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The House GOP Retreat

Will Pelosi Quit? Why Will the Contract Not be Announced for Months? Which Democrat Chairman Will Retire? All is Answered.

By: Brian Faughnan (Diary)  |  January 29th, 2010 at 05:49 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Today I attended the House GOP retreat in Baltimore, at the invitation of House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence. I got to play at reporter, and to chat with some Members of Congress and staff. I also got to attend the speech with the President, and the subsequent question-and-answer session.

As others have noted, the speech very much seemed to be an attempt by the president to show that he is bipartisan, friendly, and open to GOP ideas – no matter how the facts might appear to you. Both sides took the opportunity to play to the cameras of course, with long questions centering on deficits and broken promises, and well-rehearsed answers about the trillions in deficits inherited from President Bush.

According to staff, the House Republicans had invited the president to attend and speak some weeks ago; the White House accepted. The GOP did not suggest that cameras be allowed for the speech because they assumed such an offer would be rejected. The White House asked (last night) to allow cameras and the Republicans eagerly agreed. So if the event seemed political, each side got what it wanted. The GOP is touting the benefits of having the president say – on the record – that they have offered substantive proposals. They also argue that this appearance puts Nancy Pelosi in a tough position: the president promised bipartisanship, and she’s delivering none. They see the chance to knock her down a few more pegs.

And while we’re talking about Nancy Pelosi, I spoke with several staffers speculating that this will be her last year in elective office. The argument goes that with significant House losses virtually certain, and relatrively little accomplished, she will face a restive caucus next year. If Democrats control the House, she may face a challenge from Steny Hoyer – who may be better positioned to manage a moderate course. And if the GOP wins the House, Pelosi will be expected to fall on her sword. Staffers said that Hoyer’s actions – and in particular his coddling of the Blue Dogs – suggests his campaign is already underway.

I’m also told to count on an updated version of the Contract With America (no surprise there). But I’m told to expect it later, rather than sooner. One staffer pointed out that a Contract which comes early will be forgotten by voters by election day. One that comes late is more likely to be remembered, and to feed some excitement about the coming agenda. Former Speaker Gingrich (I was told) had made this point in his comments.

While a session with pollsters Kellyanne Conway and David Livingston was not open to the press, Republican Members were delighted after the presentation. One told me that the pollsters stressed the importance of winning independent voters, rather than turning out the base. They said that a critical reason for the GOP landslide in 1994 was that independents favored the GOP by a 14 point margin. The latest polling – the GOP was told – puts Republicans ahead by 15 points.

Livingston and Conway also stressed that voters are not personally rejecting Barack Obama, and they cautioned against being seen as opposing the president personally. They said that it is his policies which are unpopular, and candidates should be careful to draw the distinction. They told the conference that simply opposing the Democrats will net 20 House seats or so; proposing a positive agenda of their own would net 20 more.

All-in-all, House Republicans are in a very good mood. One spoke about more Democrat retirements – and pointed to Leonard Boswell (D-IA) as a likely candidate to retire. This source told me to count on one, however: House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt. I was told that notwithstanding Spratt’s statements to the contrary, all signs point to him hanging it up.

I’ll follow with the videos of several interviews once I have them uploaded.

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COMMENTS

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  • erod

    http://cspan.org/Watch/Media/2010/01/29/HP/R/29045/President+Speaks+at+GOP+Retreat.aspx

  • JadedByPolitics

    let me know next November how that works out for them!

    • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

      “who else you gonna vote for, ha ha ha” – GOP Establishment

    • paint_it_red

      A focus on independents at the expense of the base is a losing strategy. It fails time and time again, most recently with McCain. Being conservative is not going to alienate independents, it is going to crank out the base. McDonnell, Christie, Cuccinelli, Bolling, and Brown all ran conservative campaigns. Each emphasized fiscal conservatism while not running away from the socially conservative parts of their agenda either.

      Its not an either/or proposition. The country is to the right of the president. There is plenty to criticize Obama for that everyone can agree to.

      I like the bit though about cementing our positive platforms into a Contract with America II later in the summer.

    • Flint

      I think what the pollsters were saying was – “you can’t just worry about getting out the base”.

      So – the message would be – you need to appeal to independents AND the base.

      Face it – if they were just going to appeal to the base – they could just do “red meat” and get the base all stirred up – blaming Obama from everything to the economy – to your favorite TV show getting canceled.

      If you’re going to appeal to Independents AND the base – it’s going to have to be a much more nuanced approach.

      Like they said – Obama is still personally popular – it’s his policies that are his weak spot.

      So – you talk about how you’d do things differently. You don’t personally attack the guy. Talk about how you wanted to work with him – but you were cut out of the meetings, etc.

      • tankertodd

        I think there’s ample amount of policy that conservatives and independents agree upon right now. Health care and taxation are the two obvious ones. I think the independents, as seen in the tea party, are restless about fixing the deficit and entitlements. Fights over immigration and abortion are back burner issues right now. The other huge one is the war on Islamist Fascists. We couldn’t be on a more wrong path. Independents want us out of Afghanistan but they want terrorists hung, literally. Michael Yon seems optimistic that we’ll have the war won by next year. We’ll see.

      • JadedByPolitics

        to run a Conservative campaign….IT WORKS….it is what people WANT! They want SMALL GOVERNMENT! what they don’t need to do is let the Democrats control the message on social issue’s and CONTROL the message on FISCAL ISSUES….period. That is what the country WANTS the only people who do NOT want to be fiscally sound are LEFTISTS so to be thinking of the I’s and not worrying about the base is the same OLD and TIRED way they have run their campaigns which btw is the reason the OLD & TIRED incumbents are being challenged in the primaries!

        Best example of what I am talking about with regards to not worrying about I’s but just running as what you are is Toomey & Rubio and they have numbers that are killing their D competitor!

  • http://charlemagne-the-hammer.blogspot.com/ DerKrieger

    While a new contract is probably a good idea for delivering a single message regarding all proposed ideas if you fail to follow through, engage in too much reaching across the aisle, fall under the sway of “moderates”, and engage in reckless spending you will lose in 2012 and 2014. We conservatives are not only demanding conservative solutions to our problems, we are also demanding a roll back of decades of failed statist policies. Be bold, be honest, and make the case for strict fiscal discipline. Contra Newsweek, we are NOT all socialists now.

    • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway

      if you fail to follow through, engage in too much reaching across the aisle, fall under the sway of ?moderates?, and engage in reckless spending you will lose in 2012 and 2014. We conservatives are not only demanding conservative solutions to our problems, we are also demanding a roll back of decades of failed statist policies. Be bold, be honest, and make the case for strict fiscal discipline. Contra Newsweek, we are NOT all socialists now.

      My thoughts exactly.

    • 6eorge Jetson

      That means attempting to win primaries w/ as many bedrock Conservatives as possible and then running on that message in the fall. Electing a Squish only counts for 1/3rd or so of a seat.

    • OccamsRazor

      Any Aristrocracy, quoted or talking to your face directly, doesn’t neccessarily mean s/he knows wtf they’re talking about-Mass proved that-GOP ‘one staff’ers and all.

      Creation is a matter of sheer will.

      The base and RedState have MUCH we/you can accomplish yet.

  • Shoebox

    “One told me that the pollsters stressed the importance of winning independent voters, rather than turning out the base. They said that a critical reason for the GOP landslide in 1994 was that independents favored the GOP by a 14 point margin.”

    Yes, but they also had the base as they were viewed as being conservative. I don’t know if that is all the case this go around. Focusing on the Indies and ignoring the base is what McCain attempted. I don’t think that’s an example that they should model after.

    • Ausonius

      And here I was ready for higher blood pressure, since I thought “retreat” equaled a new “surrender.”

      So I calmed down.

      But then I read those lines above quoted by Shoebox!!!

      And my blood pressure went up anyway!

      Yes, the only way to turn out the base AND independents is to start following the principles of the Founding Fathers!

      A Republic: limited government, guaranteeing as much freedom as possible, not guaranteeing handouts. And if they happen to get a majority again, DO NOT IMITATE DEMS!!!

      • http://erickbrockway.wordpress.com/ Erick Brockway

        My blood pressure spiked.

      • student

        Ausonius was correct. The point of being a “Conservative” is that you are “conserving” something. The things that “Conservatives” are “conserving” are the values of the American Revolution – small frugal limited government, low taxation with people making their own choice on how their earnings are spent, free enterprise, individualism with individual empowerment and individual responsibility for the consequences of your actions, freedom of conscience where individuals choose their values based on the philosophy or religion they accept rather than on a state-sponsored secular ideology. If Republicans articulate these values they will win both Conservatives AND a large majority of independents.

    • writeblock

      It seems to me independents are as fiscally conservative as conservative Republicans. They may be moderate only socially. They are not moderate on fiscal issues or on issues concerning national security. MA is a good example of this.

      • Republican_Michigander

        A lot of the independents in my state are populists who are pro-life and pro-gun, but oppose big business and support unions and protecting the little guy.

        Independent does NOT always mean “fiscal conservative and social liberal” which often leads to defeat if taken too far.

        • dwander

          How does that work for keeping jobs in your state? Idaho is trying like heck to get businesses to come to our state and we are pretty business friendly.

          We are hoping that Oregon’s new plan to increase taxes on all businesses and oh by the way the rich,that they will decide to move just a little bit east.

          • Republican_Michigander

            In unemployment.

  • E Pluribus Unum

    I’m sorry. That was idiotic advice, to play to the I’s and not the base.

    First of all, a conservative message does BOTH.

    Second of all, see first of all.

    • Marcus_Traianus

      “The conservative message does BOTH”? And all this time I thought conservative principles only applied to us far right wingers. You know that little faction of smelly tea party folks.

    • jayburd

      So please don’t reach over there. Think of it more like they are wandering around in the wilderness not sure of who they can trust, some what shell shocked by obamanomics, climate fraud, another never-ending war etc,etc.
      The common issues of the base and the indys are:
      It’s the economy/deficit/size of government STUPID!
      If it’s a war, LET’S WIN IT STUPID!
      Health care reform is really NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, STUPID!
      Let’s try to leave our social agendas to the states where they belong.

  • ocleverone

    I don’t agree with the pollsters. McCain failed miserably using this tact. What about the win in Virginia?

    McDonnell ran a clean, conservative campaign and the base and the indies turned out for him.

    You cannot ignore the base, it doesn’t work.

    • Scope

      He got a tremendous amount of the Independent vote. He didn’t pander, he spoke positively about solid conservative ideas and plans. His base was elated, and, the Independents were the ones that put him in the “landslide” category. “Conservatism works every time it’s tried”- Rushbo

      • ocleverone

        Normally, I loathe phone banking but I found the majority of people I talked to were very happy with his message – the majority to whom I spoke were identified Republican but there were some Independents in there and it was positive.

        It annoys me to no end when someone’s attempted strategy ignores the base.

        • ocleverone

          See how much I hate phone banking? ;)

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Given the later political pronouncements that Democrats no plan to;
    1- Blame Bush and Republicans for the current economy as an election strategy.
    2- Blame Republicans the past year was their fault because they didn’t prostrate themselves before the stimulus and health care Gods.
    3-Blame Republicans for the Democrats one-party rule that tripled the national debt and gave us 17% real unemployment
    4- The Presidents own pronouncement later in the afternoon that if Republicans don’t get in line with his agenda- it’s all their fault

    - I suppose it was a very collegial afternoon.

    By the way, I assume Republicans handed the President a copy of their collective goals and suggested agenda for the next year? After all, that was the perfect opportunity if we are serious about truthfully winning back Americans instead of playing political games and hoping the Democrats failure will let the GOP pick up where they left off before our electorate told them to pound salt? Whew.

    Just asking, being you were there and all that.

    • ocleverone

      nt

      • Marcus_Traianus

        want a single, comprehensive agenda and set of guiding principles behind which Americans can rally and start to beleive the GOP or they just want to sit around as unemployment goes up and these Democrats clowns destroy our Democracy? Now I guess most Republicans are happy to watch these guys go down in flames. But frankly I can’t help but be curious about where the party of ideas went. Now in deference to the positive GOP folks actually earning our tax money, I would think the conference would be a good place to hold hands and sing kumaba, in unison, instead of listening to a speech that retreads all the tired talking points and defensed of Democrats. But that’s just me.

        • ocleverone

          Your title and your last line dude.

  • noislaocommie

    Yes…Lame Cherry’s piece has this capitulation to I’s down to a T.

    http://lamecherry.blogspot.com/2010/01/rhicon-republicans.html

    • Scope

      what a waste of time.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/williamgainey billg

    If the Tea Party movement, 9-12 Project movement and other independent Democrats and Independent Conservatives put their heads together and pool their resources (financial and volunteering) all for the same cause, back to our Constitution and principles of the founding of the USA, then we won’t have to worry about the base or the “I”s. They will all be ONE. The local groups in each congressional district must evaluate their current representative (be he/she a DEM or a GOP) and if they don’t measure up to those founding values and not willing to stand up and represent us, then we recruit and find a candidate that will. That means a criminal background check, a political vetting and a group “grilling” to evaluate the “truthfulness” of such candidate. Then, if the candidate measures up to committment, endurance and willingness to go through the gauntlet of the MSM, we should collectively support each candidate with money, time and committment without the RNC, RNCC, RNSC, etc. That way the candidate will be independent of the national party and not behollding to the PROGRESSIVE RINOS WHO INFECT THE NATIONAL PARTY INFRASTRUCTURE.

    • Scope

      has already been on that wave. They aren’t any more popular now then they were when they were in your face, cramming Paul’s doctrine down your throat, and demanding that you see things their way. Your barking up the wrong tree here pal.

    • jfindl2

      run an obstacle course and where radio tracking ankle bracelets at all times? What I find especially disturbing is the idea of forming councils to “grill them about truthfulness,” it reminds of the cultural revolution in China.

  • Jonas Parker

    Hope the GOP remembers (I think many still don’t realize) that the cloud of Independents surrounds the GOP cloud. Many are as conservative as the average GOP voter, many are MORE conservative, and fewer (still significant) exist slightly to the left of the GOP, between the GOP and the ‘line of demarcation’ between left and right (the ‘center’ line). Others to left of center can be drawn in, if done right, but not at the sacrifice of an even greater number on the right. This is the knowledge that will win elections.

    • Scope

      is that if I walk out my front door, and I turn right, and then make a left at the next intersection, and a right onto the third driveway, I will meet up with the quasi conservative/moderate Republican/Left leaning Independent I will be at the correct meeting hall? Thanks for the directions to success.

      • Jonas Parker

        I guess what I said is too complicated ? Don’t know if you are just making fun or really don’t understand. Most people don’t understand. Perhaps you do. I don’t know. Bottom line, if you parse the statements, is that it sounds like the implications of this ‘pollster advice’ is to ‘move to the center’. I am saying that is a loosing strategy, as it has always been. If you analyze the polling statistics, you discover that the general assumption that these ‘Independents’ are mostly left of the Reps is wrong. Most are as conservative or even moreso than the Reps, particularly most of the Rep leadership. Get it now ?

  • krelborn

    I was always a big fan of the British QandA sessions with the prime minister, mostly because they tended to get a little rowdy. I thought this was good for both sides today. Everyone behaved themselves while making sure to get their points across. If you only watch cable news, you get the impression that the Reps and Dems are basically frothing at the mouth. It was cool to see them both act like grown-ups. I’d like to see them do this once a month, honestly. Mix it up, have Reid/McConnell answering questions one week, then Pelosi/Boehner the next. Might help keep em all honest (lol, yeah, i know, good luck with that. Make for good TV, though.)

    • writeblock

      …was that the President filibustered every response. It was not like the British QandA with rapid fire questions and responses. It gave too much face time to the President but little to the questioners. That said, I still think the GOP still came off as civil and intelligent, with good questions. I also think the President may have agreed to let in the media so that he might correct the projection of arrogance he projected in the SOTU. Here he seemed reasonable and conciliatory.

  • fpete13527

    …although I am clear Obama personally deserves equal and MORE of the attack…BIG TIME. Side note: KellyAnne Conway is a gift from God:))

    I ABSOLUTELY do NOT agree with having the Republican pitch to independents be MODERATE…. It should absolutley be 100% conservative and then some. MAGNET NOT TENT.

    Newt is one of the good people to SPEAK the message/contract but NOT the one who should DEVELOPE it. My vote for DEVELOPING the message…even if GOP won’t listen….is REDSTATE.

    Great post Brian.

    • krelborn

      …it’s pretty clear from about the last jillion elections that very few voters are either pure Conservative, or pure Progressive. Most people I’ve talked to couldn’t care less either way, they worry about their pocketbooks. Any party that makes a stand on Pure Unsullied Principles is gonna take a beating on Election Day. I think the successful trend has been to make your ideas sound as middle of the road as possible (Obama/Brown), while working for your preffered policies. Scott Brown did it, and won in a Blue state. Pres. Obama seems to be moving in that direction, too. Guess we’ll see come November.

      • Scope

        and as uneducated and deluded as your comrade Progressives.

        • krelborn

          Please, lord, no. That’s why I don’t go to DailyKos or FreeRepublic anymore. Just because you don’t think Washington politics is a life or death struggle for the soul of America, it doesn’t make you a “troll”. You want to know my personal politics? Socially, I’m fairly prog. Gay people don’t scare me, and I think everyone has a right to decent health care. Fiscally? I gave up on anyone in DC trying to balance the books a long time ago, but I’d like NOT to owe the Chinese a trillion dollars, and plowing money into stupid things p*&^$%$# me off. Defense? I’m a hawk. If someone tries to kill you, you need to kill them fast, and you should always assume that someone, somewhere, wants you dead.
          Republican or Democrat? If you find any difference outside their campaign literature, plz let me know.

          • penguin2

            So don’t come here and spout that nonsense. You need to go back to your Leftist/ progressive handbook and see if you can find some more talking points to come and smear us with.

            You might be disappointed to hear this, but you have been an utter failure in trying to sound or even be anywhere near in agreement with on anything. What gives you away, spouting trash in a blatant, crass matter. Yes, you sound like the perfect troll, in that you succeeded.

          • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

            I’m always afraid some gayness will rub off on me if I’m in the same room for too long. And I know they’re looking at me, y’know, THAT way….

            and now that THAT”S out of my system…

          • Repair_Man_Jack

            and then burn all your clothing in an autoclave. That should stop the infection in its tracks (j/k)

          • writeblock

            He ran as a conservative. Saying he ran as a moderate is simply false. He was against the health bill and government control of health care. He was against giving constitutional rights to terrorists. He was against cap and trade. He was for fiscal restraint and smaller government. Those were the issues.

          • jfindl2

            He definitely ran on solid conservative principles on fiscal and security matters, but he is also pro-choice, considers the gay marriage issue in Mass settled, he voted for his state’s universal health care system, and the only well known Republican he campaigned with was Rudi. I agree that, for the most part, he ran as a conservative but he definitely tailored his campaign to appeal to both moderates and conservatives.

          • shadowmane

            is well within the norms for being a classic conservative/liberal. After all, the State is where the power should reside. If Mass. wants universal health care for its citizens, that’s fine. But if Mass. wants its health care system imposed on the rest of us… that’s not fine.

            The Constitution was about giving the States the bulk of the power, with the Federal Government existing to make treaties and provide for the common defense. Outside of that, the Federal Government is overstepping its Constitutional Mandate. We need to get the Constitution back to its original content. Repeal the direct election of Senators. That actually needs to be a campaign issue.

            Neither party follows the Constitution, and that’s a travesty. We need to elect men and women who are committed to following the Constitution, not popular public opinion, which is very fickle and subject to change at the drop of… well just about anything.

          • Martin Knight

            Whatever gave you the silly impression that gay people “scare” Republicans?

          • Repair_Man_Jack

            He doesn’t have to pay you for those services either. That 13th Amendment thingy, those are just dead whities spouting off neocolonial nonsense.

          • bs

            because I guarantee you that you’ll be banned in short order. That gives me a good barometric pressure reading on your future, and there are storm clouds ahead.

          • mbecker908

            almost four and a half years nobody has said a word about me being a lesbian.

          • dwander
          • krelborn

            Bad choice of words. I can be a little flip at times. You must admit, though, that Republican policy stances are often at odds with that of the (non-Republican; noted, mbecker) GLBT community, even while the party is happy to have their votes on election day. Anyways, “scare” was a poor choice. I should have said that your behavior seems at odds with some of your stated positions.
            That seems to be something of a theme this year, with dems & reps…

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            Good one, MBecker. And Krelborn doesn’t even know what a fool he/she made of himself/herself.

          • mbecker908

            it’s an admission that you are down right stupid.

            There is no new “theme” for Dems. They are and have been for at least the last 50 years the forefront of the socialist and fascist movement in the US. The “GLBT community” falls in line with them because the only way their agenda has a chance is with federal control of everything.

      • aesthete

        Bob McDonnell and others made a point of running as conservatives, and there are several states in which such a campaign would not only be successful, but moreso than had he run as a moderate. Generally, the trick is to show how conservatism makes sense for one’s pocketbook and for one’s personal liberty.

        The bigger problem, really, is conservative governance: most any developed theory on governance shows that government will grow due to internal factors (public choice, for example). That makes governing “from the right” a difficult endeavor, indeed, and is made more difficult by the fact that conservatives are more likely to make decisions on their politicians based on the personal morality of said pol, and it makes governing as a conservative a tough row to hoe, indeed.

        As to Obama moving towards the center, I absolutely disagree with you, per the State of the Union address. I suppose it’s a purely subjective metric, but Obama’s SOTU speech was much less conciliatory than Clinton’s “the era of big government is over” line.

        • writeblock

          Rudy should have been President. It’s not enough for someone to have conservative credentials. He needs to be a true reformer. As mayor Rudy restructured agencies and fired bureaucrats in order to balance the budget. He sold off municipal entitites and lowered taxes dramatically. He was proactive against the politics of race and the usual political correctness that had others hamstrung. He truly REFORMED the city’s administration–so that it’s still functioning fairly efficiently today. So it’s not enough for some conservative to go in there for business as usual and with the usual mindset. He’s got to have executive know-how–and the courage to defy the critics. Haley Barbour comes to mind.

        • krelborn

          “Generally, the trick is to show how conservatism makes sense for one?s pocketbook and for one?s personal liberty.”

          There is an argument to be made there, a good one, IMO. I have no ideological allergy to tax cuts, and the further Uncle Sam stays out of my business, the better.

          “The bigger problem, really, is conservative governance: most any developed theory on governance shows that government will grow due to internal factors (public choice, for example). That makes governing ?from the right? a difficult endeavor, indeed, and is made more difficult by the fact that conservatives are more likely to make decisions on their politicians based on the personal morality of said pol, and it makes governing as a conservative a tough row to hoe, indeed.”

          Power always acts to increase itself, true. Conservatism must be a tough sell to a guy with a comfy government sinecure. I think the key for winning Conservatives in is going to be consistency. I hope one of the results of this RR debate (it seemed like a debate to me, so…) is pols having to stand in a adversarial room for an hour and a half, on TV, and justify their existence.

          And, yes, morality does seem to play much more strongly w/ Conservative voters, though here again I have to mention consistency between word & deed. Bill Clinton, Elliot Spitzer, John Edwards, these guys were rightly castigated for their behaviour. None of them work for the government anymore. John Ensign, Mark Sanford, David Vitter, all these fellas still do. Not trying to score points, I’m just pointing out the obvious.

          great Chesterton quote, btw.

          • aesthete

            I must admit that I’m not very big on it as a concept: too much of a hassle to enforce, and tbh, not very relevant to the duties of an elected official. However, of the three examples that you noted, only one was forced to step down as a result of his infidelities: John Edwards was found to be guilty only after he dropped out of the race, and the crusade against Clinton resulted in support for his Presidency which spilled over into the 2000 campaign. Mark Sandford, previously a possible contender for the 2012 Presidential nomination, is now reduced to being a lame-duck governor with little influence within the party. Ensign and Vitter both come from areas where voters have more flexible standards, particularly Vitter. It’s not every state that has, as a bumper sticker for the winning candidate in a governor’s race, “Vote For the Crook. It’s Important.” Nevertheless, both of these candidates faced (and continue to face) opposition from many socially conservative groups.

            It’s absurd to think of the Republican or Democratic parties as monolithic in views or opinions; that includes the area of public morality. This is going to hold especially true in states with a tradition of corruption or malfeasance. The moral of the story is, politicians suck, and sometimes don’t get removed from office. The difference is that, whereas some groups in the Republican party can and do try to enforce a moral standard, and whereas public malfeasance often leads to “the base” sitting out an election (unwisely, IMO), the same cannot be said of Democrats, at least, not to the same extent. To this day, Ted Kennedy is lionized as a great man by many on the left, despite his many abuses of power, near non-existent sense of morality, and disregard for the law. I can’t think of anyone with a similar, and documentable, paper trail similarly idolized among Republicans.

      • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

        n/t

        • bs

          The use of “liberals” also carries the positive connotation that once came with being a “classic liberal”.

          “Leftist” is far more descriptive. As you say, though, “progressive” is simply unacceptable.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            .

          • 6eorge Jetson

            Lefties have nothing to do with freedom.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            BS, after reading your post I was convicted and said to myself, wow, BS is right. Mr. Jetson, aka Fly Boy, clinched it. I may slip a few times out of habit.

            I bet it would just steam the lefties if we as conservatives all started calling ourselves “liberals.” It’s like when conservatives are bold enough to say, “I’m an environmentalist,” or “I support the rights of women,” or “I support health care reform.” In which we then give the true definition of the word.

          • aesthete

            I prefer to call them progressives, because of the historical connotations (fascists, eugenicists, communists, and others took on that mantle). However, I can see how calling them “progressives” implies that their agenda is the agenda of progress.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            Merely because the left goes crazy and acts all insulted. I don’t for the life of me see any difference in the terms.

          • krelborn

            a lot of old connotations that don’t really apply these days. I’m not sure Right & Left is even an accurate frame anymore. Classical Right Wing, to my mind, had a more nationalist/expansionist edge to it. I think that’s sort of morphed into deep patriotism, yes, but also a more isolationist feeling. I notice Conservatives tend to think of force-projection capability, air craft carriers, widely-scattered bases and so on, as a defensive measure, best defense being a good offense and all. They don’t seem as focused on what’s actually going on in the world, as they do on “protecting” themselves from it. Goat-herders with WWI era weapons, however vicious and technically apt they may be, don’t qualify, to me, an existential threat. Certainly not one worth ignoring articles of the Constitution for.

            And when I think Left Wing, I always picture of bunch of intense little theorist types in a coffee shop somewhere, who’ve never done a hard day’s work in their lives, arguing about who should control the “means of production”. I think Progressive better describes how I think of policy/social questions.

            I also think if everyone would write in “none of the above” for a few cycles, they’d put the fear of God into some of these pols. But, that’s just me.

          • gekster

            “Classical Right Wing, to my mind, had a more nationalist/expansionist edge to it.”

            and with reference to our military
            “They don?t seem as focused on what?s actually going on in the world, as they do on ?protecting? themselves from it. Goat-herders with WWI era weapons, however vicious and technically apt they may be, don?t qualify, to me, an existential threat. Certainly not one worth ignoring articles of the Constitution for.”

          • krelborn

            “Classical Right Wing, to my mind, had a more nationalist/expansionist edge to it.”

            I was going to use a WWII example, but after thinking about it, the “Left”, or at least FDR, were the ones pushing to get into that war, so it would have been a poor analogy. At my age, I tend to think of Old Right as being very supportive of military efforts like Vietnam and Grenada, or Panama for that matter. “expansionist” was probably not the best term. say rather “a belief in the efficacy of military power inconsistent with it’s actual utility”, not to sound like a PoliSci major.

            As to the second part, I have personally noticed, on the part of some, even thoughtful and well-informed Conservatives, a tendency to dismiss the idea of understanding other cultures as a waste of time. As aesthete pointed out, I shouldn’t impute motives to whole groups, but I think understanding an enemy is the first, best step to overcoming that enemy.

            “Goat-herders with WWI era weapons, however vicious and technically apt they may be, don?t qualify, to me, an existential threat. Certainly not one worth ignoring articles of the Constitution for.?

            I stand by this one. Our response, political (both sides), military, & emotional, to these rodents could charitably be described as “flailing”. What should have been, to my mind, a straightforward exercise in applied firepower on a group of self-identified targets in a narrow geographical area, has now morphed into a multi-trillion dollar sprawling mess of an operation, spanning several continents, and involving us in the murky politics of people and nations who are, at best, waiting for us to leave so they can get back to killing their tribal enemies in peace. The Marines have a word for this sort of thing, but the “No Profanity” clause prevents me from sharing it with you.

            Wow, kinda got off on a rant there. Long story short: Kill Bin Laden. Kill anyone who supports his activities. But leave the Constitution alone, and leave the nation building to the people who live in that nation.

          • gekster

            the US has not claimed any land since the Spanish/American war, where we claimed Cuba and such.
            After WW1, the only land we CLAIMED was enough ground to bury those who died giving thier lives for thier countries freedom.
            If anything, the US has given to the peoples thier land back.
            France, Cuba, Phillipeens, Panama”the canal,” Granada, and at present, Iraq, to name some.

            As to your second point, those “goathearders” learned to fly planes.
            nuff said.

          • Third Street

            …because after reading through your comments in this thread I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what you actually believe.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            ..

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            h/t Mark Levin.

        • shadowmane

          Its time to call a spade a spade. A leftist is for government control of every aspect of life. Where Democrats want quite a few things under government control, only few of them go so far as to be out and out communists.

          However, progressivism is alive and well in the Democrat Party, so, if we’re going to call a spade a spade, they are Progressives, not leftists. And I will continue to call them Progressives. I’ll not use the term “leftist” or “liberal”. And I will advocate for the use of the term Progressive for any politician, Democrat or Republican, who holds to the ideals of Progressivism.

          Progressive has become my curse word for those on the left of American politics. And being a Center-Right country, that would simply make our “leftists” center-left.

      • writeblock

        How was Brown middle-of-the-road? He took a clear stand on a contentious issue–on several contentious issues–and made Coakley look like a dunce in comparison. Her problem is that liberal thinking–and Obama’s–are incoherent in terms of fiscal responsibility or national defense.

        • krelborn

          He clearly ran as a Conservative. My point had more to do with framing, and what the TV spokesmodels refer to as “Image”. He came off like a regular guy, not an idealogue. No doubt some Conservatives might appreciate a more in-your-face brand of politician, but clearly a lot of folks in Mass, and a significant chunk of left-leaning ones, thought he was just fine. I wasn’t knocking the guy, I was pointing out that I think that approach went a long way towards putting him in the Senate.

          Coakley didn’t look like a dunce, Coakley is a dunce. I’ve seen campaigns for Student Council Treasurer that were run better.

  • renny

    We just have not to forget ourselves and keep up the good fight.

  • bk

    I saw most of it and can recall a few instances of the above….

    At one point he pointed out Frank Luntz and implied that the GOP gets its talking points from his focus groups. GMAB – this is the most focus-group administration ever. Latest example: Focus groups puked on the idea of a second stimulus package, but liked the sound of spending freeze. Voila! Call the second stimulus a spending freeze. Magic!

    He blew off that he broke the no earmarks promise by saying it didn’t count when there was an emergency. EVERYTHING is an emergency to him, so that’s about as good an example of sophistry as you’re ever likely to see.

    He blew off that he broke the HCR C-SPAN promise by saying most of the committee hearings were televised. Well since those bills were then trashed and the REAL bills developed behind closed doors, that’s about as disingenuous of an argument one could make.

    • writeblock

      …the health bill couldn’t guarantee you’d keep the insurance you had. That was a big admission–and undermined much else he has said about Obamacare.

      • bk

        He made some crackimplying the GOP was making all these wild promises and said something along the lines of “I’d love to able to say you can keep yours and we can add people and blah blah blah without it costing you any more. But that would be politicking and not telling the truth.” And that’s EXACTLY what he did during the campaign with his “nothing will change for most of you except that your cost will go down $2.400 per family per year” pack of lies.

        • writeblock

          his claim that he could cut Medicare by 500 billion and increase enrollment by 30% and still have better care and not have rationing.

  • eburke

    Where?

    • krelborn

      but OK. Today and the SotU was pure framing. Spending freeze, from a Dem? His base has gotta hate that. Scott Brown showing a more down to earth side of Conservatism got him elected in Blue-as-Water Mass. He could have gone all Michelle Bachmann (and maybe still won, Coakley is an awful campaigner), but he pulled in a lot of Indys with that approach. Political junkies on the ‘Net, and I’m one of them, tend to get micro-focused, but I get the feeling that most voters go with their gut instinct. TeaParty’ers & Kossacks get alot of press because they’re loud & rowdy, but when you look at actual numbers it’s the people with no particular ideology that have the real electoral clout.

      • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

        You don’t get it.

        Obama is a liar. He is somebody who pays lipservice to a thing so he can say “I have always said…”

        For the record, when B.O. starts a sentence with “I have always…,” I pull on my waders and prepare for a crapstorm.

        Add to this that Obama is a master. A Zen master. A freakin’ JEDI when it comes to SOUNDING like he agrees with you, when the very shortness of his substance is the tool he uses to screw you. He’s going to cut spending… a Conservative’s dream; right? Except — WHERE is he going to cut spending? On a KosKidz’ Pet Project? Not likely. Base closures? Probably.

        Content, Krelborn. Obama uses many words while saying nothing, and this is by design. It helps him in the future when you take what you THOUGHT he said and try to turn it back to him. Because then, he has only to say, “No, I didn’t say that, exactly.”

        • krelborn

          but a Jedi liar, no less. Dude, have you ever seen an honest politician? Who was he, and how long did he keep his job?

          “Obama uses many words while saying nothing, and this is by design. It helps him in the future when you take what you THOUGHT he said and try to turn it back to him. Because then, he has only to say, ?No, I didn?t say that, exactly.?”

          yep, pretty much bang-on there. Name me one politician who doesn’t do that. Especially these days, with YouTube archiving everything you ever said to anyone, anywhere.

          You wanna argue policy, I’ll hang out all night and chew the fat. You want me to go read some article about how Obama=Woodrow Wilson, ok fine.

          • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

            that other politicians do it?

            I thought Obama was supposed to not be business as usual?

            And for the record, I’m against ALL politicians doing it. And yes, it does happen on occasion. With Obama, though, it’s his whole idiom.

            Also, yes…. I’ve seen honest politicians.

          • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

            my point in pointing out that Obama is a liar is that you seem inclined to take him at his word.

            That all politicians lie, even if it was true, and not just some jaded crap spewed forth to make you feel better, doesn’t really explain why it is that you so readily fail to understand the nuance in the sh**-sandwich Obama is serving.

          • krelborn

            at their word. Yes, he’s fudging a fair bit, SOTU and today. I guess I just see the nuance differently. I like a lot of the policies he’s proposing, so I’m perhaps more inclined to forgive an artful rhetorical dodge than I would have been with Pres. Bush.

            And btw, I really did go to the Minority Report, and read the front page article, I just had to cut off typing in mid-sentence cause my ride showed up. sorry. I know that seemed like I just dropped off there.

          • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

            13th dimensional chess player, right?

            And you almost got Obama’s response correct: ["No, I didn't say that, exactly."]

            He’s much more rude and defiant, and prefers: “Hold on. Hold on. No. Hold on. No No No. Hold on now…”

      • Scope

        The gut instinct is to avoid Communism, and, a US dictator at all Are those fence splinters shoving you to one side or the other to avoid the pain? Hint hint, the Progressive’s will let you rot. costs. Those with no particular ideology at all, ignore their gut instincts, and, really have no tightly held principles. In fact, I don’t think they would know what a principle was if it bite them. The real electoral clout rests with those that have a clue, and, the first firing brain cell.

        • Scope

          The gut instinct is to avoid Communism, and, a US dictator.

          Then- Those with no particular ideology etc.

          Sorry for the confusion.

        • krelborn

          I keep hearing this “commie, dictator, socialist” thing, but I don’t see it. He gave a buttload of money to Wall Street, no questions asked. His HCR plan didn’t do a thing to the profit margins of any insurance company I’m aware of. And he has yet to do anything about Iraq, afghanistan, or Pakistan that is one bit different from the last guy.
          I’d think a Dictator wouldn’t have bothered with half the stuff he’s clearly obsessed over, he’d have just done it. Maybe our definitions of Dictator are different.

          But thanks for the “uneducated” crack. I’m actually kinda proud of my GED/AAS.

          • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

            You’re making that “uneducated crack” sound more and more appropriate. Next you’ll say there were no strings attached.

            You really don’t get how this works, do you?

            Does anyone ELSE have time to explain economics here?

          • Scope

            he wants everyone to believe. He is an Obama communist.

          • krelborn

            Yeah, I’m looking at everyone’s punctuation and sentence structure, and I doubt there’s too many English Lit PhDs in the house, so let’s leave that alone.
            I happen, since you’ve brought it up, to be a Southern White Male Capitalist, (very) Small Business Owner, and I buy my own insurance, on the free (haha) insurance market, may their seed eternally wither.

          • Martin Knight
          • eburke

            cf. Chris Matthews

          • Brian Hibbert

            English lit, Art History, or otherwise. But that’s irrelevant unless you are basing your argument on the fallacy of false authority (and since these are anonymous posts, anyone can claim any authority they like).

          • http://impudent.blognation.us/blog kyle8

            master of space time and dimension, And I say that Krelborn is a doofus, so that settle it.

          • krelborn

            Certainly not enough questions. I heard it mentioned several times that the GoldmanSachs bonuses were just about exactly what we’d given them, minus whatever portion they’d “paid back”. So, yeah, I don’t see a lot of strings. I’m no economist, but it looks to me like Wall Street bet the farm on red-17, lost a bundle, and the house got the casino wait staff to cover their losses.

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
          • aesthete

            but what can I say, I like the whup-whup-whup of the black helicopters :)

            From Obama’s autobiographies, one can clearly see that Pres. Obama’s associations throughout his life, and particularly during his formative years, have run the gamut of Marxist thought, from democratic socialism to outright communism. Given his loving portrayals of these people in his book, and the fact that he hasn’t repudiated the collective ideology of his mentors, I think it’s safe to say that he endorses some form of Marxist thought. I wouldn’t say that he’s a dictator, as it would be a devaluation of the word, but he’s done a fine job of increasing the power of the executive branch a la Bush, and that should be cause for concern for anyone interested in preserving our system of checks and balances.

            Oh, and btw, Hinz Rule.

          • krelborn

            …be an english major, but you and I are not.

            sorry, what is Hinz? now I’m curious.

          • aesthete

            is a method of dealing with trolls that was stated by the (sadly) now-deceased Hinz, a former poster here. Essentially, it states that we shouldn’t “feed the trolls”, because they’re just looking for attention. I’m going to revoke my calling of it, because your posting have lead me to believe that, while you are grossly misinformed and presumptuous, you are not necessarily posting in bad faith. As a recommendation, I would suggest that you leave your assumptions about conservatives at the doorstep while engaging us at RS: we prefer to be acknowledged as complex individuals with different views, and different reasons for those views. For example, while I’m supportive of civil unions for gays, I’m willing to admit that not only is there a breadth of opinions on that subject, but that there are intelligent critiques to an enactment of gay marriage or civil unions which have nothing to do with “fear” or “hate”, as you callously implied above. Honestly, the best thing that you can do in these discussions is to refrain from imputing motives onto a group; motives are impossible to prove, and a discussion of same only serves to coarsen discourse and to anger participants.

            And heh, I wouldn’t be caught dead as an English major :)

          • gekster
          • aesthete
          • krelborn

            Imputing motives wholesale is intellectually lazy, so fair criticism. “grossly misinformed and presumptuous” I tend to disagree with, hehe. I agree with your point about complexity. I will pay closer attention to implications of motive in future.
            Also, I appreciate your courtesy, aesthete. Please feel free to point it out if I don’t return it (not that you’ve shown any shyness in that regard, but you get my meaning, :)

          • writeblock

            Some of his actions are inconsistent with our usual idea of Communism. He does seem to want to redistribute the wealth. And he attacks the usual bogeymen–the fat cats, etc.–but he’s also in bed with them to a considerable degree. So there’s a lot of pragmatic crony capitalism mixed in there with the socialism–which is closer to early fascism.

          • krelborn

            I’m here harping on consistency, and failing to mention that rather glaring Democratic example. point taken.

    • Scope

      I think you were responding to krelborn. Don’t tell anyone, but, I think he’s a short timer, or, a Friday night source of entertainment.

      • krelborn

        A friend’s dad, who’s a big Tea Party booster here in Tampa, even though he knows he drives me crazy with that, recommended this site. He specifically noted that I could avoid hearing anything about which current politician is more Hitlerian, which is thankfully true. I tend to read a lot of political stuff, but I rarely comment unless it’s something I’m interested in.

        • Scope

          We don’t name Obama a Hitlerian, whatever that is, but, we do post often and frequently how Progressive he and his administration is. It might be a good idea to study who Hitler was, as well as Mao, Marx, Stalin and the current dictators that are still ruling their people. If you don’t know that history, you will remain hopelessly lost in the ignorance that the Progressive movement wants to keep you in. Come back when you have read some history. If you are against the Tea Parties, you don’t have a clue. They have been attended by those in all parties who do get it.

        • sharonmcp

          Of course, unlike a democrat, I’m not going to swear something’s true without the proof to back it up, but it seems like more than a coincidence that krelborn shows up around the same time a KozKid named Florida4Obama posted a diary at Dkos called, Red State: Pelosi to retire?

          Coming home from a day of interviewing and trying to find a job, I always like to scan over Daily Kos and then head over to Red State. I know, why on earth do I put myself through scanning Red State every day? Well, I like to know just how nutty my opponent is at all times. The people at RedState are nuttier than any wingnuts I personally know, so it also amuses me some. They are certainly fringe.

          Brian Faughnan from Red State attended today’s House GOP Retreat and he later wrote a blog about it. Please follow me below the fold for some shocking speculation.

          I also happen to know that Florida4Obama lives in the Tampa area.

          How do I know this you ask.

          Because this past Tuesday Florida4Obama posted a diary titled “http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/1/26/830687/-Help,-my-liberal-husband-is-becoming-a-teabagger!” target=blank>Help, my liberal husband is becoming a teabagger!

          It all began a few months ago. Everything was normal and then out of the blue my husband began criticizing the health care bill. He said it was too expensive. Then he started talking about the stimulus and how that was too expensive too.

          Then, one night I walk in and find him watching Glenn Beck of all people. Just a year ago, he wouldn’t even flip through Fox News for fear it would somehow boost their ratings increase. He said that Glenn was right on an issue, so I thought, well, maybe Glenn has come to his sense. No way. Glenn Beck was going on this long rant about liberals and Reid and Pelosi and Obama were ruining our country. I assumed my husband had been drinking, so I just left the room.

          Lately, he’s been more critical of the President. Who hasn’t? I just thought he was expressing his frustration. Well, the comments began to happen more frequently. Today, there was news about Florida’s Senate race and how Marco Rubio was beating Charlie Crist in the Republican Primary Race. My husband began to cheer. Not only did he cheer, but he told me he was donating to Marco Rubio. I almost fell out of my chair. To make matters worse, he told me he was voting for him!

          Then he drops the bombshell on me. President Obama is going to be in town on Thursday (probably to announce rail from Tampa to Orlando). Well, of course, I wanted tickets to the town hall and mentioned that I would pick a couple up for us. He told me he didn’t need one. He has signed up to protest the event – with teabaggers. OH MY GOD.

          Actually I should say thank you to Florida4Obama, the comments made on that diary came me amused enough that I put off cleaning my bathroom to read them. :-)

          • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

            That place really stinks…

          • Scope

            I guess our Friday night playtoy just got outed big time.

          • aesthete

            What should I do about my husband?

            Have a mental evaluation done immediately!
            Block Fox News Channel on the tv.
            Divorce him!
            Make him sit down and read Daily Kos and come to his sense!
            Bake him a pie!

            Yeah, it says “sense”, not senses. Go figure; I guess leftists have need of only one sense.

          • Joe_Schmo

            It’s kind of sad to think that some guy actually married her. Must have been one of those metro-sexuals.

            I’m guessing “clean up in aisle 3″ isn’t really needed by now…

          • sybilll

            Well played, indeed.

          • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister
          • krelborn

            …but I’m not a married woman. I’m a 36 year-old single guy.

            “Of course, unlike a democrat, I?m not going to swear something?s true without the proof to back it up, but it seems like more than a coincidence that krelborn shows up around the same time a KozKid named Florida4Obama posted a diary at Dkos called, Red State: Pelosi to retire?”

            Do you have any idea how many people post diaries over there? Seriously?
            Your welcome for me not helping you clean the bathroom, i guess?

      • eburke

        Must. Find. Reply. To. Button.

        and while on a different day I would have played with the fool, it’s been a hard week at work and I just didn’t have the energy to explain to the deluded fool on how many levels he’s wrong. Would’ve taken way to long ’cause there was way too much material.

        ‘Sides…you, streu, and aesthete are doing quite the fine job with him.

        Carry on!

  • Scope

    n/t

  • jeffreywturner

    It will save us the trouble of drawing him out of his district next year, and put a conservative Republican in that seat 2 years sooner than we expected.

    • jfindl2

      Which is pretty underwhelming, especially for a veteran congressman in a district that is contrary to his party ID like Spratt. I bet he retires in a week or two.

  • snowshooze

    pollsters stressed the importance of winning independent voters, rather than turning out the base.

    It would appear that the House is indeed retreating from it’s base.
    This is an outage, and identifies one of the largest problems that the GOP and RNC have now, pandering to the middle at the expense of the home troops on the front lines.
    If they want to represent the independents, they can do so somewheres else.
    Just McCain and Hoffman should be enough proof of that idiocy.

    Screw the independents. Who cares.
    This will divide and destroy the party if it continues.

    • writeblock

      about pandering to independents rather than the base. It may not be about ideology at all–just geographics.

  • dajeeps

    I believe the trouble lies in the blurring of the lines between states’ duties to society and Federal duties. Whether liberals want to believe this or not, the constitution is compatible with the kinds of things they may want, it just precludes the Federal government from being involved. It is completely unnecessary and unwarranted to have debates for social programs going on in congress when states can deliver these programs or choose to abstain based on their own needs and wants.

    With that said, I do not understand why it is neccessary to rip up the Constituiton and create this Federal behomoth with untold power for good or evil that threatens us when we least expect and spends us all into the poorhouse. It isn’t a matter of ideology or preferred political beliefs, but the bending and twisting of the Constiution and political opportunism has made it that way. Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the founders were not ideologues. If they had been, we would still be stuck with the Articles of Confederation and all the chaos it created.

    ?I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That ? all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people.? [XIIth amendment.] To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition….as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please, which might be for the good of the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless.

    It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and, as they would be the sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please.

    It is an established rule of construction where a phrase will bear either of two meanings, to give it that which will allow some meaning to the other parts of the instrument, and not that which would render all the others useless. Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. It was intended to lace them up straitly within the enumerated powers, and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect. ?

    ? Thomas Jefferson

    • snowshooze

      Can’t add a thing to that.

    • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

      Sorry that adulterous nutjob wanted to hand out citizenship to any foreigner off the boat 5 years. No character, not one conservative bone in his body. Just a lunatic with sick fantasies of continual, violent revolution, which the rest of the world decided was bad after France.

      • mschmitt

        Sheesh, Neil — give a guy a break. ;)

        Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

        Thomas Jefferson

  • The Pennsylvania Republican

    where the GOP “advisors” hanging about the periphery begin the whisper campaign to blunt the conservative momentum pouring in from the “base” out there in the house member’s districts. “Oh, yes, THOSE people…well, they are a bit of a phenomena but remember, playing it safe and lukewarm always is a better long-term strategy…” The same people among who were handlers during the 08 campaign, muzzling Palin and then denouncing her afterwards. The same people who hang all over the pollsters (and are pollsters) and who hold their finger in the air all year long to feel the wind’s direction.

    These people are the cancer.

    • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth

      If the leaders just adopted and followed conservative programs and supported people who said what they believed, they’d find that they don’t need all these equivocating consultants, and those guys would be out of a job.

      This way, when the elections fail, they then can make more money conducting post mortems and giving cover to the RINOs. Just so long as the money rolls in (rolls in)…

      • writeblock

        Our guys are loaded for bear.

        • writeblock

          …there’s no danger that the conservative message will be buried this year. It’s going to be loud and clear–just like Brown’s.

  • archer52

    Nobody likes to be called stupid or foolish or worse and Obama has said all of them. Voters no longer think he is a Messiah, or even that bright as he stumbles along with his elitists head tilt ala Mussolini.

    It would be worse if any average citizen under fifty had received a decent education in the public system (this is NOT by accident mind you). If people understood history, understood Wilson, Eugenics, progressive politics and the outcome of the last failed attempts by people like Obama and his supporters Obama would have never been elected and if he had he would be a pariah by now. Pelosi and Reid would be run out on a rail.

    But things are the way they are. Obama will run his string out. If the recession doubles down, as some predict (the most recent Amer. Spectator article suggests 2011 will be twice as bad) there will be nothing he can do except push his agenda forward against a growing resistance.

  • Whitehorse

    Look at Reagan, 1994, Brown, McDonnell, Christie – conservatism wins “independents.” If the House members see this obvious fact, we will be in good shape. If they listen to some ignorant consultant & think that independents are won by being wishy-washy, we won’t.

  • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

    He was looking down at his speech for literally half his speech! It was a recap of his SOTU speech (nothing wrong with this.) But several times he said, “My proposal for x will y. This is good because z.” *All* while looking down at the lectern.

    It was evident he didn’t know what he believed or why. He did not know the subject matter at all.

    It reminded me of when he read one of his first Executive Orders. Thing was, it was the first time he had read it himself.

  • Superheater

    Remember Bill Clinton? Lost the entire House & Senate in 1994, won easily in 1996.

    The electorate is fickle and forgets quickly. Last year OBama had 70% opinion ratings.

    I smell overconfidence.

    • 6eorge Jetson

      He’ll be just fine.

      This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to inject a critical mass of genuine, grass-roots, non-establishment, Tea Party backed Conservatives into Congress. A chance for Tea Partiers to stick it to the Old Guard Republican leadership that’s too enamored with squishes. The Republican leadership can’t screw up what they don’t control, and we’re in for a fight for that control in primary season.

      • fpete13527

        Right on point. I hope we do not waste this opportunity.

        Your “photo essays” are EXCELLENT.

  • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

    “No, no, no, no, no.”
    “Hold on. Hold on. No.”

    Very rude and disrespectful.

    He says these same things when answering questions from any reporter who asks a follow-up question challenging his policies.

  • http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/blog/loren_heal Socrates

    by the excessive vividness fallacy of calling health care reform a “Bolshevik plot”?

    It’s the typical Obama trick of calling your opponent’s position absurd by implying that of course no one could be _that_. And yet, there it is.

    In a sense, his saying that some people who thought it was a Bolshevik plot thought it was a “Bolshevik plot” was a Bolshevik plot.

  • izoneguy

    They are too smart to actually say on camera what they are feeling,
    unlike the socialists. That is where they lose the edge….
    instead of saying that you might work with the President to pass some parts of the healthcare bill that you could both agree with????
    Huh??

    Why say that? Don’t say it….Because you cannot help this Marxist AT ALL – PERIOD END OF DISCUSSION BOYS…..

    Throw you DC attitudes & platitudes out the window. This is the wild west. The slow guns will get killed. I know, I know – easy for me to say.
    But many people are looking at these videos. The leftys are analyzing them. Pulling soundbites into their lefty blogs.

    START saying stuff like –

    “I am glad the President came by but I don’t think he understands the people’s anger.”

    Or how about –

    “We cannot support ANY legislation that puts the federal government in control of the people’s own decisions.”

    STOP acting like Obama is going to come around. He just wants to get behind you to stab you in the backs………………

    • proudgop

      thank you Brian

      1. I thought there would be more retirements for the dems since Brown election

      2. I am very worried now about the NRCC and RNC fundraising. I think thats only reason we are seeing less Dems retire. I mean the NRCC has less then 3 million COH ( a lot Republican Senate candidates have more then that)

      • Scope

        people are donating directly to the candidates. When the RNC and the other national groups support the least conservative candidate, when there are better choices, they show their hand that they prefer Dem Lite. The country is not accepting their push to muddle the lines between the parties.

      • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens
  • antisocial

    When your opposition is committing suicide you don’t want to interrupt.

    And I find that moderate stuff crazy. Conservative ideas appeal to everybody except the lefties. The problem is getting the right people for the job. You can’t hope to retain trust of citizens with politicians that are more interested in self preservation. So ensure that we win with right candidates. And then keep them honest.

    • mriggio

      Would the Republicans have video-recorded their retreat without the presence of the One? If the purpose of a retreat is to get away from it all and discuss ideas in-house, how do video cameras fit in? It’s pretty common knowledge that the presence of a camera has an effect on what people say, and how they say it. I’m especially dubious when Krauthammer says the event was good for the President. Why in the heck should the Republican retreat end up being good for this President? The cameras were a very bad idea indeed.

  • http://itsaboutfreedom.proboards.com/index.cgi#general bigalsouth

    It’s NOT A RETREAT! It’s a CONFERENCE.

    ATTACK!
    ATTACK!
    ATTACK!

    • http://www.suvstrategery.blogspot.com SoFiMil

      NT

  • izoneguy

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/02/obama-accuses-republicans-flip-flopping-nh-speech/?test=latestnews

    Obama made a play for bipartisanship, urging Congress’ minority Republicans to cooperate with him and Democratic leadership on overhauling the nation’s education, energy and health care policies and on tackling record and crippling federal budget deficits.

    “Democrats can’t do this alone nor should we,” Obama said.

    Yet as he reached out with one hand, he slapped with the other. Obama took Republicans to task for two instances of switching positions.

    He said that those who opposed last year’s massive stimulus package, and have argued since that it isn’t helping to save or create jobs, have also claimed credit in their districts for projects that were funded by the bill. “They’ve found a way to have their cake and vote against it too,” Obama said, without naming any lawmakers specifically.

    Obama also criticized Republicans for opposing a bill to create a bipartisan commission on reducing the deficit, saying that seven GOP senators who once co-sponsored the bill then voted against it.

    “It’s one thing to have an honest difference of opinion on something,” Obama said. “It’s another to walk away from your responsibilities to confront the challenges facing this country because you think it’s good short-term politics.”

    He added: “You’re out of patience for this kind of business as usual.”

    All I can say is: Obama cannot be trusted. This is why you cannot work with this man. He must be shut-down and tossed to the curb.