GOP Moderates Head For The Doors

Charlie Crist has left the republican party to run for senate as an independent in Florida. This is just another case of the republican party expunging the moderates of its party.

"The more complicated truth, say top GOP officials from both wings of the party, is that an ornery conservative base is expressing its disgust for Republicans who have both flagrantly defied the party and represent a distrusted political establishment."

What is sad is that the GOP is a party of "if you are different, get the hell out." So many moderate republicans are on the verge of extinction. And the trouble for the GOP is that with the "anti-incumbent" atmosphere right now, the gains they get in november will only embolden the radicals. So come 2012, they are going to nominate, in their primaries, radicals that are unelectable.

Republicans Hurt By Their Own Propaganda

It seems Michelle Bachmann's idea for repubs to not fill out their census form is backfiring bigtime.

"In Texas, some of the counties with the lowest census return rates are among the state’s most Republican"

So, let me get this correct. GOP big mouths preach about big government in your life. They then advocate for the illegal act of NOT filling out the census form and are then screwed by its affects. Now that there is such a low showing, the possibility of losing house members in GOP areas increases.

The other coin to this is the GOP is supposed to be fiscal conservative. The problem is that since there is such a low number of census forms coming back that the government then has to PAY people to go door to door to get the numbers.

"It costs taxpayers $25 per person to send a census taker door-to-door to collect the same information if they didn’t mail it back."

25$ bucks per person per house. Do the math on that one GOP. Their insane talking points are costing them seats and money. The GOP is a joke.

How The GOP Can Lose Politically On Repeal

Good quote find on how the GOP might not want to tout the "repeal" message too much.

"If the Republicans now keep health care in the spotlight by trying to repeal it, they will be the ones independents voters see as having skewed priorities and they may start to pay the price. Yes, repeal will play well with the base. But focusing on that has a high potential to turn off independent swing voters who have been leaning toward the GOP but are sick of the health care debate and want Washington to be more focused on something else."

So this says what the Dems have to do. keep a jobs bill in the spotlight.

GOP To Campaign On Repealing Health Care

Please god let this be true.

"Under pressure from conservatives, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said today that GOP candidates will coalesce around a pledge to repeal a health care bill that’s passed by the Democratic controlled Congress this year."

Who could have imagined a party hell bent on taking people's health care away. What bottom feeders.

GOP's Palin Problem

With Sarah Palin on her whirlwind book tour, the GOP is facing a problem with their up-and-coming star. For over a year now she has been doing everything she can to stay in the spot light. With all this fame comes a fanatical GOP fanbase that should have the GOP worried for 2012.

Because of the large shift within the GOP to right wing fanaticism, the likelihood of Sara getting the repub nomination has jumped up dramatically. That poses a rather ugly problem because Sarah is 100% unelectable. She will even further alienate moderate conservatives from the GOP party.

We will see where this goes, but this power hungry star will could end up severely damaging the GOP in her quest for the holy grail.

Lost Amongst The Election

From Politico:

"It shouldn't have come as a surprise, since Republicans have lost 20 of the past 29 House special elections, dating back to January 2003. And in perhaps the most worrisome aspect of the trend, the GOP lost its fifth consecutive competitive special election in Republican-friendly territory."

Obama Playing His Cards Right

Politico has an article out about how Obama has been laying the groundwork to isolate repub conservatives to the south. In Obama's most recent appointment, he nominated  Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) for Army secretary. The idea of nominating very qualified repubs from areas trending dem is not new.

"It’s an event that’s happening with enough frequency to suggest the presence of a design, a plan that not only sketches the outline of a reelection strategy but manages to drive a wedge into the opposition at the same time. Call it a Sherman’s March in reverse — an audacious attempt by Obama to burn down any lines of escape for Republicans from their one refuge of popularity, the deep South."

What is the strategy? Politico lists many. First, Obama keeps his campaign promise to be bipartisan. Second, and most interesting, is that by taking out moderate repubs he's isolating the conservatives in the GOP party to a regional southern party. (If you look, the GOP has been losing senate and house seats hand-over-fist in the North and Midwest over the 2 election cycles.)

Third, by taking away moderates from areas trending blue the GOP has to then spend serious cash in defending the seat. This takes away valuable cash that could be used to attack dem seats instead of defending currently held ones. This gives dems better opportunities. 

Overall, its a great plan. 

Washington Post Headline Says It All

Why is the GOP toning down criticism? Because it is becoming a booming racist voice by the crazies in the party. Obama, choosing a qualified nominee, split the GOP right down the middle with his supreme court nominee. You have the crazies itching for a fight and then you have the people who want to win elections telling them to chill it out.

From the same article:

The guy trying to elect repubs to the senate said "I think it's terrible. This is not the kind of tone any of us want to set when it comes to performing our constitutional responsibilities of advise and consent."

Newt and Rush are spouting a lot of hate right now and they GOP doesn't know what to do with the defacto leaders of their party. If it doesn't stop, it is going to get a lot uglier and the GOP will definitely lose a growing voting block: Latinos and Women

The GOP Attacks Come

It took about 2 hours to organize the GOP attack squad. While I believe some repubs had prepared things to complain about, others are still taking their time before committing to an attack. 

Gov Mike Huckabee- "the clearest indication yet that President Obama’s campaign promises to be a centrist and think in a bipartisan way were mere rhetoric.”

Minority Speaker Mitch Boehner- “Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law even-handedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences.”

Michael Steele-  “Republicans will reserve judgment on Sonia Sotomayor until there has been a thorough and thoughtful examination of her legal views.”

By looking at some of the other unknown commenters, they are going to attack her for using her "feelings" (her ability to empathize.) When did empathy become a liability? Also, attacking a women for her ability to empathize (or man for that fact) is absolutely rediculous. From what I have heard, she has been a rule of law kind of person. In one instance, ruling against a pro-choice group. 

Pelosi Taking Tortue to the Next Level

I am not quite sure what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is doing. She has raised the stakes on the torture problem but I am not sure if it was on purpose. On Wednesday, she said the CIA had lied to congress about whether or not waterboarding/torture was being used back in 2002. She says that the CIA did not inform her about torture when the CIA says they told her directly.

I don't know who is right but for Pelosi, a veteran politician, to say that the CIA "lied" is big. Politicians who get to this level generally do not make eronious statements. They are always calculating for a goal they have in mind. The only goal this brings about is an investigation and she called for one.

The problem is that Obama has already said he doesn't support this. So what is she doing? Is she defending herself and her word by calling the CIA liars or does she really want a truth commission. Who knows.

The Post has an article on the subject:

"Pelosi's performance in the Capitol was either a calculated escalation of a long-running feud with the Bush administration or a reckless act by a politician whose word had been called into question. Perhaps it was both."

There is another question. Why is the GOP attacking her? The GOP is viciously attacking Pelosi only increasing the call for a truth commission. The last thing the GOP needs is a commission investigating the Bush's toture policy and who was complicit.

Overall, this is all very confusing.

Even Joe The Plumber is Quitting the GOP

Say it ain't so Joe. It seems that the GOP can't even keep its hard core base. Joe the Plumber, the guy who McCain spent a lot of money promoting Joe the Plumber during his campaign, is now leaving the repub party due to GOP "overspending." 

You know its bad when the guy who had no future until you came along and made him money, leaves you because you spend too much money. A real kick in the family jewels. 

GOP Rolls Out Tired Old Attacks

With the GOP's effor to "rebrand" itself, they felt it necessary to a try and squeeze every last drop out of one their favorite attacks: Dems are weak on national security. The GOP is attacking Obama for making us "less safe." (It seems that Cheney might have had a hand in this. His sick calculation is that if they harp on this long talking point and if something bad happens, they might get power back. Sick!)

"House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Pete Hoekstra of Michigan in a new Web video are accusing President Barack Obama of making decisions that have left the nation more vulnerable to attack."

The ironic part is that Obama was one of the first dems to fight the GOP on this line of attack. The GOP really do have a serious branding problem. Voters see them as the party of "No": They have no ideas, no leaders and no vision. 

My suggestion. Lay low for the next 4 years. Really try and govern and maybe along the way the ideas and leadership will start coming. They are flailing around trying to look like they are doing something when they really are doing nothing and voters can see that.  

GOP's First 100 Days

Got this from DailyKos. We almost forgot to mention the other party's first 100 days. Well, things can only get better?

GOP Rebranding With Old Players

God, you have to wonder what the hell these guys are thinking. The GOP is trying to rebrand itself with the same people. They are involving new faces but at the end of the day, the GOP just doesn't get it. 

"It will involve an outreach by an interesting mix of GOP officials, ranging from 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain to Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and the younger brother of the man many Republicans blame for the party's battered brand: former President George W. Bush."

Who's brilliant idea was it to bring in Jeb Bush. Who else knows Jeb Bush besides Floridians. You DO NOT want a Bush name anywhere near a national GOP rebranding. No matter how great he was in Florida. 

Senator Arlen Specter Switches Parties

WOW!!! Seeing his looming loss in the next election as a repub, moderate Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has made a smart move to become a democrat. This must pain him dearly but at the end of the day, it's about survival.

"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary. I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

With Franken being seated in June after Coleman's futile appeal, the dems will have 60 seats. This is huge. Health Care, Employee Free Choice Act, Supreme Court Appointees, everything is at the dems fingertips. 

Don't fuck it up dems. 

Update:

From Politicalwire:

"The Hill reports Senate Republican leaders "received no heads up" from Specter about his decision.

Meanwhile, Ben Smith reports Vice President Joe Biden "deeply involved" in the talks with Specter to make the switch.

NBC News says Democrats promised Specter would face no Democratic challenger but that he was promised no committee chairmanship in return for switching parties."

Update II:

Why did he change parties? See here about a previous post. 

GOP Starting to Rethink Their Culture Wars

With the economy in the crapper and the GOP in their with it, the repubs are finally starting to rethink the culture issues that brought them to power during the 90's. The Times is reporting that gay marriage is becoming more of a hinderance than an asset.

People have been leaving the GOP in droves over the past 4 years. What is left has been reported on here many times: the chared crusty burnt diehard crazies of a party. The last election showed that the GOP lacks young voters, latin voters, black voters, gay voters and just about every other up and coming minority group. 

How are they dealing with this problem? Well, some are trying to back away from the gay marriage issue. 

"Yet today, as the party contemplates the task of rebuilding itself, some Republicans say the issue of gay marriage may be turning into more of a hindrance than a help."

Why would they back away? Did they have a come-to-Jesus moment. No. It's because the polling shows its not popular

"More significant is evidence in polls of a widening divide on the issue by age, suggesting to many Republicans that the potency of the gay-marriage question is on the decline. It simply does not appear to have the resonance with younger voters that it does with older ones."

The future of any party is minorities that are starting to become a force. Latinos and younger voters. This puts the GOP at odds with its crazy base. The base can't stand immigrants and gays (which younger voters have come to accept.) What are they to do?

I think its time to cut off the bad parts of the tree before the tree dies. 

GOP Further Digs Their Hole of Uselessness

First the GOP wanted volcano monitoringstripped from the stimulus bill and Alaska had a huge volcanic eruption. Now, a flu pandemic is breaking out all over the world and guess who stripped pandemic preparedness from the stimulus bill. Right! The god awful republicans.

Why put pandemic flu preparedness in? 

"Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse"

Now, if this flu hits hard we could have an economic shitstorm on our hands. Brought to you by your beloved GOP. 

Dem Murphy Wins Special Election

Ny-20 was supposed to be a Republican held congressional seat. They have been traditionally republican. They had the voter advantage. It is a conservative area. Their candidate had name recognition. But now that people have been seeing what and who they are, they ain't getting the votes.

Murphy (dem) beat Tedisco (repub) by some 200-300 votes. It was after the absontee ballots were counted that Murphy went ahead and never looked back.

Over at FirstRead:

"Although the late Friday concession, as well as the nearly four weeks of overtime, might have lessened the sting, let’s make no mistake: The Republicans’ loss in NY-20 was yet another blow to an already-bruised GOP."

How many of the 29 house seats do the GOP control after 4 years of getting trounced at the ballot box? 3! Only 3 repubs remain in the state of New York. A saaaaaddddd state of affairs for the GOP. 

Repub Gov's Really Don't Like the Voters

Ever since the stimulus passed some repub govs have been saying they won't take the money for political aspirations financial reasons. (Mainly, they want to run for pres in 2012.) Now, both dem and repub state reps are turning against them.

"But what began with a bang is ending with something closer to a whimper. All three of those governors have been forced to scale back their expectations, to varying degrees, as the push of conservative philosophy gave way to the pull of political reality....All three found that praise from the conservative movement in Washington meant nothing to furious state legislators of both parties."

Basically, they wanted to cut unemployment from the money and some wanted to cut health care as well.

I can tell you how sick it makes me to think that these fools would trade money/benefits for those down and out for political aspirations of the future.

GOP's Budget Has No Numbers

GOP introduced their new budget yesterday (Thursday) to great media coverage. The only problem was their budget had no numbers. The most embarrassing part was when Minority Leader Boehner, after quoting Obama's line from his press conference "we haven’t seen a budget out of [Republicans]", was asked "where is the budget?" he replied "We'll have that out next week."

Turns out, they have no numbers. Yesterday's fiasco was about the outline. Which royally pissed off the press because they were told on Tuesday night that "Given the President’s comments [Tuesday] night... we wanted to make sure you're all aware that we are introducing our Republican Budget Alternative tomorrow."

The really ironic part is that their real budget is coming out April 1st. AKA: April Fools.