If either stays with the GOP, the party will suffer - if in fact the party represents what was put forth in the Platform. They cannot be allowed to have it both ways. Gen Powell served our country well but he is not promoting the GOP by attacking conservative thought. I stated my view on Ridge in yesterday’s post. If Ridge and the young McCain become the voice of the party, the GOP will more quickly go the way of the Whig.

There is absolutely no way anyone can honestly rationalize or reconcile claiming GOP membership and voting for or supporting President Obama and his radical agenda.

It adds an other understanding to rono.

TAnd the one thing that has made Rush so popular, is a steady adhearence to his principles.
Same with Uncle Ronnie.

- JP

against Toomey in Pennsylvania, which is all you need to know about that outfit.As for Powell, he lost what little honor he had left when he endorsed Obama. I won’t go into his non-stop efforts to undermine the last Administration he “served..”

I’m not one for party purges, but some people are unacceptable. Ridge and Powell are among them.

Good points all, Eric.

for Powell to claim to be a Republican except for the purpose of helping to tear down the GOP. If he’s really a Republican as he claims then I challenge him to articulate his personal philosophy and what parts of the Republican agenda he supports. If the man who supported Obama can’t do this simple act then his reasons for wanting to self-identify as a Republican are extremely suspect.

From Newsmax…

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed Dick Cheney’s critique of the Obama administration’s anti-terror policy Sunday, calling it one of several ‘big mistakes’ being made in national security by the Democrats.

But he broke ranks with the former vice president over Colin Powell, saying that the former Secretary of State belonged in the party…

“It is worth keeping in mind that Obama is more ideologically aligned with Powell and Ridge than he is with the average independent American voter. Naturally, those two want to be more like Obama and think the game changer is for the GOP to do so too.”

This is really the heart of the matter. Folks like Powell and Ridge are testing the wind to see how they can get themselves elected and keep themselves in power. The operative word being “themselves.” I’ve known for a long time that RINOs couldn’t care less about my opinions as a Conservative. In fact, I’m well aware that they look down their noses at me as just another small-minded small-tenter. That is until it comes time for the RNC, the NRSC, et al to ask me to open my check book, then they have no problem kissing up to me.

I do think it’s ironic that by resigning as titular head of the Republican Party and placing the mantle (onus) on Powell to step up and lead, Rush has focused the media on one of the most prominent blacks in the GOP. And Cheney has even forced Powell to stand up and declare himself to be a Republican, after years of obfuscating. This is especially ironic after the media has spent months denigrating us for not appealing to ethnic minorities. Is it better to have Powell as the target of their criticism for the next few years than have the media focus it’s venom on good Conservative leaders?

and many were executed. Their leader, Marshal Phillippe Petain, was sentenced to death for treason but had his sentence commuted to life in prison.

The analogy you are making here Erick, is not a stretch. Ridge, Powell and all these other self interested Republicans (so called) are aiding and abetting the left, in effect if not intention, in the attainment of their goal; The destruction of the United States as a freedom loving constitutional republic.

We let the Left and MSM determine our last Presidential candidate and now we’re letting them define what our principles should be! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! The major problem we’ve had as Conservative Republicans has been we haven’t had an effective spokesman in office since Reagan! Let’s face it President Bush was Conservative Lite and where did that get him? The Left despised him. Reagan was the epitome of conservatism and they despised him as well but look at the greatness he brought to the Office! Today Rush Limbaugh is the closest thing we have to a true, concise and convincing Conservative voice! But alas, He’s not running!

Erick clearly delineating where some of the ‘power brokers’ inside of *our* party want to lead us.

So…when did you say you’re announcing your run for Congress?

I’m just saying….

I don’t care what he claims, he is no more a Republican than he is white and to claim either is equally ludicrous on his part.

today, let us honor all who have served our country — even those who we now find it impossible to agree with.

and as an aside…has anyone noticed that there was one of these Vichy Republicans, (Love that name and will be using it instead for RINO now) was on almost every single sunday talk show yesterday…almost like it was orchestrated….I’m not a conspiracy theorist per say…but I think there was either a coordinated push by the media to give the fifth column a platform upon which to assault the party…or the Vichy Republicans set it up to push their Democrat lite agenda!

The “Big Tent” analogy isn’t the correct one…the correct one is a MAGNET…we need to be a MAGNET that draws these independents in who are sick and tired of what’s going on in Washington—Fred Thompson

Senate Conservatives Fund House Conservatives Fund Michael Williams for Senate

Marco 2010 Toomey US Senate SarahPAC

A Trojan Horse, or a trojan something. Through gritted teeth he says he’s a Republican, nice, but has he criticized any of Obama’s policies & spending? He can’t quite bring himself to do it saving his energy for LImbaugh instead. Actions do count for something and their absence also speak loudly.

I thought I’d post my summary of it for your reference and use, followed by my summary of the Democrat Party Platform:

>>>>>

Following is a summary of the Republican Party Platform and the Democrat Party platform, with links to both. The topical headings are mine. (I left out some things from the Republican Party platform, such as we are FOR increasing our domestic energy production according to an “all of the above” strategy and we are AGAINST government takeover of our free enterprise healthcare delivery system.)

Core Principles from the 2008 Republican Party Platform (http://www.gop.com/2008Platform/)

From the Preamble to the Platform: A platform in enduring principle based on ideals to unify our country, devoted to the inherent dignity and rights of every person and dedicated to a rule of law protecting and preserving liberty.

This is a platform of enduring principle, not passing convenience — the product of the most open and transparent process in American political history. We offer it to our fellow Americans in the assurance that our Republican ideals are those that unify our country: Courage in the face of foreign foes. An optimistic patriotism, driven by a passion for freedom. Devotion to the inherent dignity and rights of every person. Faith in the virtues of self-reliance, civic commitment, and concern for one another. Distrust of government’s interference in people’s lives. Dedication to a rule of law that both protects and preserves liberty. (Preamble, p. 1.)

Republicans Believe Our First Obligation is Defending our Nation by Preserving all Defense Options

All Americans should affirm that our first obligation is the security of our country. (P. 1)

In dealing with present conflicts and future crises, our next president must preserve all options. It would be presumptuous to specify them in advance and foolhardy to rule out any action deemed necessary for our security.

Republicans Believe National and Theater Missile Defenses Must Be Deployed to Protect the Nation

We must develop and deploy both national and theater missile defenses to protect the American homeland, our people, our Armed Forces abroad, and our allies. Effective, layered missile defenses are critical to guard against the unpredictable actions of rogue regimes and outlaw states, reduce the possibility of strategic blackmail, and avoid the disastrous consequences of an accidental or unauthorized launch by a foreign power. (P. 2)

Republicans Believe Our National Borders Must Be Secured

Our determination to uphold the rule of law begins with more effective enforcement, giving our agents the tools and resources they need to protect our sovereignty, completing the border fence quickly and securing the borders, and employing complementary strategies to secure our ports of entry. Experience shows that enforcement of existing laws is effective in reducing and reversing illegal immigration. (P. 3.)

Our determination to uphold the rule of law begins with . . . completing the border fence
quickly and securing the borders, and employing complementary strategies to secure our ports of entry. (P. 3.)

The rule of law means . . . enforcing the law against those who overstay their visas, rather than letting millions flout the generosity that gave them temporary entry. (P. 3.)

It does not mean driver’s licenses for illegal aliens, nor does it mean that states should be allowed to flout the federal law barring them from giving in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens, nor does it mean that illegal aliens should receive social security benefits, or other public benefits, except as provided by federal law. (P. 3.)

We oppose amnesty. (P. 3.)

We support English as the official language of our nation, while welcoming the ethnic diversity in the United States and the territories, including language. (P. 4.)

Republicans Believe We Must Increase the Size of Armed Forces

We must significantly increase the size of our Armed Forces; crucial to that goal will be retention of combat veterans. (P. 4.)

Republicans Believe U.S. Armed Forces Must Remain Under U.S. Command

As a matter of U.S. sovereignty, American forces must remain under American command. (P. 7.)

Republicans Abhor Federal Funding Of Abortions Anywhere

We strongly support the long-held policy of the Republican Party known as the .Mexico City policy, which prohibits federal monies from being given to non-governmental organizations that provide abortions or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other countries. We reject any treaty or agreement that would violate those values. (Pp. 7-8.)

Republicans Reject the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over Americans

To shield the members of our Armed Forces and others in service to America from ideological prosecutions, the Republican Party does not accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over Americans. (P. 8.)

Republicans Support A Free and Secure Israel

Israel is a vigorous democracy, unique in the Middle East. We reaffirm America’s commitment to Israel’s security and will ensure that Israel maintains a qualitative edge in military technology over any potential adversaries. Israel must have secure, defensible
borders and we support its right to exist as a Jewish state able to defend itself against homicide bombings, rocket and mortar fire, and other attacks against its people. (P. 12.)

Republicans Support Enforcing Constitutional Safeguards

Republicans will uphold and defend our party’s core principles: Constrain the federal government to its legitimate constitutional functions. (P. 15.)

Republicans Support Only Constitutionally Necessary Federal Spending

Spend only what is necessary, and tax only to raise revenue for essential government functions. (P. 15.)

Republicans Reject Unconstitutional, Wasteful Pork-Barrel Special Interest Spending

The other party wants to continue pork barrel politics; we are disgusted by it, no matter who practices it. The other party wants to ignore fiscal problems while squandering billions on ineffective programs; we are determined to end that waste. The entrenched culture of official Washington – an intrusive tax-and-spend liberalism — remains a formidable foe, but we will confront and ultimately defeat it. (P. 15.)

Republicans Will Stop Unconstitutional Special Interest Earmark Spending

Earmarking must stop. To eliminate wasteful projects and pay-offs to special interests,
we will impose an immediate moratorium on the earmarking system and reform the
appropriations process through full transparency. Tax dollars must be distributed on
the basis of clear national priorities, not a politician’s seniority or party position. (P. 16.)

Republicans Believe “It’s Your Money, Taxpayers”

The most important distinction between Republicans and the leadership of today’s Democratic Party concerning taxes is not just that we believe you should keep more of what you earn. That’s true, but there is a more fundamental distinction. It concerns the
purpose of taxation. We believe government should tax only to raise money for its essential functions. (P. 23.)

Republicans Oppose Using the Tax Code for Social Engineering

The Republican Party will put a stop to both social engineering and corporate handouts by simplifying tax policy, eliminating special deals, and putting those saved dollars back into the taxpayers’ pockets. (P. 23.)

Republicans Support Reducing Corporate Tax Rates

We support a major reduction in the corporate tax rate so that American companies stay competitive with their foreign counterparts and American jobs can remain in this country. (P. 23.)

Republicans Know We Cannot Tax and Spend Our Way to Prosperity

The last thing Americans need right now is tax hikes. On the federal level, Republicans lowered taxes in 2001 and 2003 in order to encourage economic growth, put more money in the pockets of every taxpayer, and make the system fairer. It worked. If Congress had then controlled its spending, we could have done even more. (P. 25.)

Republicans Support Secret Ballots for Workers

We oppose card check legislation, which deprives workers of their privacy and their right to vote, because it exposes workers to intimidation by union organizers. (P. 28.)

Republicans Will Not Infringe the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms

We uphold the right of individual Americans to own firearms, a right which antedated
the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by the Second Amendment. We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller affirming that right, and we assert the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. We call on the next president to appoint judges who will similarly respect the Constitution. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling Americans to defend themselves, their property, and communities. (P. 51.)

Republicans Believe in the Sanctity and Dignity of All Human Life

Faithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity
and dignity of innocent human life. (P. 52.)

Republicans Believe Marriage Means A Union of a Man and a Woman

Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to
it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives. (P. 53.)

Republicans Support the Right of the People to Freely Exercise their Religion

Our Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and forbids any religious test for public office, and it likewise prohibits the establishment of a state-sponsored creed. The balance between those two ideals has been distorted by judicial rulings which attempt to drive faith out of the public arena. The public display of the Ten Commandments does
not violate the U.S. Constitution and accurately reflects the Judeo-Christian heritage of our country. We support the right of students to engage in student-initiated, student-led prayer in public schools, athletic events, and graduation ceremonies, when done in conformity with constitutional standards. (Pp. 53-54.)

Now, for the Democrat Party Platform.

Core “Principles” of 2008 Democrat Party Platform
(http://www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html)

Democrats Believe in Blaming America First For Terrorism

After September 11, we could have built the foundation for a new American century, but instead we instigated an unnecessary war in Iraq before finishing a necessary war in Afghanistan. (Preamble, p. 5.)

Democrats Use Weasel Words to Mask Their True Intentions, Like Calling Taxes on the American People “Investments”, And Believe Taxes Somehow Generate Jobs

We will invest in America again – in world-class public education, in our infrastructure, and in green technology – so that our economy can generate the good, high-paying jobs of the future. (Preamble, p. 6.)

Democrats Believe Money Grows on Trees and the Solution to Every Problem is to Spend the Taxpayer’s Money

We will provide an immediate energy rebate to American families struggling with the record price of gasoline and the skyrocketing cost of other necessities – to spend on those basic needs and energy efficient measures. We will devote $50 billion to jumpstarting the economy, helping economic growth, and preventing another one million jobs from being lost. This will include assistance to states and localities to prevent them from having to cut their vital services like education, health care, and infrastructure. (Pp. 8-9.)

Democrats Routinely Ignore the Fact that the Constitution Limits Congressional Authority to the Enumerated Powers Set Forth in Article I, Section 8

Health care should be a shared responsibility between employers, workers, insurers, providers and government. All Americans should have coverage they can afford; employers should have incentives to provide coverage to their workers; insurers and providers should ensure high quality affordable care; and the government should ensure that health insurance is affordable and provides meaningful coverage. (P. 10.)

Democrats Hide Their Socialistic Policies By Using Weasel Words Like “We” and “Public” for “Government”

We will make it a priority to secure for hardworking families the part of the American Dream that includes a secure and healthy retirement. Individuals, employers, and government must all play a role. We will adopt measures to preserve and protect existing public and private pension plans. In the 21st century, Americans also need better ways to save for retirement. We will automatically enroll every worker in a workplace pension plan that can be carried from job to job and we will match savings for working families who need the help. (P. 13.)

Democrats Believe Some Unnamed Someone Should Somehow Magically Create Jobs For Everyone

In the platform hearings, Americans expressed dismay that people who are willing to study and work cannot get a job that pays enough to live on in the current economy. Democrats are committed to an economic policy that produces good jobs with good pay and benefits. That is why we support the right to organize. We know that when unions are allowed to do their job of making sure that workers get their fair share, they pull people out of poverty and create a stronger middle class. (P. 14.)

Democrats Believe They Should Hide Their Plan to Outlaw Secret Ballots by Calling it the “Employee Free Choice Act”

We will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions and fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. (P. 14.)

Democrats Believe in Building Upon Over Forty Years of Failed Federal “War on Poverty” Programs with – Drum Roll, Please – More of the Same

Working together, we can cut poverty in half within ten years. We will provide all our children a world-class education, from early childhood through college. We will develop innovative transitional job programs that place unemployed people into temporary jobs and train them for permanent ones. To help workers share in our country’s productivity, we’ll expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, and raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. The majority of adults in poverty are women, and to combat poverty we must work for fair pay, support for mothers, and policies that promote responsible fatherhood. (P. 15.)

Democrats Believe Higher Taxes (Er, “Investments”) Will Lower Gas Prices

And this is how we’ll solve the problem of four-dollar-a-gallon gas — with a comprehensive plan and investment in clean energy. (P. 18.)

Democrats Believe The Federal Government Should Be The National Babysitter, Despite No Constitutional Power Exists for that Role

We will make quality, affordable early childhood care and education available to every
American child from the day he or she is born. Our Children’s First Agenda, including increases in Head Start and Early Head Start, and investments in high-quality Pre-K, will improve quality and provide learning and support to families with children ages zero to five. Our Presidential Early Learning Council will coordinate these efforts. (P. 19.)

Democrats Believe Taking Money Out of the Economy By Taxes (“Investments”) And Spending It on Vague Federal “Programs” and “Partnerships” Will Somehow “Grow” the Economy they just Weakened Through the Taxes and the Wasteful, Inefficient “Programs” and “Partnerships”

We will invest in American jobs and finally end the tax breaks that ship jobs overseas. We will create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to provide for our next generation of
innovators and job creators; we will expand the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and create new job training programs for clean technologies. We will bring together government, private industry, workers, and academia to turn around the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy and provide assistance to automakers and parts companies to encourage retooling of facilities in this country to produce advanced technology vehicles and their key components. (Pp. 21-22.)

Democrats Envy Those Who Succeed and Demand to “Steward” Their Prosperity By Using the Tax Code to Take Money from “Rich” Peter and Give it to “Poor” Paul Who Pays No Taxes

We will shut down the corporate loopholes and tax havens and use the money so that we can provide an immediate middle-class tax cut that will offer relief to workers and their families. We’ll eliminate federal income taxes for millions of retirees, because all seniors deserve to live out their lives with dignity and respect. We will not increase taxes on any family earning under $250,000 and we will offer additional tax cuts for middle class families. For families making more than $250,000, we’ll ask them to give back a portion of the Bush tax cuts to invest in health care and other key priorities. (P. 24.)

Democrats Believe in a Fairy-Tale World Having No Nuclear Weapons – Including Ours

America will seek a world with no nuclear weapons and take concrete actions to move in this direction. (P. 31.)

We will make the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons worldwide a central element of U.S. nuclear weapons policy. (P. 31.)

Democrats Believe In Risking the Safety of all Americans by Not Developing New Nuclear Deterrents Nor Testing Any of Our Nuclear Deterrent Weapons

We will not develop new nuclear weapons, and will work to create a bipartisan consensus to support ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which will strengthen the NPT and aid international monitoring of nuclear activities. (P. 32.)

Democrats Claim To Want to Expand Our Armed Forces, But Then Cut Their Budgets and Weapons Programs

We will use this moment both to rebuild our military and to prepare it for the
missions of the future. (P. 33.)

Democrats Believe Our Military Should Be Used For Non-Defense “International Social Work”

We believe we must also be willing to consider using military force in circumstances beyond self-defense in order to provide for the common security that underpins global stability – to support friends, participate in stability and reconstruction operations, or confront mass atrocities. (P. 33.)

Democrats Believe The Success of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Program Should Be Ignored And Replaced With A System Allowing Individual Soldiers To Force Their Sexual Preferences Openly On Their Fellow Soldiers

We support the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the implementation of policies to allow qualified men and women to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation. (P. 36.)

Democrats Believe in a “Blame America First” Policy in International Security Arrangements With Our Allies

Too often, in recent years, we have sent the opposite signal to our international partners. In the case of Europe, we dismissed European reservations about the wisdom and
necessity of the Iraq war and their concerns about climate change. In Asia, we belittled South Korean efforts to improve relations with the North. In Latin America, from
Mexico to Argentina, we failed to address concerns about immigration and equity and economic growth. In Africa, we have allowed genocide to persist for over five years in Darfur and have not done nearly enough to answer the United Nation’s call for more support to stop the killing. Under Barack Obama, we will rebuild our ties to our allies in Europe and Asia and strengthen our partnerships throughout the Americas and Africa. (P. 36.)

Democrats Believe Man is Changing the Climate of the Globe, Despite No Evidence for that Conclusion

We will lead to defeat the epochal, man-made threat to the planet: climate change. Without dramatic changes, rising sea levels will flood coastal regions around the world. Warmer temperatures and declining rainfall will reduce crop yields, increasing conflict, famine, disease, and poverty. By 2050, famine could displace more than 250 million people worldwide. That means increased instability in some of the most volatile parts of the world. (P. 43.)

Democrats Believe “Service” to Our Country Means Only “Government-Paid Service”

The future of our country will be determined not only by our government and our policies but through the efforts of the American people. That is why we will ask all Americans to be actively involved in meeting the challenges of the new century. In this young century, our military has answered the call to serve, even as that call has come too often. We must now make it possible for all citizens to serve. We will expand AmeriCorps, double the size of the Peace Corps, enable more to serve in the military, create new opportunities for international service, integrate service into primary education, and create new opportunities for experienced and retired persons to serve. And if you invest in America, America will invest in you: we will increase support for service-learning, establish tax incentives for college students who serve, and create scholarships for students who pledge to become teachers. (P. 44.)

Democrats Use A Mythical Imminent “Climate Change Catastrophe” as a Reason For More Taxes and Regulations to Hobble Our Economy

Despite the efforts of our current Administration to deny the science of climate change and the need to act, we still believe that America can be earth’s best hope. We will implement a market-based cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the
amount scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophic change and we will set interim targets along the way to ensure that we meet our goal. We will invest in advanced energy technologies, to build the clean energy economy and create millions of new, good “Green Collar” American jobs. (Pp. 46-47.)

Democrats Believe In Preventing Nuclear Power By Preventing Safe Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel Rods

We will protect Nevada and its communities from the high-level nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, which has not been proven to be safe by sound science. (P. 47.)

Democrats Believe Taking Money Out of the Economy to Spend on “Investments” In Government –Favored Wasteful “Programs” and “Public-Private Partnerships” Will Somehow Have a Positive Effect on the Economy Rather than Less Regulation and Lower Taxes

To help regional business development we will double federal funding for basic research, expand the deployment of broadband technology, increase access to capital for businesses in underserved areas, create a national network of public-private business incubators, and provide grants to support regional innovation clusters. Since businesses can only function when workers can get to their place of employment, we will invest in public transportation including rail, expand transportation options for low-income communities, and strengthen core infrastructure like our roads and bridges. (P. 48.)

Democrats Believe Disarmed Citizens Are Safe From Armed Criminals and Gun Control In Chicago, the “Murder Capital of America,” Has Made Chicagoans Safer And the Discredited and Failed “Assault Weapons Ban” Should Be Reinstated To Disarm Law-Abiding Americans

We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, but we know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact and enforce commonsense laws and improvements – like closing the gun show loophole, improving our background check system, and reinstating the assault weapons ban, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. (P. 48.)

Democrats Believe Women Have the Right to Kill Unborn Children

The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. (P. 50.)

Democrats Believe the Government Should Control Elections and Candidates and Prevent Americans from Exercising their Freedom to Spend “Too Much” on the Candidates of their own Choosing

We support campaign finance reform to reduce the influence of moneyed special interests, including public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time. (P. 54.)

Democrats Believe Americans Involved in Terrorism Should Not Be Wiretapped No Matter Where They Live – Really!

We reject illegal wiretapping of American citizens, wherever they live. (P. 54.)

Democrats Believe The Federal Government Can Somehow Magically Fix Bad State Economies Caused by Imprudent “Tax and Spend” Policies By Democrat Governors and Legislatures Through More Federal Deficit Spending To Throw Money To Those Badly Governed States

Given the economic crisis across the country, states, and territories today face serious
difficulties. More than half of our states face a combined billions of dollars in shortfalls. As a result, states have had to innovate and take matters into their own hands—and they have done an extraordinary job. Yet they should not have to do it alone. We will provide significant and immediate temporary funding to state and local governments, as well as territories and tribes. (P. 56.)

Democrats Believe They Are Smarter Than the Framers of the Constitution Regarding the District of Columbia and Congressional Representation

Our civil rights leaders and many Americans of every background have sacrificed too much for us to tolerate continuing denial to the nearly 600,000 residents of our nation’s capital of the benefits of full citizenship, especially the vote, that are accorded to citizens of every state. We support equal rights to democratic self-government and congressional representation for the citizens of our nation’s capital. (P. 56.)

<<<<<

I am only one. But I am a Republican Party precinct committeeman.

Thank you.

1) First, the Nazis had conquered France and were in charge, having expelled the prior French government from governance. However, they were viewed as a foreign power, of course.

In 2009, we face that the Democrats have taken full command of the government, with only a sliver of oppostion left in the Senate, and the Republicans have been made powerless - in that the Democrats could run things without Republican help.

2) Petain and his cohorts put a veneer of legitimacy on the Nazi regime by putting French faces on the public government. However, they were fully subject to Nazi direction and they ultimately simply trying to get the people to accede to the Nazi program.

Similary, the Republican “Vichy moderates” are putting a veneer of “bipartisanship” on the far-left agenda of the Obama administration and their Democratic partisans in Congress. They are essentially trying to get the American people to accede to a socialist, centralized federal government that control everything.

3) Petain and his cohorts were able to maintain their positions and received favors for their services (in the prostitute sense of that word). They also ruthlessly collaborated with the Germans in attacking and destroying the Resistance (to the Nazi system) - including the deportation of Jews to the death camps. Again, their enegies were directed towards destroying French opposition to the Nazis, not trying to evict the Nazis.

Similarly, the Vichy Republicans are acting to preserve their positions and favors, even thought they are only puppets. And again, their energies are focused entirely on attacking conservative Republicans who oppose the Democratic program, not on evicting Democrats.

4) The French Vichy rationalized their collaboration by thinking that they were mitigating the country against the worse fate of a Nazi-operated government. They prided themselves in the minor accomodations that the Nazis made in response to their petitions as though they were great victories rather than rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Similarly, the Vichy Republicans are rationalizing that they may be able to mitigate against the worse excess of the Democrats, while enabling the structure of oppression to be put into place (health care, energy, etc). And they will pride themselves on their token victories.

5) And both had/have the adulation and cooperation of the official press.

the woefully undereducated and historically unaware American public
likely won’t get it—-not that it understood the term “RINO” Republican,
either. If the media continues to gang-tackle all true conservatives and
suppress their voices while trumpeting the calls of pseudo-Republicans
like Powell for the party to move further to the left, it will be very difficult
to get the voices of true conservatives heard, especially through party
machinery controlled entirely by so-called “leaders” of the GOP who
are myopically focused only on creating a “bigger tent” at the expense
of conservative principles and are already fully in tune with the media.

This raises the question: when should citizens who adhere to the true
principles of conservatism and who believe in constitutional republicanism finally say “Enough!” and form their own party? I suggest the creation of
the “Patriot Party” if efforts to move the GOP back to its original principles
and platform as articulated in ColdWarrior’s post prove unsuccessful.

I’m adopting the Vichy description as well. Of course I’ll have to educate everyone because I don’t think most know what it means. Such is American education.

At my next Tea Party, someone who should have kept his fat mouth shut is going to grace my poster and it’s not going to be nice. These faux Republicans can go pound sand. When they slam Rush and Cheney they slam me. When this boy dictator in the WH comes after great Americans as though they are the enemy he comes after me.

It’s not just big government that is the problem; it is also these big mouths spewing self-serving lies and dishonor.

Powell had a moderate Republican to support in McCain, Instead he chose the most Liberal Democrat President in US History.

Like Obama, Vichy now has the media blanketing their soundbites over every inch of the globe. I can’t go to a sports page, baseball blog, children’s bookstore, or comic book without a grinning Obama. As Rush says, their goal is to demoralize us. Bankers were mentioned in the post above as similar objects. The goal is to break the spirit. I don’t plan on volunteering for the festivities. I survive by not watching any tv news.

“I was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, went to public school, got out of public college, went into the Army, and then I just stuck with it.”

One can only wonder he did not do the same with the Reagan Republican Party?

“Not One Red Dime for the NRSC or NRCC till they stop trying to elect liberals”

Join the RedState Strike Force

I was going to call them “Petainists”, but no one in our time period quite gets that.

People like Frum and McCain will never get what Reagan understood instinctively: Republicans must advance with a platform of “bold colors, not pale pastels.”

If people wanted the “me too” party, everybody would have voted for the Democrats. If you only offer them “me too”, everyone will.

Colin Powell has devoted his adult life to the service of his country. He deserves our gratitude for that.

What I cannot understand, though, is why, now, he has come out of his political shell and begun telling the Republican party how it best define itself. I cannot recall him ever having expressed a strong desire to run for political office, even when asked directly. He always seemed to me someone who wished to keep himself outside of the nasty world of politics.

The man can say whatever he wants, of course, and has a right to be heard, if not listened to. But why would anyone who supported the candidacy of a man whose every political and moral instinct is antithetical to the principles of conservatism presume or even want to speak on behalf of the party which is the political embodiment of those principles?

An excellent analysis of the current RINO led debacle that has the GOP wondering how it fell into such a political tar pit.

The RINO’s are well on the way to their own kind of utopia, a Democratic-Republican Party merger. That is if they can first get the GOP leadership to jettison the Gun Nuts, the God Nuts, the Anti-abortion Nuts, the Tea Party Nuts, the Anti-immigration Nuts, and the Homophobes.

Then the Dems (and their puppets in the media) will finally find them “acceptable” and offer them the Democratic version of saint hood. Or so they think.

In reality they will all get the same treatment that Arlen Spector got for his trouble. “Welcome to the Democratic Party… go directly to the back of the bus and try not to breath on anyone until you can be fitted with a UN certified Co2 filter and a ‘Save the Polar Bears frilly apron!’”; “Oh, and don’t forget to genuflect as you pass by Madonna Pelosi’s empty seat.”

Once you call someone a Nazi enabler—which is what the Vichy regime was—I take that to mean that you have no intention of partnering with him.

I didn’t realize that Colin Powell was such a powerful political force that we had to fire the verbal equivalent of a Final Protective Fire against him.

I don’t think the majority of American voters view Powell as some sort of Messiah, as much of the left apparently views Obama. If Powell voices political positions that the majority of Americans DON’T approve of—then I think Powell will fade into irrelevance. He can’t pull Jedi Mind Tricks on the voters.

As for conservatives, I think Powell’s policy positions aren’t in line with what most conservatives think. And, seeing as conservatives are not meek or easily led, I don’t see how Powell is going to assume control within the conservative movement or the GOP.

IMO, it would have been more productive to agree to partner with Powell on those areas where we can cooperate. Then—as several people have noted up thread—press the general to publicly state his positions. If he turns out to be more liberal than the GOP writ large prefers, he’ll fade away on his own.

Instead, we’ve just fired on Fort Sumter. Rhetorically speaking, of course.

The Republican Civil War has begun.

It’s not just about Powell. It would be nice if it were. It is about life and death, freedom and slavery. It’s because Powell, Ridge and others have the Obama media as partners. The media decided the last election. It’s also the snide, cowardly way in which these alleged men choose to attack others. They have not laid out their positions on life and death issues on the table today. First of which has to be the crime of advancing global warming and cap and trade to drive the final nail in our coffin. Powell has amply demonstrated he is a person of despicable and low character. Why waste time giving him another thought.

[I've also noticed that there's been more ants this week, too. Possibly they're coming from the same places. - ML]