The evening newscasts on Tuesday night attributed Senator Arlen Specter's motivation for changing parties to how he realized he wouldn't win the Republican primary in Pennsylvania, but they also, just as they did with Senator Jim Jeffords in 2001, eagerly relayed -- without any challenge -- Specter's spin that, in the words of the TV journalists, he “had been driven out by the right-wing of the Republican Party,” the GOP's “increasingly conservative tilt” and “the fringe of the party.”
CBS framed its story around that convenient target as the Evening News showcased Specter's charge in its tease: “The party has shifted very far to the, to the right.” Katie Couric noted that Specter “acknowledged he cannot win the Republican primary, so he's becoming a Democrat. But as Chip Reid reports, Specter says there were other reasons behind the switch.” Setting up the same Specter soundbite as in the tease, Reid reported the “moderate” Specter “says he's leaving the Republican party because the Republican party left him.” Reid bolstered Specter's concern by asserting “200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans have registered as Democrats in just the past year. Specter blames the party's increasingly conservative tilt.” Specter exclaimed: “There ought to be a rebellion. There ought to be an uprising.”
On NBC, Kelly O'Donnell described how “he would be facing a much more conservative challenger” in the primary and “couldn't risk” losing, before she related Specter's rationalization “that voters who tend to turn out in the primaries tend to be on the fringe of the party, not a moderate Republican like he is.” ABC's Jonathan Karl highlighted how “Specter said he had been driven out by the right-wing of the Republican Party.” Then viewers were treated to Specter scolding conservatives: “They don't make any bones about their willingness to lose the general election if they can purify the party. There ought to be a rebellion. There ought to be an uprising.”
The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide these transcripts of the CBS and NBC stories from Tuesday night, April 28:
CBS Evening News:
KATIE COURIC, IN OPENING TEASER: Also tonight, a sudden power surge for Senate Democrats, as a prominent Republican abruptly switches sides.
SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER (D-PA): The party has shifted very far to the, to the right....
COURIC: Turning to politics now, and an announcement today that really shook things up in Washington and left Senate Democrats just one vote away from a filibuster-proof super-majority. Five-term Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania acknowledged he cannot win the Republican primary, so he's becoming a Democrat. But as Chip Reid reports, Specter says there were other reasons behind the switch.
SPECTER: This is a painful decision.
CHIP REID: Moderate Senator Arlen Specter says he's leaving the Republican party because the Republican party left him.
SPECTER CLIP #1: I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy.
SPECTER CLIP #2: The party has shifted very far to the, to the right.
REID: The Pennsylvania Republican party is still furious over Specter's key vote in favor of the President's massive stimulus bill, and Specter admits his chances of winning the Republican primary against conservative Pat Toomey next year are bleak. 200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans have registered as Democrats in just the past year. Specter blames the party's increasingly conservative tilt.
SPECTER: There ought to be a rebellion. There ought to be an uprising.
REID: President Obama called Specter today, telling him he's thrilled, even promising to campaign for him. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he's pleased.
MARK KNOLLER, CBS NEWS RADIO: You said you were pleased about Specter. Aren't you euphoric, ebullient?
ROBERT GIBBS: I'll go with ebullient.
REID: Why so much joy at the White House? Look at the numbers: Democrats now have 58 votes in the Senate. If Democrat Al Franken wins the marathon recount in Minnesota, with Specter that would give the Democrats the magical 60th vote, the number needed to block Republican filibusters and push the Obama agenda through Congress. Specter insists he won't be an automatic 60th vote.
SPECTER: I'm going to vote the way I see it.
REID: But shell-shocked Senate Republicans said Specter's decision was the crassest kind of politics.
SENATOR JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Nothing more, nothing less than political self-preservation.
REID: Democrats have been trying to convince Specter to shift parties for more than five years, but it took fear of losing an election to finally get him to do it.
NBC Nightly News:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: We change topics now to politics and the shot heard ‘round Washington and elsewhere today. One analyst today said it was the biggest gift President Obama could possibly receive on the eve of his 100th day in office. The veteran Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is tonight a Democrat. He switched parties today. That may give the Democrats a crucial edge in the Senate. Kelly O'Donnell covers the Hill for us and is with us from there with more on this tonight. Kelly, good evening.
KELLY O’DONNELL: Brian, it really did feel like a seismic shift here today. Arlen Specter has been the Republican Senator from Pennsylvania since Ronald Reagan took office back in 1981. And with his party switch, sure, it's about his own political survival. But it also means something more – more power for the President and the Democratic Party. So the background goes like this: Specter told us today he thought that he could not win re-election in a primary in his home state. He would be facing a much more conservative challenger, Congressman Pat Toomey, who almost beat him last time around. Now, Specter said he couldn’t risk that, and said that voters who tend to turn out in the primaries tend to be on the fringe of the party, not a moderate Republican like he is.SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER (D-PA): I'm not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate, not prepared to have that record decided by that jury, Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.
O’DONNELL: So, Brian, the bigger picture here is that this could get Democrats to 60, the magic number needed to stop a Republican filibuster. Sixty assumes Specter, and that Al Franken would win in Minnesota in that contested race. Now, Democrats are promising Specter a lot. They will endorse him, they’ll raise money for him, and the President plans to campaign for him. One more interesting nugget here today, Brian: We heard from Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has courted Specter, that he's talking to other Republicans urging them to cross the aisle, but Reid wouldn't name names.
Rock the Red! (Where I was Tuesday night)
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Political Self Preservation for sure
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 00:26 ET by chaosmongerThis is exactly what the some of the Washington BS that goes one that fuels the Tea Parties. This guy knows he will more than likely not win re-election as a Repub, so he thinks he will fare better as Democrat just to stay in power. These guys need to go who ever they are.
I am a Libertarian, but I do hate when these bastards get elected as one party only to switch to another while still in office. You take money from your party to run as a member of a certain party and then when you know you will not be around the next election cycle, you switch, LIKE AN F'ING COWARD! WEAK, WEAK, WEAK! This is the type of stuff that got me to go to the Tea Party.
check out
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 04:17 ET by klchadwickwhat ol' Rick Sanchez has to say on the subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85COd622a84
http://politicaldesert.wordpress.com
BENEDICT ARLEN...
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 04:57 ET by danybhoyArlen may have driven out by the far right wing of the PA GOP, but this would'nt have happened if he actually listened to those who voted for this clown. You know, the people who write/call/e-mail their congressional reps & give money to this idiot for his elections.
One thing I want to see, is those who gave to him to take legal action to get whatever money still in his warchest back. That money was given to Spector under the pretense that he was a Republican, anyone who wrote him a check should get their money back if they want it back.
"The Fairness Doctrine = Jim Crow laws for Conservatives". Jim Quinn from "Quinn & Rose"
Specter said exactly what
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 06:37 ET by motherbeltSpecter said exactly what he thinks of those who voted for him:
He's not prepared to have my 29-year
record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania
Republican primary electorate,
How DARE the citizens of Pennsylvania, whom he represents, judge him!!
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
80 Years Old
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:42 ET by allanfSpecter will be 80 years old at the next election. Yet he has no qualms about disrupting the GOP because he most have "his" seat.
And as usual, Sanchez's
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:02 ET by motherbeltAnd as usual, Sanchez's (and Specter's) solution for Republicans to win is to be Democrats.
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
Bumper Stickers
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:56 ET by cvgbuckeyeDoes anyone have a source for bumper stickers that one might proclaim that one is a "Radical Right Wing Extremist" ? Or even better a "Radical Right Wing Christian Conservative"?
I would ALMOST trade in my Ohio State Buckeye sticker for that!
The perfect place
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 11:11 ET by klchadwickto find what you are looking for!!! I have ordered from this site several times and it's pretty good...
http://bumperstickers.cafepress.com/right-wing_stickers
http://politicaldesert.wordpress.com
can't face the folks who put him there
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 00:47 ET by JeffC...So poor Arlen isn't willing to have his record judged by the Republican primary voters who have sent him to the general election five times already. So he's taking his ball and going to the other side. Doesn't he also have a history of getting other prominent Republicans to campaign for him, but not returning the favor (which got a Democrat elected to PA's other senate seat)?
Wimp.
The thing is
Thu, 04/30/2009 - 14:44 ET by klchadwickSpecter is giving into "peer pressure" to be one of the "popular kids". He wants to make sure he has a seat at the lunch table and someone to walk the halls with...as well as be thought of as one of the "good guys". He is giving into a populist mentality and since the Dems are popular in D.C., ol' Arlen decides to be a Dem as well.
After his defection on the scamulous, I don't think that he was too popular with the conservative kids in the Capital. Also being that he was a Republican, the popular kids would talk to him but not necessarily hang out after class. But more importantly, I think that the scamulous made him unpopular among the core in his state and it started to go downhill from there. One he saw that Toomey was beating him in the Primary polls a year and a half out, he knew the base would be looking elsewhere for someone to call their new BFF. So since he was unpopular with conservatives, the only way he could not embarrass himself AND still run again would be to defect permanently.
This way he gets to be a popular kid on the hill, he gets to garner support from "That's One" himself, as well as get a cool new committee position. Too bad he is hoping that the tide will still be high for another Democrat wave in 2010...I think that he definitely bet on the wrong horse there. By 2010, I think that no matter how many times he has been elected and no matter how much Penn. has been evolving into a "purplish-blue" state, by 2010 the Dems will have shot their load and shot themselves in the foot as well. The Republicans have done it too....but the Dems always seem to be able to accomplish that feat much faster. ;0)
http://politicaldessert.wordpress.com
As we've said often
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 01:17 ET by KC MulvilleA political party is different from a political philosophy. A party is just a group of people willing to put up with each other long enough to win an election. It has no other substance than that.
Specter now claims that a different political party is more likely to help him win re-election. Fine. But don't pretend it has anything to do with "principle." That's embarrassingly shallow. No one in their right mind thinks that Specter is doing this on principle.
Well, KC, that's his story
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:10 ET by motherbeltWell, KC, that's his story and he's stickin' to it.
He admitted that he couldn't win a Republican primary, and to Arlen Almighty, that just can't be allowed to happen; too much is at stake. He must be re-elected if the Republic is to survive, and the idiot Republicans in Pennsylvania are too stupid to see that.
Does he think we all have grapes for brains? Apparently.
They might say "Wow, that sucks!" But at least they'll say "Wow!" -Duff Goldman, the Ace of Cakes
Specter
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:50 ET by KC MulvilleI saw a report on TV that Specter is well know for being "prickly," which is just a -ly short of the truth.
I remember his "debate" with Robert Bork during the hearings, and Specter was simply unable to grasp what Bork was saying. Bork later admitted that he was having trouble keeping his composure, probably because he couldn't believe a senator could be so obtuse.
Speaking of Bork, Specter's
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:09 ET by dscottSpeaking of Bork, Specter's switch is just another reason to celebrate his departure from the GOP, his assignment on the Judiciary committee has ended. Specter won't be making any more choices on judges.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Specter blames the party's increasingly conservative tilt
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 01:24 ET by DoktorFrankenBoo - Freakin' - Hoo.
I am having a bit of
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 01:57 ET by ConservativeRexI am having a bit of trouble making any comment on this site for whatever reason. I am only able to reply to any given entry.
In any event, I'm glad someone finally ran Specter out of the Republican party. I don't care who he blames it on. Hell, I'll take credit for it. As long as he isn't part of the GOP we all win.
The rest of these useful idiots are on notice. They think they have marginalized us. They have another think coming. I do believe we will be motivated come 2010 no matter what hijinks they try and pull.
I hope they do man the polling areas with ACORN nuts and black panthers..woooo..scary stuff...NOT! They'll be countered and checked. Maybe then all of this foofuraw will come to a head.
Talk about stupid
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 03:24 ET by bknownstDon't any of these fools realize people registered as Dumocrats to try to screw up their primary last fall, like the Dums did to the Republican primary? If Sphincter is that dumb he should have changed parties a long time ago. Had these morons followed the news they would know a lot of people switched - like Rush Limbaugh requested!
Can we give them the 2 old RINOs in Maine to?
Democrat = "Stuck on Stupid" to quote Rush
Thank you
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 03:34 ET by klchadwickThank you Brian Williams and Kelly O'Donnell....(sarcasm...ain't it great!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yacv3qepPLM
http://politicaldesert.wordpress.com
Spector
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 05:04 ET by NKurucIt really wasn't hard to predict how the networks would cover this debacle. The three majors, CNN and MSNBC made this into a coup for the Democrats, and Specter a "loyal" Republican who in all good conscience just couldn't stay in a party that had gone so far to the right. They couldn't find enough self serving fools to put in their take on this historic defection. Look at his voting record. The guy could never be counted on to vote with the party, and was always a loose cannon. What makes the Democrats think that he will be any different? What makes the Democrats think that he can even win his own state as a Democrat? The Republican Party doesn't need people like Specter. Good %$&@&%& riddance. Arlen....have a ball with Pelosi, Reed, and the rest of those pandering idiots. We've got less than two years before voters realize that one party control ( and that could be either party) is not good for this country.
Not Stupid
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 05:50 ET by DustBunny01Senator Specter simply looked at the numbers and the numbers told him he was toast.
Rather than retire gracefully at 74, with a full pension, he simply has to have another go round to prove he is right and the Republican Party is wrong. So, he simply turns his coat and becomes a Democrat with the expectation that the Dems will flock to him. He must expect that the Dems to hold their noses and vote irregardless of his past, forgetting all about Anita Hill.
They may, but 2 years is little time to secure the love of his State's Democrats and the economy and nationalized health care may just be his downfall.
For the first time so far
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 06:23 ET by Lord ErondI was stunned into silence by Steele. He stated that "we'll beat whoever it is in 2010".
This whole comment reminded me of Howard Dean. Maybe Steele DOES have some balls.
"They'll know we were right in the end"
-Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix-
Not stupid...but funny
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 11:49 ET by klchadwickObviously Specter is going to pander to the lowest common denominator when it comes to running for re-election by counting on stupidity....that and the possibility that the left wing moonbats will see a "D" next to his name and fill in the bubble. Sometimes it scares me how stupid people really can act and he probably will get some of them.
But honestly I find it rather amusing that due to the "technical" shenanigans in the Senate, by switching Arlen's "Democratic" seniority goes back to 1980, when he rode in with Reagan. I mean does he sincerely think that just because he will have seniority with the Dems, that all of those people that have voted him in for the past 29yrs are going to forget that he was ever a Republican? Does he think that they are going to forget his voting record and his public conservative stances on issues?
He would have had better luck getting away with that 30yrs ago, but in the age of youtube, etal., he is going to be his own worst nightmare!
http://politicaldesert.wordpress.com
So he switched, whoop de freakin do
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 06:21 ET by Lord ErondFirst off, Specter never was a Republican so this is merely a cosmetic change.
Second, a move like this is unfair to those who voted for him.
Third, the people of Pennsylvania have got to wake up and stop acting like New York. Voting for corrupt piece of sewer garbage like Murtha?
Fourth, I have a feeling that the liberal majority won't last long. Remember 1994 when Newt came in?
Fifth, it's not as if the current ball-less minority party is trying to filibuster anything anyway so who cares if they get the filibuster proof majority. They're all huddled together chanting "wait until 2010, wait until 2010".
"They'll know we were right in the end"
-Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix-
Specter Never Was...
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 06:39 ET by nofate"First off, Specter never was a Republican so this is merely a cosmetic change."
Absolutely true that this is a cosmetic change. But I would amend "Republican" and insert "Conservative" instead. Unfortunately, for many of the political class, being Republican has only become an exercise in doing "Progressivism Lite". The statist tendencies of what appear to be the majority of politicians of either political party is astounding. I listen to FNC nearly exclusively, if, I listen to any news, and the degree to which most Republicans are willing to bend toward the statist agenda in order to "get along" with the MSM and the Democrats, is disheartening, i.e. Newt Gingrich. When one really pays attention to what they are saying, it is obvious that they have no conception what the Tea Parties are about. Newt did us a great service in '94, but after the govt. shutdown fiasco, he became self serving, as did too many of his compatriots. Whatever happened to term limits and flat tax??? Good riddance to Specter, he is a real example of what these guys are constantly doing- selling votes to the highest bidders no matter what the party. As they say, "Money is the mother's milk..."
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
I'm tired of hearing this
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 06:45 ET by Mr. MikeI'm tired of hearing this Big Tent argument from the Left. The dems portray themselves as the Big Tent party. Big Deal!
You know what you fnd under a Big Tent? A bunch of clowns and loads of dung! You can keep the Big Tent.
To me this is a warning for term limits. Arlen is more concerned with keeping his Prescious (his seat) than serving the people of PA! Goodbye, and don't let the doorknob hit ya where the good Lord split ya!
Benedict Spector
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:02 ET by GeneralAlOne down and three to go! We still have Olympia Snow-Job, Suzy Wong Collins, and John McShame! Let them all cross the asile, especially McShame! The one thing the Commiecrats fail to realize is they will have to defend their actions and will have more seats up for grabs! We will get screwed for awhile but we will bounce back! Secondly, there won't be any touchy feely from the Conservatives again when they regain the majority! Fool me once shame on you! Fool me twice shame on me! The Republicans can regain the majority if the "regain" their Conservative principles. Let the Demicoms have Spector and the others! They were made for each other!
Obama and Biden are
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:08 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsObama and Biden are parading Specter on TV like their new pet monkey.
Hey, Specter, how about a refund?!
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
My middle son, bless his
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:33 ET by BuxomAnnieMcGreggorMy middle son, bless his heart, asked me why I was so pissy last night... so I explained a bit of Specter's deal, after which he said "adults get too caught up in crap like that." Seeing that he wasn't quite grasping the "value" of my explanation, I laid it out in terms he could understand... as follows;
Specter = DAD
Republican Party = Mom (or wife)
Pennsylvanian Voters = the Kids
Democrat Party = Daddy's new B!+cH (been flirting with for decades)
The Media = Any Beer Buddy that will give Dad an ear
When my son stepped back for a second, shook his head and called Specter a "selfish pr!ck"... I knew the message got through.
"We retort..... you decide."
minor correction but important
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:10 ET by AgnosticTechnically the Democrat Party would by the money grubbing, self-absorbed ex-wife that uses the kids to get back into his life.
A person may be won over with logic and reason but the masses must be bought with spectacle and platitudes. - 2008 Elections
hmm? Specter can say
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:11 ET by Edhenryhmm?
Specter can say thank you and resign gracefully at 79. Realizing he moved from the Rep party and he can't win primary or general (a real conservative can win). Can say had a nice career and great life in the most exclusive club in the world (US Senate), generously granted to him by the voters of PA. Helped with Thomas nom to SCOTUS and went left and more left, culminating in the misguided vote for porkulus packages.
Or he can turn on his supporters, abuse their money and time and become the most selfish and self absorbed hypocrite in a vain attempt to remain important.
So that's why he voted for Obama!
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 07:47 ET by CrashConservatives want conservatism, not Arlen's brand of funk. Believe me Arlen, more republicans have left the party, and/or sat out an election for the very opposite of the lame assed excuse that you're trying to put over on the gullible. You are not electable and you want to belong to the party in power. Otherwise you would have become an independent like Joe .... Right?
Correct
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 10:02 ET by doug1950Apparently Alen IS stooooopid! If he knows he can't win in the GOP and he can't win if he is an independent. How the hell does he think he can win in the Democrat Party? Americans if nothing else are loyal and hate a traitor. Even a school aged child knows a selfish prick when they see one. Arlen is also OLD and if we did not learn anything from the last election, younger people vote for younger people, not geezers like Arlen or MaCain. Time to clean out the GOP of all the dead wood who have sold their souls just so they could remain in office and power. McCain and his idiot sidekick "Chumbley" Graham need to go too. I think this proves that real conservatism is very much alive in America and we can take back the Party in spite of what MSM , Gueraldo, Sanchez and their ilk say.
I say throw the bums out!
They don't make any bones
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:03 ET by dscottThey don't make any bones about their willingness to lose the general
election if they can purify the party. There ought to be a rebellion.
There ought to be an uprising.”
First, let's state the obvious, it appears the RINOs are feeling the heat from the rank and file of the GOP, i.e. people like me.
Given the GOP platform, Specter was not representative of the GOP rank and file. Voting only 44% of the time (ACU score) in favor of our issues does not constitute being called on OUR SIDE, as in voting most of the time.
RINOs are scared that their hostage tactics are no longer working. Yes, we are willing to lose an election to get rid of double dealing, self serving political whores. It's better to know who your enemy is than be repeatedly taken by surprise when you get stabbed in the back by a supposed friend.
Yes, Mr. Specter, there is a rebellion and we of the rank and file are rising up to remove self serving whores like you to purify the Party.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Now he's an unpopular moderate Dem
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 08:58 ET by freecitizenIt'll be funny if he has to face a democratic primary challenger in his next election. I'm not sure he would do so well. Can he out democrat a democrat, or is he still stuck in moderate purgatory on their side too?
He has to know that all of this praise from the left is insincere. He's merely a sharp, heavy stone to throw at the republicans. His usefulness to the left will soon wear thin and they too will have to deal with this non-idealogical, self-serving, opportunistic, political animal who is as likely to stab his allies in the back as his enemies. (Why did that last sentence make me picture John McCain? Hmmm)
Liberal: remove all that's Right, and this is what's Left.
One Down and a Bunch More to Go!
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 13:35 ET by Rush FanIt is important that the Republican Party cleanse itself of the liberals in the party, even if we have to stay a minority for some time. If you read NewsBusters Senator Olympia Snowe, Sen. Susan Collins, and Senator John McCain I encourage all of you to follow Specter to the other side. We don't need any stinkin' liberals in our party.
On a similar subject, it's interesting when the drive-by media want to be fair and balanced and invite a Republican to discuss torture, who do they invite? They invite Senators Lindsey Graham or John McCain? Graham was on many of the talk shows last week, and sounded exactly like the Democrats (and FoxNews Shepherd Smith) who condemn "torture". This is what the media call "Fair and Balanced" reporting.
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“Understand something about liberalism. They never stop until they get what they want, and when they get what they want, it's never enough. That's why it's a constant thing to have to oppose them. You can't join forces with them, you can't moderate them, you can't slow them down by joining them, you can't make them like you and have them change their agenda. They have to be stopped.” ~ Rush Limbaugh
Re Cleansing
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 15:04 ET by slickwillie2001I agree somewhat, but Specter was poorly managed by the Republican machine. The time to turn on him would be just before or after he loses a primary, not in the middle of a Congress. We should have sucked up to him for another year or so. Whether it's a boss, or a relative, or a customer, sometimes sucking up is the right thing to do. That doesn't mean you give him free rein, but you manage him without him understanding that he is being managed. I'm sure some of you fellow oldtimers have learned how to manage your own boss.
Respectfully Disagree
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 15:37 ET by freecitizenI understand and agree from a pragmatic standpoint, but I think one of the major problems with the current Republican party is that they emphasize political gamesmanship over ideology. Modern politics has become a sport where people are praised and demeaned based only on their political skills. The media and, by extension, the public follows the game and not the issues. I blame it on the Clinton era which made "spin" into a respectable term, instead of what we formerly knew it as. Manipulation and lies.
Liberal: remove all that's Right, and this is what's Left.
The problem is the GOP lost
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 16:23 ET by dscottThe problem is the GOP lost it's credibility because of the sucking up to pols like Specter. Who do you think approved all that spending during the Bush Admin? Why? Compromise with the Dem party supported by Specter, McCain and others. The GOP lost the 2006 and 2008 elections because they stood with them, not because the GOP stood with the rank and file member. Many people sat out those two elections because they were fed up with the GOP putting forward these liberals in sheeps clothing.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
dscott... Have you seen
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 18:31 ET by bigtimerdscott...
Have you seen this site?
I am so glad it is there...hope others check it all out, just heard about it late yesterday, got the link, checked it out, I am very glad for this...we need this now more than ever.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Nice running tally,
Thu, 04/30/2009 - 10:47 ET by dscottNice running tally, hopefully they will continue it since come the 2010 elections we have to combat the selective liberal & MSM memory hole.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
bigtimer - Thanks for the link. Here is the link that Rush
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 15:17 ET by Rush FanLimbaugh mentioned on his show today. It is the letter written by Andrew C. McCarthy, former assistant U.S. attorney and a deputy U.S. marshal, that he sent today to Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder. In the letter Mr. McCarthy declines to participate in a meeting of the President’s Task Force on Detention Policy.
Additionally, Andrew McCarthy outlines his reasons for declining to meet with the President’s Detention Policy Task Force in an article he has written for the National Review titled: Saying No to Justice. McCarthy writes:
"My hope is that the dissent I am registering — to the administration’s disastrous policies of releasing trained terrorists and threatening prosecution against government lawyers — will help the department and the Obama administration, even if they don’t want to hear it."
--------------------------------------------------------------
“The left -- you people, you Democrats -- you are creating a monster that you will not be able to control forever. You will ultimately regret what you are doing just like the media will ultimately regret its sacrifice of reason, its abandonment of its primary purpose.” ~ Rush Limbaugh
Hey RF... You are more
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 15:19 ET by bigtimerHey RF...
You are more than welcome, there are also blog spots there for comments etc. I have been swamped at home until mid-afternoon here lately so I haven't been able to do all I want myself there...anyway, I will eventually...plus going to other friends sites too...and of course always NBs...
Now it is my turn to thank you...I heard all of this today myself on Rush...this is the best...I mean the very best, we need more like Andrew McCarthy in this country to take a stand with principles instead of bowing down and catering to this administration...
Thanks for the links, I am going to also be posting this elsewhere later...much appreciated.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
bigtimer - I just have to add this. No truer words have been
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 15:46 ET by Rush Fanspoken than the words on that link to the Senate Conservatives Fund that you provided: "Justice David Souter is retiring and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) is no longer pretending to be a Republican."
How true is that! As I mentioned in my earlier post, my hope is that all the people in Washington who are pretending to be "Republicans" either get voted out or finally declare themselves democrats. One of my first picks to lose is John McCain. I hope Chris Simcox wins in a landslide.
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“Understand something about liberalism. They never stop until they get what they want, and when they get what they want, it's never enough. That's why it's a constant thing to have to oppose them. You can't join forces with them, you can't moderate them, you can't slow them down by joining them, you can't make them like you and have them change their agenda. They have to be stopped.” ~ Rush Limbaugh
bt, RF
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 00:44 ET by nofateGreat links. I heard Rush read the Andy McCarthy letter to Holder while I was out walking my dog. What a great letter. I hope it does some good. Rush was also talking about how the loss of the Spectre could actually benefit the Republicans when it comes to approving judges because it allows the Republicans to effectively filibuster at the committee level. Now that the Spectre is gone, that gets rid of the surefire crossover traitor vote that the democrats needed to get their candidates out of committee. Evidently the rules state that at least one minority member has to vote with the majority to get the candidate out to the full senate vote. The problem is that the new critical vote is none other than Lindsey Gramnesty of the Gang of 14 fame. So we may still be screwed even though the dems technically just screwed themselves by getting a sure vote to cross over! Let's see if our guys have the balls to do this. I'm not holding my breath.
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
Hi nofate
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 04:12 ET by Rush FanYour analysis sounds correct to me. Rush's website has the transcript of his discussion of that issue today.
Senator Lindsey Graham is as unpredictable as John McCain and Specter. When the liberal drive-by media want a "Republican" representative to discuss "torture", they can count on Graham and McCain to side with whomever represents the democrats in these discussions.
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"Powell's not a Republican. McCain's not a Republican. These guys are not even mavericks. They are Washingtonians. Washingtonians have their own culture and their own desires, and it is to matter. They don't care who's in power, they just want to be closely associated with whoever is. That's the name of the game and they want press adulation. They want to be loved and adored by the media, they want fawning treatment, they want to be thought of as something special, unique, dignified and so forth, and that's the Washington establishment." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Re pragmatic standpoint
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 18:47 ET by slickwillie2001Your point is the other side of the pragmatic compromise. How far do you take the quest for ideological purity? You can take it so far that you and I are the only ones left, and I'm not sure about you. To one person, the ideological ideal might be obvious, but it can be very different to another. Look at how the NB non-troll community suddenly splits like the Red Sea when an issue like executive bonuses or creationism comes up. Is ideological purity worth anything if it means never winning another Congress or Presidency? Who gets to define ideological perfection?
We also need to acknowledge that some states are further to the left than the average. Do we write off ever having a House member or Senator from those states because one sufficiently pure will never win election there?
Spector was a Republican?
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 10:25 ET by trahantgWho knew?
If the Conservatives are such a fringe element
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 10:36 ET by katiejanewhy can't the moderates take control of the GOP? Seems like if the moderates were the mainstream they would be able to discount the influence of those they dismiss as fringe extremists.
Regardless of which party
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 12:00 ET by StewMcKinRegardless of which party Specter belongs to, nothing matters but how he votes. Just because he's switching parties doesn't mean he's switching his voting preferences. It doesn't take a genius to acknowledge he switched parties in hopes of keeping his senatorial seat, just as Lieberman did in Connecticut. His voting record remained consistent as I imagine Specters will.
There's only one way to to regain GOP seats in congress - get out and vote. 61% of the registered voters turned out on election day. Apparently 1/3 of Americans didn't think this election was important enough to vote in.
Lieberman
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 18:07 ET by allanfLieberman ran in his primary and lost. Specter chose to not go that route. Lieberman did not become a Republican. But he might, to prevent a 60 set majority.
Speaking of Lieberman, why wasn't his loss spun the same way as the Specter defection by the MSM?
Because his party
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 18:26 ET by StewMcKinBecause his party affiliation switch didn't make a 60 seat majority. But it was big news when it happened. Obviously not as big as this because of the 60 seat majority. And whatever the party affiliation, whomever decides to change their voting beliefs just to fit in with a different party should be kicked out of office. They represent the voters, and whether it's Lieberman, Specter, or anyone else, party affiliation does not dictate voting behavior or consistency.
Go here...check this
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 18:16 ET by bigtimerGo here...check this out...I just heard about this yesterday...I hope some of you take the time to take this serious and support this...I'm going to...
God knows we need this now more than ever.
Thank you DeMint and others...I will be posting there too...I see not many have yet.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Great BT
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 19:30 ET by general companyI was hoping some one was keeping a log. Thanks
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Hey gc... Did you see the
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 19:38 ET by bigtimerHey gc...
Did you see the different blog places you could post on there and such...I am seriously going to start doing so..they have nobody there commenting...they need to hear from us...they are speaking out to us and want to hear from us...know what I mean?
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
I am just now
Wed, 04/29/2009 - 19:42 ET by general companyRoming around, see you there
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg