorina in the primary and Boxer in the general.
ReplyDeleteLAwhawkSF
ReplyDeleteWOW if you Californians can get rid of Boxer I'll buy you a bottle of champaign... LOL
Forgive me I am unfamiliar with Campbell and Florina. If it was on a blog post post the link so I can read it. Good for you guys I thought California had gone so far left it had already fallen into the political ocean.
@ Individualist:
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'd like to hip hip hooray for the Republicans acting like Republicans again I'm not going to forget that they let us get into this mess while they were all taking a little nap on their principles as they've been known to do from time to time. I don't do this to help the left I do this because R's need to be reminded regularly apparently that we are watching and they have been failing. They are after all politicians and shouldn't be trusted to begin with.
Am I encouraged that the R's are stepping up to the plate and showing unity, of course it's about damn time. But that unity and solidarity isn't going to stop this train wreck from happening. Am I blaming the wrong R's possibly but why should I think they are actually any different? They were at least smart enough not to commit political suicide by getting on board this disaster.
It's been a long slide to where we are now. We've hit the wall tyranny is here.
Although my apologies I made the mistake of thinking that this site doesn't get much traffic from the left. That's my fault. To any D's perusing this site you are a threat to the very security of this nation at the foundational level, shame on you. You F****** A**Holes will be the death of this great nation.
Sorry today the glass is half empty.
Individualist: I've mentioned Campbell several times in my Diary, most recently this: "NOTE: More unexpected (but wished-for) good news. Her Majesty and Royal Painness, Senator Barbara Boxer, has dropped behind Republican Tom Campbell for the first time in matchups against her potential GOP rivals. She is also for the first time within the margin of error with all three Republicans in the most recent Field Poll. Campbell: 44-43%. Fiorina: 44-45% DeVore: 41-45%. Field says its margin of error is 3.7%. No doubt this partially reflects the anti-incumbent feeling that is growing nationwide, since Boxer's name recognition is much higher than the three Republicans. 60% of the respondents said they have no opinion of Campbell and Fiorina, while 78% said the same of DeVore. Still, I'll take all the "throw the bums out" votes we can get. It's now up to the ad agencies and the grassroots to make sure that by election day, the Republicans have name-recognition as well."
ReplyDeleteCarly Fiorina is one of three gazillionaires from Silicon Valley running in major California elections--two for the governorship and one for the Senate. If you're still reading Big Hollywood regularly, you are probably already familiar with Chuck DeVore, the third Republican in the Senate race.
I did an introductory article on Campbell way back before he switched from the gubernatorial race to the race for the Senate. Ignore the references to the governorship, and you get a good picture of the candidate: Mr. Bland Builds His Dream House.
I questioned Fiorina's political instincts in Keep Your Friends Close. Fiorina earlier did an attack ad against Campbell that was so ludicrous and so incomprehensible that it has become a minor legend on the internet called "Demon Sheep." Just Google that title and you'll see what I mean.
Skinner2cents
ReplyDeleteI understand. When McCain got the nod I was threatening not to vote. I am as angry as you are on some of these things.
I guess my point is simply this. We Conservatives (and by that I mean thefolks as O'Reilly would say not the leadership) have a problem.
That problem is that we seem to not understand "incrementalism" We get into a situation where we have a slight majority and if they R's can't deliver a balance budget we give up. We fail to understand that the other side has a dog in the fight. We don't attempt to reduce what we can. In 2001 when the Dems took over we had a deficit (I believe) let's say its was 120 billion. Why could we not attempt to reduce that 80 billion, then if we get that we push for down to 40 etc. The Dems are masters at this and it is why they get their way.
Instead I hear too many Republicans say Oh they didn't balance the budget H3!! with them it's over. When we do that Skinner We Lose. Unfortunately we've mastered that for 75 years. Let's correct that. We can do it because now our voices are being heard.
@ Andrew:
ReplyDeleteI was a fan of Bush II he was the guy who understood we have dangerous enemies in the world and he confronted them head on with pride. Who would have thought that something so basic is so uncommon now days and almost taboo. For that he will have my undying appreciation and I think the History books will treat him well because of it.
The to big to fail thing is where he lost me. It took me a little while before I thought Homeland Security was actually a really bad idea. Now to see it wielded against average Americans is more than disconcerting. Sorry for bringing the anger to something that was supposed to be encouraging. I'm praying for the Republicans that's my horse but the other horse looks like it's been on the juice.
@ Individualist:
I agree with you. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why with a majority in the early years they didn't manage to incrementally do anything. Sure we had the war going on but come on let's see some multitasking you guys are making the big bucks.
As much as I want to be optimistic I'm reminded of some politician that said the only time Washington dares to listen is when the people are angry so I'm staying angry. The R's are listening and that is something in and of it's self. I do apologize though for bringing the anger to something that should have been positive.
I love this country and it's being ruined,I'm an angry American.
Skinner, I understand we are all about the free exchange for ideas, so I thank you for bringing an opposing view point.
ReplyDeleteRe: Bush. I do agree that Bush understood that we need to fight evil, and I appreciated that, but I think he did a poor job of it by letting the neocon element plan the war effort. They were more interested in remaking Iraq into little America than defeating terrorism, and they made a huge number of mistakes because of it.
P.S. Skinner, I really do understand your anger and your suspicion. I just think that the current group has proven themselves to be much better than the older group, and I think that now is the time to trust them (but not blindly. . . trust, but verify).
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