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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Lindsey Graham Gives Away the Game

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  December 22nd, 2010 at 05:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

There has been a lot of speculation this week about why the GOP rolled over in the Senate on virtually every issue. From Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’s repeal to START to you name it — the GOP became the party of capitulation. So much so that even Lindsey Graham is blasting the Senate GOP “for a ‘capitulation … of dramatic proportions’ to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.”

In his statement about why the GOP folded like a cheap suit, Graham gives away the game. He says, “I can understand the Democrats being afraid of the new Republicans; I can’t understand Republicans being afraid of the new Republicans.”

As I’ve said for a while, with many people disagreeing, the 2010 election was about moving the Senate GOP right, not moving the Senate to the GOP. This past week makes my case for me.

The Senate GOP is decidedly mushy on many fronts and unwilling for really tough fights except in odd circumstances. The Senate GOP understands that Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio are headed to the Senate as reinforcements for Jim DeMint. They are deeply worried because of it.

Why worry? Because the Senate GOP wants to cut deals with the Senate Democrats and they know that just Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Jim DeMint will be able to force deals much more conservative than the Senate GOP is.

So Senate Republicans decided to roll over on big issues now knowing that next year they will be forced further right than they might be comfortable.

Here’s a golden truth some of you won’t like, but is true nonetheless: Mike Lee and Rand Paul are worth ten regular Republican Senators any day of the week. They’ll fight. And they’ll win.

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COMMENTS

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  • doubledok

    Especially on fiscal and international issues. TEA party sentiment straddles both parties and Republican failure to assert principles and advocate for a solid identity ripen the low-hanging fruit for a financially responsible alternative.

  • doubledok

    Especially on fiscal and international issues. TEA party sentiment straddles both parties and Republican failure to assert principles and advocate for a solid identity ripen the low-hanging fruit for a financially responsible alternative.

  • audax

    Don;t split the vote! The Tea party needs to complete the take over of the Republican party. They can do that if enough of us get out there and attend your County GOP meetings! Boring???? No way! Not with YOU there! and take your family, friends and neighbors! Vote for each other as delegates to the District and State Conventions! get on the Executive, Rules, and Candidate Selection Committees! Because th they will decide how the party is ran. Go to the National Convention as a delegate because THOSE are THE people who WILL decide WHO the GOP nominee’s Are!

  • horizon3

    Graham is the King of Roll over & play dead, between him and McCain it’s a contest to see who can broker a deal with the Dems faster than than the other one.

    Collins, Snowe and Scott Brown are in the same camp, they vote more with the Dems than they do with the GOP.

    They are all scared stupid that the new crop is going to make them look so bad that they won’t stand a snowballs chance of re-election in 2012, and that they will cancel out their normally RINO votes.

  • avgjo

    rollover even by people considered staunch conservatives, like Demint and Coburn? Demint caved on reading START and Coburn sold us out on the food bill by giving his consent when he could have killed it (in all likelihood) by refusing to do so?

    There are still too many unanswered questions…

  • avgjo

    rollover even by people considered staunch conservatives, like Demint and Coburn? Demint caved on reading START and Coburn sold us out on the food bill by giving his consent when he could have killed it (in all likelihood) by refusing to do so?

    There are still too many unanswered questions…

  • JadedByPolitics

    third party front and WE WILL NOT do it! As per ColdWarrior join your local Republican Party and be in the position to pick the candidates. This is a multi year war and the fear the new 6 bring will be 10 fold in 2012 when we send up another 12 to 13 Senators to back them up. This is just proof that Lugar and Hatch etc all must go and lets hand our new Conservatives soldiers backups!

  • davesinsanantonio

    NT

  • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

    calling you a panty waist.

  • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

    calling you a panty waist.

  • http://www.dhstation.com mayrfortuna

    As you probably know, I am Brazilian and I am following all conservative moves in your country, as I use to say, for if America fails, all Western World will fail too.
    Beyond that I would only wish you and your?s a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Sir.

  • Just_Saying

    ….from Alaska, in this list. She, also, is not voting conservatively, but is voting to favor her campaign contributors — unions, native corporations, and democrats.
    .

  • Joe_Cor

    He is inordinately interrested in being collegial. Remember his high praise for Nancy and Barak? His biweekly letters of encouragement to Barak? He voted to approve the debt commission report. He wants to try to cut a deal with Barak on Social Security. He said Newt, not Barak, would be the last person he’d want to see as POTUS. He is of the “reach out” variety of conservatives, who, like a recent POTUS, frequently appear more interested in reaching across the ailse in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation than they are in being right. And perhaps Demint’s bark is worse than his bite?

  • JadedByPolitics

    reprieve, the only way to stop her is to send reinforcements for DeMint and make her as irrelevant as WE know she is!

  • highpocket

    A third party has been mentioned since the Nov. elections on many places, but it is a sure way to destroy all of the work that has gone into the Tea Party. A third party would just weaken the GOP and make it a give-away to the democrats. The best way to have a “third party” is to get out the vote and replace the democrats and RINO’s with a real conservative Republican Party. ince we don’t have one yet, it would be like having a third party. Some of the old guard is hearing what we’re about now so we just have to say it louder next time.

  • avgjo
  • avgjo
  • rsturm

    ‘Too many unanswered questions..’
    …and it has been that way for a very long time….

    Makes me wonder just where the GOP (while in DC) get their news. Sometimes an issue has been on Fox News – and all over the internet – for weeks …. yet when they take a vote on it, or their opinions are sought after the vote, our fine, upstanding legislators act like they just spent the month in a cave!!

    Dems are certainly organized, existing under the mallets of Pelosi or Reid, but most times the GOP are excluded from Dem discussioins, so who informs THEM about the issues?!

    Perhaps what is missing is any attempt to organize and discuss the pros/cons, gossip, opinions…, and more importantly, THE CHOICES OF THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT, regarding every issue!! Surely we aren’t expecting each legislator to provide for his own research team!

    So if this was the role of McConnell and Boehner, to organize the GOP, then let’s FIRE them….. or send in someone to teach some basic CEO skills, and at least save the expense of each one to do the same research, etc.!!

  • billinsuwanee

    Graham is unfortunately correct. The GOP is a failed establishment of light weight unprincipled Statists. The Georgia GOP is void of morality or Conservatism., just reference Isakson, Chambliss, Kingston, Deal, Olens, Echols, etc.

    The Georgia GOP establishment needs to be cleaned out from top to bottom and replaced with decent energetic Conservatives that work for the citizens of this state. Sue Everhart, Chairman of the Georgia GOP, leads a group of District and County Chairs too lazy to hoist up decent candidates for all offices in this state.

    As audax said; “The Tea party needs to complete the take over of the Republican party.” This means at the grass roots in every precinct of Georgia.

    If the Georgia GOP continues to languish in its own sloth and laziness, it will cease to function for any decent Conservative in the state.

  • atillathehun

    Hard to believe that Lindsy sounds like a conservative voice on the treaty preamble.
    It is also rather astounding to hear even a Democrat do the shuffle around a treaty with the Russions as though the treaty was written between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and OBama.
    The General Officer Corps has become a left wing political arm along with the majority of the press.
    God help the Republic.

  • eddie74

    The Democrat Party is a conglomerate of 28 single-issue radical splinter groups who individually have very little stand alone Power.. The Group with the most political & financial power will control the Dem Party Apparatus which now is the radical Marxist-Socialist faction. All the other splinter groups within, then suckle up to this stronger Pig in order to stay politically connected to the teats of power of the mother Pig.. – - Farm talk, – but City Folks catch on Quick..

  • analyst

    Amen brother, but I have to add that we need to take over the school boards just as badly, and just as soon.

  • eddie74

    The Good Book says, “Know Thine Enemy, and You will have Them at Your Feet..”
    And may I add: “Ignor Thine Enemy and You Will have them at your Throat..!!”

  • jiminga

    Johnny announced yesterday he will vote for cloture and ratification of the START Treaty without the treaty going through the committee process, a process that would have revealed the many weaknesses included. I emailed him yesterday crtiicizing his decision and vowing to support his opponent when he is primaried. Both Isaakson and Chambliss have become way too comfortable in DC to represent a red state like GA.

  • tobytucker

    After fighting Obama tooth and nail for two long years and achieving a great electoral victory in the process, why is the GOP caving on so many issues in this lame duck session? If you are saying that their opposition was just some sort of campaign ploy and that now they can show their true colors without any consequence, I’m truly disappointed.

    The Food Safety bill gets approved UNANIMOUSLY? Are you kidding? If that isn’t going to turn into a job killing regulatory nightmare like CPSIA, I don’t know what will. (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act – read up on it, it’s a real horror story.) Sure, they stopped the DREAM Act and the omnibus spending bill, but other than that it seems like they’re just giving up. It’s just so sad.

  • bus2dc

    “Collegial” is the perfect word for Coburn. Based on watching him argue about the constitution numerous times on the floor, you’d think he should run for President. Until you see what he’s doing and saying everywhere else. Now I almost think he’s a closet Lindsay Graham. DeMint I have much higher hopes for — but it’s going to take a few hundred more DeMints to fight what amounts to a continuing overthrow of our government and our country itself. It is dispiriting (to say the least) to watch them all come tumbling down this week like dominos. Reid is just throwing a barrage of rocks and counting on hitting the oldest and tiredest GOP, and McConnell and Boehner are simply too ingrained (and afraid) to pick up a giant boulder to throw back. Thank God they at least managed to keep our own camp moving and fighting through the omnibus and the DREAM Act, or the GOP would have lost all ability to begin defunding (some of the most extreme legislation next year. Gee, we only ended up with internet regulation, a deeply-flawed and dangerous treaty with Russia, and a 9-11 compensation bill that somehow I believe still contains Reids legislation for online gambling?? Who thought up the month-long-excuse-for-mass-vendetta that is the horrendous “lame-duck” congressional session?

    I hope those we have newly elected are ready to take up their political swords. I hope they will, at least for the next 2 years, remember WHY they are there and HOW they got there. At least they are already 1000 times better at ARGUING the points and clarifying truth from the spin and LIES. For us I’d say drink a good amount of that spiked eggnog and rest up those phone fingers well for a few days — we are going to need them again all too quickly.

  • indy82

    January 5th, for many of us, will be a day in which the cavalry truly arrives. We desperately need to void the presence of people like Snowe, Collins, Murkowski, and Brown. Lee, Paul, Rubio, Toomey, and the rest of the “DeMint Army,” will aid us in accomplishing that.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Don’t kid yourself. They are no different today than they were in 1968.

  • audax

    …and they have a party, the TEA Party (aka the Republican Party). Welcome Home!

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Miller wasn’t a credible candidate. She’s spending the next six years as a US Senator for exactly the same reason John McCain, Harry Reid and the Bearded Marxist will be in the Senate. We chose not to field credible candidates against them.

    We have two years to get ready for Lugar and four for Graham. Lets hope we’ve learned a lesson from the seats we gave away this time.

  • Scope

    for helping the Libs to decorate the Christmas tree with every bad bill they wanted. (202) 224-2541. Won’t help, but, can’t hurt.

    The Food Bill still has to be passed again by the House. Piglosi wants to do it the same way it got through the Senate. I’ve read that there are 1/6 of the House embers not even there to vote. Call your rep and beg them to vote against it. Slim chance, but it still can be stopped.

    Time to start recruiting good conservative candidates for the 2012 elections. Don’t allow Cornyn and his gang to continue to choose our candidates or we will get more just like him and his traitor current crop. No one in the 111th Congress should be allowed to remain in DC to keep stabbing an already severely wounded population.

  • eddie74

    the Democrat Party has noticed the increasing political power of the Muslims in America, & have decided to suckle up to them, & to absorb them into the Dem Party, & champion their Every Islamic Cause… The increasing political & financial power of the Muslim Party within America is the “Prize of the Century” for the Dem.Party.. Every-every Muslim I spoke with was a 100% Dem. & stood with the DemocratParty, – in Fact, they (Muslims) look forward to becoming one of the Most Poweful & Influential Factions of the Dem Party and eagerly look forward to capturing control of the Dem Party apparatus, – even from the powerful Marxist-Socialist now in control.
    The original True Patriot American Democrats are now a minority group within the Conglomerate Democrat Party.. Listen to the Dems today, – they speak the Islamic-Muslim propaganda line, hook, & sinker..
    They are becoming the Islamic Party of Piece, in every sense of the Word.. No, not Peace, – I said Piece..!!

  • fpete13527

    The core GOP Senate leadership PURPOSELY gave Obama and the left MASSIVE disgraceful agenda in order to empower progressive liberalism in the GOP Senate and weaken Conservatism. The GOP LIKES their progressive moderacy and porky way of operating and they don?t want it changed.

    Make no mistake that the old guard GOP core would GLADY have passed the omnibus, if they thought they could get a way with it.

    The fact that the GOP Senate used weakening of our troops and foreign defense to do this, through DADT repeal and START approval, in addition to multiple other progressive agenda spending, IS A DISGRACE BEYOND WORDS, but it is 100% ACCURATE.

    McConnell and the core GOP moderacy old guard, that have pushed this pitiful consensus attack on Conservatism need to be called out and pounded. Make no mistake, McConnell and the group that forged this plan, AND IT WAS A PLAN, are NOT stupid. They have ZERO INTEGRITY, they are pure cowards, and they are a DIAGRACE, but they are NOT stupid. They know EXACTLY what they did.

    Look at even the Dream Act vote. McConnell didn?t say this needs to die and never be resurrected. He said just not now, and that it should be brought up next year so they could get it right. So, he wants illegal amnesty, just not this year because they wouldn?t be able to sneak it through with DADT Repeal, START approval, Food Police approval, Ethanol (Thune) approval, Death Tax increase, zero effective tax cuts, and Internet Fairness Doctrine approval. These were the only goals the GOP Senate wanted for this year.

    Primaries for the majority of the GOP Senate need to begin immediately next year and not wait until the middle of next year. The GOP Senate will extend this coups against Conservatism into the new year. The true Conservatives will fight to Repeal O-Care and get our debt under control?..and MCConnell and the old RINO guard will fake assistance but actually hinder the true result at every step of the way.

    For the Third Party posters?.NO THIRD PARTY, end of discussion.
    McConnell and the GOP old guard will deny and spin the above and the zero principle moderates who listen will fully buy into it and allow him to spin it that way. It will be a lie.

    The current biggest enemy to this country is the old guard Senate RINO Republican core because they WANT to allow liberalism so that they can continue the way they have.

    EVEN Lindsay Graham sees this. Enough said.

    Primaries need to start now.

  • Kyle-MI

    Although 2012 should see even more conservative reinforcements, it will probably take a couple more elections to turn the GOP caucus as conservative as we like. With the Dems still in control of the Senate and the White House and with plenty of RINO’s, brace yourselves for a couple of bumpy years. (We will still be better off then when Dems were in full control.) I am just worried that too many voters on our side have unreasonable expectations and will loose heart. We are moving in the right direction but we are far from the goal.

  • eddie74

    and you will find a big political Pork Payoff to get Coburn’s vote.. The Whole Group in Washington is one big Pork Payoff after another.. It’s Legal Bribery & Extortion & Taxpayer Robbery at it’s political worse.. Commiting this same action Outside Washington DC, & they would all be arrested and jailed for years.

  • fpete13527

    I agree we can’t turn on a dime, however I will assert that we haven’t even begun turning on a football field.

    The turning must be sharper and quicker or it WILL be the same as the Dems having it all. The current GOP core is PURPOSELY embracing liberalism.

    I am committed to sharper turns agasint liberalism NOW.

    Primaries.

  • roscopico

    Miller wasn’t a credible candidate?

    Horse S#it.

    Murky convinced the pork-addicted pedestrian “middle” that she’d bring home the bacon, and splitting the vote three ways sure helped.

    In a two-way race there’s no way in h3ll Miller loses. Period.

  • earlgrey

    Two challengers dilute the vote so the establishment guy (who has been loved in IN for years) wins. I wish we could figure a way to just get 1 good guy up there.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    If Miller were electable and had be been a credible candidate he’d be getting ready to be sworn in as US Senator.

    The write in is a huge wall to get over even for a well known candidate and there have been lots who tried. Only one made it.

    Look, I don’t like Murkowski. I certainly don’t like Reid or TBM and I’m not fond at all of McCain. But the bottom line is that we ran losers against them. And we lost because of it.

    Get over it. Learn from it because we won’t be sneaking anybody in the back door in the ’12 primaries. Lugar will pull out all the stops to win. So will the Senator from Maine and so will Scott Brown.

  • Praying

    Thank goodness the DeMint reinforcements are comming – and not a moment too soon. After a strong beginning with the omnibus bill and the Nightmare Act (aka DREAM act), the senate GOP has completely lost their spine (what little they had) this week. I don’t think gays serving in the military is something that a bunch of bureaucrats in Washington should decide – it should be up to the heads of each military unit (since clearly, one size does NOT fit all). The capitulation on START was especially troubling. The current crop of senators and a good number of representatives – both democrats and republicans – are really socialists in search of their one world government utopia. They will sell out this country at a moments notice. And they just did.

  • GOP84

    Considering that Lindsay Graham is the king of GOP capitulation (i.e. Sotomayor, Kagan, Amnesty, etc.)

  • GOP84

    Considering that Lindsay Graham is the king of GOP capitulation (i.e. Sotomayor, Kagan, Amnesty, etc.)

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    do not “vote more with the Dems…”, they just go away on an unpopular issue once in a while. I personally don’t give a rip one way or the other about them, but please, if you’re going to start making silly statements about primarying them toss in a candidate’s name or two.

    In case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t ANYBODY in MA more conservative than Brown who will get two dozen votes. And frankly, Brown will probably lose in ’12. Oh, and if he does, the person who replaces him will NEVER vote with Republicans. Ever.

  • oses

    You’re absolutely right about TEA party sentiment straddling both parties. Some of us are pretty disgusted by the tax bill that gives huge government subsidies to the wealthy, and the estate tax subsidizing people who have never worked a day in their life.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    We had this in CO-4. Diggs Brown and Cory Gardner were both running for this seat. They ran a very clean campaign. Once Cory won the caucus vote (and not by a huge margin), Diggs graciously bowed out so there wouldn’t be a drawn out fight.

    I wish Norton had followed his example…

  • edintexas

    The activists in the Muslim community intend to take over the Democrat party, as a first step. Given the degree to which Islam is “conservative”, it would seem odd that they would gravitate to the Democrat party. But the lack of common basic principles among all the factions in the Democrat party make it far easier to take over that party than it would be to take over the Republican party.

  • edintexas

    I wonder how it is that RS has managed to escape the attention of the many trolls out there. Hopefully we will continue to only have a few to take up the bandwidth.

  • earlgrey

    Why didn’t Lindsey protest during the lame duck session instead of waiting until now?

  • earlgrey
  • Bobcat51

    and his roll over gang have really put a shine back on the Obama presidency . Obama was dead in the water until this lot resuscitated him with DADT, START. I have commentated elsewhere, McConnell is like and old dog who is all gruff but toothless with no bite !

    I wonder how many voters who thought they had managed to change the direction of the country now feel very let down by the early capitulation of the McConnell led GOP Senate team ? How many of us donated to Scott Brown only to now feel cheated by his duplicity?

    Yes, the fair weather country club Progressive Republicans need a wake up call because it’s obvious they have already forgotten November 2nd ! The wets need to be on notice in January that they are going to be primaried out by real patriots and this needs to commence ASAP, so support your local Tea Party and let’s get the show on the road. The rot is well set in and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to remove the rotten dead wood, we have started, now lets finish the job.

  • edintexas

    I also find it amazing that Graham is taking to task the other squishes in the Republican ranks.

    I wouldn’t castigate ALL the General Officers, advancement to the highest ranks has always involved some degree of politics. But we are still suffering the results of the Clinton Administration’s advancement of senior officers based more on political issues than on military capability, And the current Administration has something of a reputation for punishing those who oppose them (whether deserved, or not, since Emanuel left).

  • edintexas

    Allow me to thread jack to point out that double posting is easily avoided. Red State servers are sometimes slow to respond to an entry. If you click on the “POST COMMENT” button and see no response, please don’t assume your entry was lost. In Firefox I have a bar at the bottom of the screen, and in the left hand corner of that bar there is notice of what is happening – “Waiting for Red State” does not mean “Click on the button again”. I don’t know what Internet Exploder might have in the way of information.

  • Wubbies World

    …. and need purging.

    More primaries are coming in a year and a half. We need to begin preparing for them now!

  • walter_hanson

    The problem we have had in the Senate for years has been the Republican leader hasn’t wanted to throw his weight around. When Bill Clinton was being impeached Lott went and reached a great comprise of not having the evidence properly heard. Thus allowing history to be written that Ken Starr went after Clinton for sex.

    Frist tried, but part of his problem even when he had 55 so called votes was that there were enough people like the Collins, Snow, etc who on some bills said they wouldn’t vote for something unless their pet item was fixed.

    Harry Reid said give me sixty votes and I’ll get things done. Reid was given sixty votes at least for a few months. But he had some unofficial Rhino’s on his side to get votes.

    We need a leader who can get things done. If Mcconell for example immediately stripped Lisa of her committee seats when she said was doing the write in campaign that would have had an impact on the race. If she wanted her seats go and sit with Harry since you’re planning to vote with him on that.

    Walter Hanson
    Minneapolis, MN

  • cwilson

    that is, the 110th 2006-2008, both of the Maine Twits had an ACU rating of 48%. That means they voted with the Dems MORE than with the Republicans.

    Granted, there’s some selection bias on the votes scored by the ACU…but I don’t think you can argue that the ACU “stacked” the numbers by deliberately picking unimportant votes where the Twits would do poorly. The ACU scores the “big issue” votes, not the picayune procedural stuff.

  • cwilson

    you are talking about. After the high profile of pork in the defeat of the Omnibus, and how Coburn voted on the Senate Republican Caucus resolution to ban pork…I don’t believe this accusation.

  • IJB

    The problem with double-posting is, in fact, INTERNET EXPLORER itself! – it’s some bug in IE that causes it. (You’ll sometimes notice that EE himself double-posts, esp. to RedHot, and I bet it’s when he’s using IE.)

    Somebody around here can give you more details, but the double-posting is nearly always from IE users (and not people who have manually reposted).

    So the solution? Stop using IE!!

  • Tbone

    “They?ll fight. And they?ll win.”

    I don’t want some frickin bookkeeper, Beltway Pol, Senate hack or hair stylist model.

  • cwilson

    Those that get promoted when a Democrat is president, and those that get promoted when a Republican is president. When the CinC is of the “wrong” party, they bide their time or some retire. It’s a open question as to which cohort are better Soldiers/Airmen/Sailers/Marines — but I have my suspicions, given the behavior of certain “Former XXX under President Clinton” wandering the cable news channels.

  • IJB

    I know people don’t want to hear that because it’s easier to just blame Mitch McConnell for everything (and he does share blame).

    But the real problem is about half (maybe more) of the Senate GOP caucus isn’t conservative, and doesn’t have the country’s best interests at heart.

    (Another problem is a Senate as an institution itself, but that’s a discussion for another time…)

    Anyway, blaming Mitch may be personally satisfying, but it will distract people from the real truth – and that is we need to replace about half of the Republicans in the Senate.

    IOW, time to get to work.

  • drfredc

    Exactly right, the LOSERship doesn’t want to become conservative, they are the LOSERship, and don’t you forget it. Now, it time all you LOSERship lemmings, hop aboard the LOSERship as it sets sail into the sea of debt off to that wonderful land more government controls.

    It’s going to be a great moderate voyage, so please, please, come join us….

  • michigan

    I think we?re going to see much more of this kind of talk and action from Senator Grahamnisty. With the last election cycle sweeping in Governor Elect, Nikki Haley, the local political climate may have caught the attention of the good Senator. The Governor is far closer and frequent to constituents steering the political conversation and endorsement than a long time DC beltway insider. I really don?t think that if it were as in the past where Governors appointed US Senators, a Governor Haley would call on a Senator Grahamnisty to serve the great state of South Carolina. Four years of friction in his home state from an adversarial Governor could be very damaging to his re-election efforts.

  • michigan

    I think we?re going to see much more of this kind of talk and action from Senator Grahamnisty. With the last election cycle sweeping in Governor Elect, Nikki Haley, the local political climate may have caught the attention of the good Senator. The Governor is far closer and frequent to constituents steering the political conversation and endorsement than a long time DC beltway insider. I really don?t think that if it were as in the past where Governors appointed US Senators, a Governor Haley would call on a Senator Grahamnisty to serve the great state of South Carolina. Four years of friction in his home state from an adversarial Governor could be very damaging to his re-election efforts.

  • cam1

    such thing as an AmericanDemocrat. They are so immeshed in the Progressive politics of victim status that there is nothing American about them.

    Wake up … smell the coffee.

  • soljerblue

    …and with the states getting more read, and redistricting coming down the pike, we can do it. But — we MUST stay involved, angry, and motivated!

  • red_oakster

    They need to hug the center if they want to survive. And they’ll support conservatives about half the time. The alternative is a Kerry or Durbin who will support the right thing about zero per cent of the time.

    The real problem is an Alexander or Corker or an Isaacson, who vote for START or a Graham who undermined the nuclear option when we desperately needed it in 2006.

    And there’s a risk with primary strategy candidates like Joe Miller. He won a very narrow primary victory, which gave Murkowski an opening. If conservatives don’t win primaries by large enough margins, they can face 3 way general election races against an incumbent. In 2012, knocking off Lugar or Snowe might cause similar events. I still think it’s a risk worth taking in solid red states, but not in places like Delaware.

  • soljerblue

    for the Tea Party conservatives!

    As someone just posted — the D’s and the RINOS would wet themselves with joy if that happens. I’ve seen nor heard no such signals from the Tea Party R’s I’m associated with in Alabama. Oh, we have the occasional preachy member — we have one now — who sings hymns to a third party every so often. I take him on each and every time, pointing out that US political history shows third parties only throw elections to their opposite number.

    NO third partiy!!

    And a Merry Christmas, and a conservative 2011 to all.

  • roscopico
  • earlgrey

    I am really unhappy with them.

    I called Alexander’s office yesterday morning, and I guess they told me they were getting tons of call from out of state.

    I am on good terms with the staffer at Corker’s local office, but really, I can’t support him next election. I find him likable, but we need someone with stones. There were rumors before his election that he also supports amnesty. I have missed his positions on that, but I think he deserves a primary no matter his vote on DREAM.

    Corker and Alexander marched in lockstep to Obama’s tune. Why, I don’t know, but it is a slap in the face to the new Senators just elected. There was no need to finalize this in the lame duck. None.

  • soljerblue

    and the same to you and yours.

  • soljerblue

    and the same to you and yours.

  • Darin_H

    McConnell pretty accurately reflects the center of the GOP Senate caucus, unfortunately. But with the senators we’re sending come January, it will push the caucus and thus McConnell rightward. We need to keep the heat on for now, and send more conservative senators in 2012 and 2014 (and on and on!). You move the caucus, you move Mitch.

  • Bill S

    Promoting a third-party is verboten here at Redstate. You haven’t done that, but I make the statement for the benefit of those who might consider it.

    Thank you.

  • Sean (SIConservative)

    “Collegiality” is not a dirty word. Problems arise when collegiality is confused with compromise on principle. Sen. DeMint takes an “in your face” approach, while Dr. Coburn works within the system to get the best possible result. Oh by the way, Coburn holds up far more legislation than DeMint.

    It’s entirely possible for two Senators to be very effective while taking very different approaches. I’m about as libertarian as you’ll get, and while Dr. Coburn disappoints me from time to time, I’m only disappointed because his overall track record sets such a high standard. Not for nothing, but if Dr. Coburn’s too liberal for you, you’re going to be horribly disappointed in the incoming class (with the possible exception of Mike Lee), and probably just about anyone who will ever be elected to anything.

  • fpete13527

    I also agree with your bottom line. It’s time to get to work and repalce many.

  • fpete13527
  • streiff

    you have a mouse in your pocket?

    Your short membership to the site has been nothing but a sordid exercise in trolling. Just don’t say you weren’t told.

  • streiff

    though your title may simply be inartfully rendered and what you are doing is making an observation.

    Word to the wise. Advocating a third party is a third rail on RedState. There are other places you can do that.

    Keep that in mind if you wish to continue posting here.

  • Sean (SIConservative)

    While I agree with Sen. Graham for a change, he should be the last person complaining about unconditional surrender. This is, after all, the South Carolina Senator who backed both Sotomayor and Kagan.

  • Kyle-MI

    There is no excuse for this garbage. If there is an emergency need to call congress into session between the November election and the usual beginning of the new congress, then only those whose elections have been certified will have standing to sit in the emergency session. Those who lost their election can no longer vote. Sure there may be a few states that will have a few Congressmen or Senators unable to represent them, but if it is a real emergency then it is an acceptable tradeoff. It will also be an incentive for states to clean up their election certification processes.

  • edniceville

    Starting last week we need to be very carefully tracking the RINO’s in Congress and preparing for their “demise” 2012 needs to be another shellacking of gargantuan proportions for not only the Dems, but, the RINO’s as well! We need to get this country back to our Founding Father’s principles as fast as possible! A third party is not needed, just right thinking candidates and representatives in government! We need to remind all who “serve” DAILY that they work for US, and serve at OUR pleasure!

  • edniceville

    Since when is “Senator Grahamnesty” a full on Conservative all of a sudden? Has he finally awakened and smelled the coffee? Or is this just another of his “go along to get along” tactics? He is definitely a target for the next election, so, let’s keep very careful watch over his actions, not so much his words!

  • exitsfunnel

    I expect that Olympia Snowe will see the writing on the wall and bail on the GOP primary and run as an independent. Her situation is different from most of the Rinos in that she’s so wildly popular that even without a major party affiliation she will win in a walk.

    Hopefully she will organize with the GOP.

  • Ausonius

    Lindsey Graham apparently is aware of the direction of the wind: it does not make him admirable by any means, but shows he might have a triple-digit I.Q.

    His outrage is in either case quite welcome! :)

    I at times worry about keeping our momentum going: it takes energy to stay focused long-term, and to keep others focused who are not politically obsessive :)

    But then the Dumbocrats openly try to raise taxes on every American.

    And then the RINOS continue to ignore the results of the last election, and for deeply disturbing psychological reasons want to be friends with all the Koo-Aid Kids of the Dumbocrats.

    And then the not-so-crypto-Marxist of the FCC puts through a back-door seizure of the Internet’s capabilities.

    We are presented every few days with a new outrage: if we communicate exactly how and why “every move they take, every step they take” brings down America, we should be able to “sting” the Dems into irrelevance in 2012.

  • tampaconservative

    Do you not feel Rubio will fight and win? Is he not worth ten votes? why?

  • writeblock

    Neither DADT nor START are very big deals, though they bolster Obama’s standing with his base and in the media, strengthening his hand in 2012. It’s harder to argue he’s incompetent when he gets things done like this. I’m annoyed but not outraged–not enough to pine for a third party. But we need to replace Lugar, Alexander, Hatch, etc. I include McCain’s sidekick in that company, though Graham’s been trying to sound more conservative lately.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Nobody has to “bend over” for anybody, but we’ve got to find candidates who are capable of actually winning elections.

    In the case of this year’s election, we should have been able to win Delaware and Nevada in a walk. In both cases we had Tea Party supported candidates sneak in at the last minute (and in DE she was aided by Castle’s entitlement campaign) and pull off primary wins. In both cases, the candidates were totally incapable of closing the deal with voters.

    In McCain’s case, he knew he would have to spend about $3.00 to win the general election so he spent at $15MM more than he had to to beat the daylights out of JD Hayworth. We got stuck with Hayworth because nobody either tried or was able to convince John Shadegg or Jeff Flake to run against McCain, either could have given him a very credible run.

    The McCain lesson won’t be lost on Republicans like Lugar. He’ll have no competition in the general and if we don’t get a very good and very credible candidate to run against him Lugar will win in a walk. Same may be said for Hatch, although the folks in UT have a much better system for choosing a candidate and Hatch may well be squashed in the convention.

    With respect to the Senators from ME and MA, got a name for me? And note exitsfunnel’s comment. He’s on the ground.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    but people burn up tremendous amounts of bandwidth cursing the ME Girls and now Brown.

    With respect to people like Lugar, Alexander, Corker and Graham, we’ve got to be able to put a candidate and an organization in place BEFORE the primary or our candidate will buried by the McCain effect – spend it all in the primary because there won’t be a credible Dem in the general.

  • Kyle-MI

    and he is a big porker. Just because there is pork for OK does not mean that Coburn is being bought off.

  • avgjo

    that he would do the right thing and not worry about losing his career. Whatever you think of Mr. Cain’s preparedness for the presidency, you must admit that this quality noticed by Mr. Watts is what we need in ALL of our representatives, if we are get our freedom back.

  • avgjo

    that he would do the right thing and not worry about losing his career. Whatever you think of Mr. Cain’s preparedness for the presidency, you must admit that this quality noticed by Mr. Watts is what we need in ALL of our representatives, if we are get our freedom back.

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    needs to do.

    I always chuckle when I hear a member of a tea party say they fear that “the Republican Party” is trying to take over the tea parties. That’s just impossible — the Republican Party is dwarfed in size by the millions and millions of conservatives who are members of tea parties, 9.12, WeSurroundThem and other grass roots conservative groups.

    If we can get all of the grass roots conservatives in those various groups to “pivot” into united political action INSIDE the Republican Party, as you advocate, the “tea party” would take over the Republican Party.

    There is absolutely no need for a third party — we have a perfectly good political party that is severely underutilized right now — half of the precinct committeeman slots in the Republican Party right now are vacant.

    Conservatives: Do you want a more conservative Republican Party? Then join it, just as audax has advised. And take along with you to your local committee meeting every conservative you know. Want to save the Republic? That’s the way to do it.

    Thank you.

    For Liberty,

    ColdWarrior

  • caboose

    most Americans and especially those from TN didnot miss the lame performances of Senators, Alexander and Specifically Corker, whose idiotic attempt to explain away his joining Hanoi John in betraying the United States Of America. However this disgusting individual will continue be unaccountable to his constitutents and other Americans if Senators are allowed to continue Six Years Terms without accountability for his actions. The Six term for Senators must be changed to at least two year term, for the sake of this country.

  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    and it should include all the RINOs and ‘centrist’ statists . . . oh wait . . . there is one, it’s called No Labels. If these people truly form a third party (a centrist one), that will open the door for conservatives to flex their strength because there are twice the number of conservatives as there are of ‘moderates’ or ‘liberals’

  • walter_hanson

    Can you imagine how this so called lame duck session would’ve gone if Portman had there instead of vuk. Tomey instead of Specter, Reid wouldn’t have his 60 votes for anything. Heck the only reason why we managed to stop the dream act were because of the DINO’s that didn’t vote for cloture.

    A constitutional amendment fixes that. Hopefully the House will introduce and pass it!

    Walter Hanson

  • avgjo
  • avgjo

    We have made life for combat soldiers more dangerous by turning the military into a lab for social experiments. START undermines our ability to defend ourselves and our allies.

    Oh yeah, DADT opens the door for a push to repeal DOMA and for homosexual marriage.

    Nah, not a big deal at all.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    The DREAM act had the most devastating consequences.

    START doesn’t matter much, Obama would’ve done this anyway without the treaty. According to him it doesn’t preclude missile defense, so the next President can continue with that. And even if the Russians squawk and quit, so what, we’re back to where we started and can get a better deal with a better President and Congress.

    DADT was going to happen eventually anyway. I do agree this one was a big deal though, only because it will cost lives. If they’d waited until peacetime they’d have had time to deal with all the problems with implementation, but now they’re going to have to do it at the worst time. Whether or not it opens other doors remains to be seen. I don’t always agree with slippery slope arguments and I’m not convinced it applies in this case.

  • lunaticrex
  • avgjo

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/dec/22/us-politics-obama-gay-marriage

    http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/22/looking-beyond-don-t-ask-don-t-tell.html

    I was heartened to see that the liberty council, representing groups numbering 40 MILLION, announced a push for the reversal of this idiotic repeal.

    START is being rushed…that raises serious red flags for me. What’s hidden in there?

  • avgjo

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/dec/22/us-politics-obama-gay-marriage

    http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/22/looking-beyond-don-t-ask-don-t-tell.html

    I was heartened to see that the liberty council, representing groups numbering 40 MILLION, announced a push for the reversal of this idiotic repeal.

    START is being rushed…that raises serious red flags for me. What’s hidden in there?

  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    what makes him a non-credible candidate? other than stumbling all over his wee-wee, which is more due to inexperience in politics than being non-credible, I thought he was a superbly qualified candidate. Veteran awarded a bronze star for service in the gulf war, federal magistrate, esteemed attorney . . . his stances on the issues were right on.

    He needed more experience in elected office and running campaigns, that is it. That doesn’t mean he isn’t “credible” . Save that label for people like Christine O’Donnell.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Do you have a list of names – or even just a name – of someone in Maine who can make a credible run against Collins or Snowe? Or do you just want to hand the seat to someone who will vote against us 100% of the time?

    I’m perfectly happy to support a credible candidate (Rubio, Rand Paul, etc), what I don’t want to see happen in ’12 is more O’Donnell/Angle fiascos. And frankly, in Maine (and MA) you’re not likely to find ANYBODY who can make a run at the incumbents in a primary.

    Names please.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Doesn’t mean they’ll get it (doesn’t mean they won’t either). I just don’t think the connection is there, though a lot can happen in a LD session.

    As for START and what’s hidden, well, we’ll just have to wait until it passes to see what’s in there!

  • pirate55

    That elections have consequences and for those Republicans of the “Lame Duck” Congress, such capitulation must be REMEMBERED and not a thing they do in the next two years is going to change my mind. RINO’s are alive and well in the Lame Duck Congress and will again infest the incoming Congress.

    Such infestation must be remedied by we, the voters as we continue to rid OUR party of these parasites ands pest. The DISRESPECT they have for we the voters of November and Conservatives presupposes we are fading away.

    Fortunately, we are not fading away, only growing stronger and I wait with eager anticipation as I welcome you all to SW Florida and Tampa in 2012. To the Maine and Tennessee delegates! You all know who not to bring with you! Drop off the RINO’s at Busch Gardens!

    And to Senator Graham,.. You are a day late and a dollar short. I don’t think you can catch up in time, so head for the Gardens too!

    If Conservatives learned anything since 1994 it is moderation is a CAPITULATION of principle and it has to stop! As for me, I just called the NRSC and asked them to take me off the mailing list. You hear that Mr. STEELE? The RNC better think long and hard when it decides who to give our money to for the 2012 election.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    and having no support mechanism to hold his hand.

    Make a fool of yourself often enough and you go from no credibilty because you’re unknown (not so much of a problem) to no credibility because you’ve made an ass of yourself. Big problem.

    That’s why, when I comment on these issues, I note that if we are going to put up a candidate in a primary against an incumbent we have to have an organization to work with them. You can’t throw newbies into the deep end of the pool and expect them to survive. IMO, Miller won because he got a big infusion of $$ late in the campaign and Murk had been doing the entitlement campaign thing. He – like Angle and to some extent like CO’D – came out of nowhere with big bucks and surprised everybody. That likely won’t be happening in ’12.

  • runner12

    It amazes me how spineless these people are. They are beltway politicians who would sell out their own grandmother to get re-elected. They don’t care about this country or standing up for what they believe in. The new Congress better prove quickly that they will not be the same way.

    Every single Senator who voted for DADT repeal and START needs to be primaried.

  • runner12

    It amazes me how spineless these people are. They are beltway politicians who would sell out their own grandmother to get re-elected. They don’t care about this country or standing up for what they believe in. The new Congress better prove quickly that they will not be the same way.

    Every single Senator who voted for DADT repeal and START needs to be primaried.

  • runner12

    Did anyone hear the question Obummer was given today by a reporter (and I use that term loosely, propagandist would have been more accurate)? DADT repeal is not about gays in the military, it is about using it as an avenue to legalize gay marriage. They are already beginning the push to repeal the DAMO. While I think the chances of that happening in the next 2 years are slim, they go significantly up if Obummer wins another term. Mark my words though, if Obummer does that, all hell will break loose.

    We must defeat these clowns!

  • runner12

    Did anyone hear the question Obummer was given today by a reporter (and I use that term loosely, propagandist would have been more accurate)? DADT repeal is not about gays in the military, it is about using it as an avenue to legalize gay marriage. They are already beginning the push to repeal the DAMO. While I think the chances of that happening in the next 2 years are slim, they go significantly up if Obummer wins another term. Mark my words though, if Obummer does that, all hell will break loose.

    We must defeat these clowns!

  • runner12

    strikes again!!!

  • georgeinla

    just automatically, as in I hit post comment only once, and it posted twice. Sucks.

  • georgeinla

    For the life of me, I couldn’t figure it out. I mean they were known as the “Party of No”, and for that they were rewarded by the voters with an epic victory, and Obama and the Democrats were on the ropes. All they had to do was hold out for three more weeks, and they were to have the calvary arrive and things were looking to get even better.

    But instead . . . they cave on issue after issue, and now the media narrative is one of historic, epic victories for the President and the Democrats, “the most productive Congress in history”, and the President’s approval ratings on the rise, looking good going into 2011. What gives?

    But yes, the RINO’s don’t want to be voting on DADT, START, raising taxes, etc., going into the 2012 primary season. Ah, yes, now it all becomes clear . . .

  • tommyt

    One thing that was made perfectly clear this year is that the Democrats are afraid to do anything by themselves. They do not want the blood to be entirely on their hands. They need Republican support to blur the issue and keep the electorate confused and ignorant. Look at health care and the backlash they received.
    We are better to be in a small united dogmatic coalition, than a big tent squishy coalition. We are better off having Democrats represent their liberal states than RINOs. We should be happy that Castle didn’t win. It was better that we tried and lost with Christine O’Donnell than have Castle as a Senator. My Dad, who doesn’t follow politics closely, is wondering why DADT passed after voting republican in November. I am sure that there is allot of other conservative leaning voters wondering the same thing.

    We have been sold a lie. The people who keep telling us to settle for RINOs and liberals are WRONG. We are lucky that Obama was so arrogant on Health Care and dissed the Republicans. I think it is obvious that allot of Republican Senators were against the Health Care Bill more on procedural grounds than on principal. If Obama would have reached out to the Republican Senators and allowed them some amendments, it would have been a different story. These Senators are afraid of anybody who draws clear ideological lines. Clarity is more important here than agreement.

    I am through settling for liberal and corrupt candidates. I will fight against the people who tell me I must accept RINOs. They are totally wrong. Angle and O’Donnell were credible candidates simply because they would have been truly conservative. No other credentials are necessary. I am tired of some Republicans actively undermining our candidates. These are the people who keep pushing this power at all cost agenda. That is the philosophy of the Democrats. Please join their side.

  • tommyt

    You have seen the light. Our side is right. We should thank Obama for this. It is clear that our Senators refused to go along mostly because of their egos. If Obama would have reached out, they probably would have caved alot more.

    One thing this clearly demonstrated is that the people who keep telling us that we have to accept this crap are WRONG.

    We can win. Purge all squishy Republicans and we will prevail. Your interpretation is correct. These people are afraid of clarity. Make it clear to the electorate who the real problem is and we will win every time. We should not back down from our cause. If it is a squishy Republican, stay home or don’t vote. We are better off with a Democrat than a RINO. That is the lesson to take away from this past couple of years. I have listened to the power at all cost crowd now for 30 years. It has gotten me no where. The size of Government and liberalism keeps marching on. We are better off with an ideological pure minority than a diluted majority. The diluted majority will always serve the liberal cause.

  • jhh1023

    Giving Russians more nuclear strength is not a muslim virtue. Nor is the removal of DADT and it’s replacement with open homosexuality in the military (“not that there’s anything wrong with that…”) -BTW not a repeal of the Clintonesque policy,- since that would require NO homosexuals in the military openly like it was prior to the DADT debacle. I do not see how these items the lame congressmen and women have jammed through here at the end of their lives in D.C. demonstrate Islamic bias, just anti constituency bias.

    Come to think of it, beginning the destruction of the Internet as we know it isn’t a Muslim support either, since they are still using smoke signals to communicate relegating cell phones to IED detonators.

    Just sayin’

  • damron

    With all the crap that went on when the Dems controlled both houses and the WH, we now have a bunch of RINOs in our own party acting like liberals and caving in to Obama. Amazed that Graham is saying anything cause he is a RINO himself. Poster on current Ga GOP is absolutely right, Isaacson and Chambliss have been up there too darn long and that initself is the problem and further stubstantiates there should be term limits. I have said and will continue to say until we fix our own inefficiencies within the GOP we will not be an effective party against liberalism. Everyone doesn’t have college degrees and most of the voitng public really aren’t very smart but a few have a clue and we can tell the difference between BS and what is right and should be happening.
    About the only way I can see fixing it without term limits is the voters in the states that have the weaklings to vote them out every opportunity. This is sad to say the least that you cannot trust your own darn party. And yes, Mitch McConnell is a lot of the problem (maybe not all) but he is also the only Republican that voted to say it would be OK to burn the American flag. I know, I am originally from Ky now living in Ga. And I’m a retired servicemember so I surely want’s happy that the Senate voted to not make it a crime to burn our flag that many of my freinds fought and died for. The START is a joke. It now will mean we cannot have a missile defense system to protect our Country, that alone should have been reason to vote against it. Yet you have stupid heads in the GOP who voted for it. They are no different than Snowe, Brown and the others who normally vote with the Dems. Murkowski should be in the Democratic party, she votes for them most of the time anyway. But we have to fix those things in our own party and cannot blame the Dems for things like that.
    I just very disappointed in our RINOs and they are not hard to figure out. Hope each of you in the Restate community have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

  • damron

    I agree with you 110%. We cannot be a complete credible party until we fix our own party. It’s hard enough to win a war but you certainly cannot if you cannot trust folks in your own darn tent! We need to weed out the weaklings and they aren’t hard to find and eliminate them from our party. If they wanto to become an Arlon Specter that’s their choice. I am tired of people saying one thing and doing something else. In the last week our own dummies have made Obama look like a Saint! Pitiful!

  • Joe_Cor

    A Republican senator who thinks someone who voted three times to deny newborn infants medical care is a most wonderful man is more than conservative enough for me. A senator who trashes Fox News while he praises Nancy Pelosi has conservative bonafides I shouldn’t question. A senator who actually feels more alarm at the prospect of a Gingrich presidency than he does with the current regime should not trouble me.

    And why should I have trouble with his approach? Trying to be friends with these people, to flatter them and reach out to them is a tried-and-true means of advancing the conservative cause. Democrats always moderate when you do that. They stop saying nasty things, stop their personal attacks, stop trying to advance their destructive agenda whenever they are just buttered up enough by Republicans. Why, just think of what might have been avoided –Obamacare, START, the nutrition bill, the Stimulus, Net Neutrality — if we had just been nicer to these people. If we had just gone that extra mile and flattered them a few more times, they wouldn’t have leveled their libelous charges of racism, wouldn’t be calling their opponents anti-American, wouldn’t be accusing Republicans of holding the country “hostage.” They would have moderated their agenda and started acting like the pussycats we all know that they are deep down inside if only we had been nicer to them. And it is so helpful, while they are saying all these things, to let the American people know that we don’t mind, and that we have the highest respect and regard for them, and say the fault is really all ours for not being civil enough to them. That strategy has been just a super PR coup for Republicans for over two decades now, and look at all it has accomplished. We advanced all the way from the Reagan Revolution to Obamacare in just two short decades by following that can’t-fail strategy.

    If only I didn’t hold Senator Coburn up to such ridiculous standards of ideoligical purity I could see the wisdom of his approach.

  • Sean (SIConservative)

    Because you are demonstrating tremendous immaturity. I’m not sure of which religion you are a member, but I certainly hope that you don’t claim to be a Christian, as your tone isn’t remotely reflective of that tradition. Those of us who are are called to judge the sin, not the sinner.

    It’s entirely possible for someone to be a decent human being and be horribly misguided. It’s also possible for someone who actually has sat down and gotten to know someone to have a very different opinion of her than someone who has just looked at a voting record. For example, if I sat down and had a beer with you, I might think you’re a nice guy. It’d be unfair for me to consider you a sophomoric jerk judging only by this comment.

    You have some growing up to do.

  • victrola

    First of all, “rock-ribbed” conservative Senators like DeMint and Coburn really rolled over. Had they simply demanded that every bill be read, he could have gummed up the Senate until the lame duck was over. Looks like they’re not as fearless as we thought.

    I honestly don’t believe Conservatives’ #1 problem is “blue state” Republicans, I think our #1 problem is we simply don’t have enough Republican Senators.

    Democrats only had to peel off a few Senators, and on these issues, it was easy to do. On the big issues, I was glad to have the moderates Republicans, like on ObamaCare and Reid’s last omnibus. (Kirk was a big help)

    I’m all for having a primary on the squishes, but only if the challengers are CREDIBLE (no Christine O’Donnells) and they’re in true RED STATES that we can’t lose (only a suicidal GOP would primary Scott Brown or Olympia Snowe) In a state like Massachusetts or Maine, it’s either going to be a Republican who’s with you 75% of the time. or a Democrat that’s with you 0% of the time. As a conservative, I’ll take my chances with a moderate Republican over a New England Democrat any day.

    A strong primary challenger for Lindsey Graham? Smart. A strong primary challenger for Scott Brown? Stupid. You’ll only install another Ted Kennedy with a seat for life.

  • Joe_Cor

    I stand by my evaluation of Senator Coburn’s political tactics. But I am sorry I offended you with my sarcasm in this Christmas Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

  • Sean (SIConservative)

    I have considerably thicker skin than that. I was referring to your assessment of Dr. Coburn, and, by extension, his assessment of people on the other side of the aisle. The overwhelming majority of my friends have views that are 180 degrees from my own, but that doesn’t make them bad people. It makes them people.

    I am continually frustrated by people on both sides of the aisle making judgments about those on the other based solely on their political opinions. That tells you precious little about a person. To be sure, I’m not justifying certain votes. I’m just saying that there’s a lot more to a person than his voting record.

    I remember hearing Joe Biden talk about this once. It’s been a while since I heard it, so I apologize if the details are inaccurate, but the larger point, though, remains. When Biden arrived in the Senate, his pet issue was civil rights. Early on in his career, he made a comment to a colleague disparaging the character of Sen. Jesse Helms for his record on CR. His colleague asked, “How would you feel if I told you that, upon reading that he wanted a mother and father for Christmas, Jesse Helms and his wife adopted a nine year old boy who had cerebral palsy?” Biden responded, “I’d feel pretty bad.”

    My point is that we can, no, we must make judgments about whether people are fit for public office based on their voting records. And, oh by the way, I’m all for hardball politics. That’s a far cry, though, from actually saying whether someone is a good person or a bad one, and I think that it is harmful to both Washington and the country writ large when we fail to make those distinctions.

    Merry Christmas

  • henryb

    “the GOP became the party of capitulation?’

    BECAME??

    The GOP has been the party of capitulation since 1988, if not sooner. There’s a reason the Democrats are known as the Evil Party and the GOP are known as the Stupid Party — the Evil Party can usually talk the Stupid Party into doing evil things with them.

  • bluemosque

    Does Scorpio0679 believe in the No Labels group? “No Labels” itself is a label. Who are they kidding? What I have seen so far is a group with establishment names (albeit from both political parties) who still have to convince me that they truly have the country’s benefit in mind. Why don’t they join the tea parties, instead? I caution members of tea parties, 9-12, We Surround Them to be very leery about this new group. Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research.

  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    I think No Labels is a ridiculous, silly idea that will go nowhere. But it is a great home for unprincipled morons like Charlie Crist and Michael Bloomberg. Don’t pollute the tea parties with their types.

  • doubledok

    The comment stands as stated. I would like to see a legitimate party advocate:
    1) Secured AND closed borders
    2) Constitutionalism
    3) Fair Tax
    4) Court reform & Tort Reform
    5) Deportation of all illegals – no federal funds for non-citizens
    6) Balanced budget / No defict spending within 12 years
    7) Unfettered trade
    8) Right to work absent forced union membership
    9) Properly backed currency
    10) Rapid phase-out of Social Security in 20 years or less
    11) Workfare replacing welfare
    12) Drug testing mandatory to qualify for any federal sourced funding
    13) Welfare cutbacks including a maximum per family regardless of family size

    I would prefer this be the GOP, but I have yet to note sustained resolve to see this through. Absent that, voters are likely to move to where responsible return to common sense prevails. Advocating responsible governement resulting in threatened bansihment, if seen as a third party threat, pretty much defines the police state and defiies Constitutional principles.