ABC and CBS, which two weeks ago gave short-shrift to Dick Cheney choosing Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell as the better representative of the Republican Party (brief anchor-read items), both led Sunday night with Powell push back against Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. “Colin Powell hitting back at Dick Cheney and other Republican critics, saying he's still a member of the party, a party he says has to change,” ABC anchor Dan Harris teased Sunday's World News. On CBS, Russ Mitchell announced: “Tonight, Colin Powell versus Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. The former Secretary of State defends his Republican credentials.”
In the lead CBS Evening News story, Kimberly Dozier made Powell's case, reporting how on Sunday's Face the Nation “he said the criticism he faces points to what's wrong with his party” and “he pointed out the party's recent poor track record, losing the presidency by ten million votes and losing a majority in Congress.” Dozier had noted that Powell endorsed Barack Obama over John McCain last year, but failed to suggest any hypocrisy in then fretting about the Republican candidate, the most liberal since Gerald Ford, losing or then complaining the party is too conservative. Instead, Dozier proceeded to highlight how “moderate Republicans worry that the party is perceived as embracing only a few narrow issues -- anti-abortion, anti-tax and pro-gun rights.”
As opposed to Democrats embracing only a few narrow issues: pro-abortion, pro-tax and pro-radical environmentalism.
Neither story mentioned Powell's criticism of Obama's handling of Guantanamo: “I think President Obama didn't handle it very well by going up to the Congress and asking for $80 million without a plan.”
(Sunday's NBC Nightly News folded Powell into a larger story on expectations Obama will name his Supreme Court pick on Tuesday.)
Harris opened the May 24 World News:
Good evening. Colin Powell, a decorated war veteran knows a thing or two about fighting back, and so today, Powell plunged into the raging debate between moderate and conservative Republicans over the future of the party by answering his loudest critics, specifically Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh, who have openly mocked Powell as a Republican In Name Only.
The CBS Evening News story:
RUSS MITCHELL: The battle for the soul of the Republican Party continues this weekend. After his loyalty was questioned by party powerhouses, former Secretary of State Colin Powell responded this Sunday and issued a challenge to his critics. Kimberly Dozier has more from Washington.KIMBERLY DOZIER: General Colin Powell, a veteran of both the Reagan and the Bush administrations, fired back today at his critics on the Republican right.
COLIN POWELL ON FACE THE NATION: Rush will not get his wish, and Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a Republican.
DOZIER: On Face the Nation two weeks ago, former Vice President Dick Cheney questioned Powell's loyalty to the party for endorsing Barack Obama last fall. Cheney said right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, a staunch Powell critic, is the better Republican.
DICK CHENEY, MAY 10: I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party.
DOZIER: Today on Face the Nation, Powell responded. He said the criticism he faces points to what's wrong with his party.
POWELL: Well the concern about me is, well “is he too moderate.” I have always felt the Republican Party should be more inclusive than it generally has been over the years.
DOZIER: He pointed out the party's recent poor track record, losing the presidency by ten million votes and losing a majority in Congress. Moderate Republicans worry that the party is perceived as embracing only a few narrow issues -- anti-abortion, anti-tax and pro-gun rights.
POWELL: You can sit on it and watch the world go by, or you can build on the base, but what we have to do is debate and define who we are and what we are and not just listen to dictates that come down from the right wing of the party.
DOZIER: From voices like Rush Limbaugh.
RUSH LIMBAUGH: The only thing emerging here is Colin Powell's ego.
DOZIER: With his 20 million listeners, he remains a powerful force among Republicans. Other GOP moderates are concerned this intra-party wrangling is driving voters away.
TOM RIDGE, ON CNN'S STATE OF THE UNION: Let's be less shrill and particularly let's not attack other individuals. Let's attack their ideas.
DOZIER: Another former White House staffer said of the Powell-Cheney ideological debate, let the best man win.
KARL ROVE, ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY: I want Colin Powell to go out there and lay out his vision and then I want him to back it up by finding people who share it.
DOZIER: The Republican leadership calls this the marketplace of new ideas. The idea is whoever comes up with the best plan to get the most new members gets to shape the next run for the White House. Russ?
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Rome is burning
May 24, 2009 - 23:47 ET by Wesenand in spite of financial news the boy Powell whilst brandishing a new set of Neuticals is busy carrying Barry's water:
"The Oxford-educated Mr Fisher has been running a fervent campaign to alert Americans to the "very big hole" in unfunded pension and health-care liabilities built up by a careless political class over the years. "We at the Dallas Fed believe the total is over $99 trillion," he said in February. "This situation is of your own creation..."
CHENY WATERBOARDS THE DUFUS
May 25, 2009 - 13:50 ET by reelman46CHENEY WATERBOARDS THE DUFUS
…..From here on out, results will increasingly trump the sensation of Obama’s high-toned lectures every time.
Especially if they are as dreary as last Thursday’s, which was so
disingenuous and self-reverential as to be one of the low moments of
his presidency. Besides not being able to clearly lay out his plan for
Guantanamo detainees, Obama never mentioned what will happen to others
we capture in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps we will take no more
prisoners?
Meanwhile, the occasion showed that Cheney, the darkest of dark
horses, is emerging as a fact checker in exile. With Democrats holding
all Washington power, the ex-veep’s willingness to challenge Obama’s
narrative of the war on terror is a poor substitute for an
institutional check-and-balance, but it’s all we have.
In that sense, Cheney’s ability to outduel Obama could mark a
turning point in the debate on this and other critical issues. His TKO
over the President recalls the three most important things in real
estate: Location, location, location.
The key to Cheney’s powerful performance: Facts, facts, facts……
MICHAEL GOODWIN article in the May 24.2009 NY Daily New
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
another Sunday, another manufacured fight....
May 25, 2009 - 00:14 ET by Saint ZeroI don't really care what he believes, the fact he allows himself to be used by liberals to divide the Republican party speaks more about Powell's true beliefs than anything he could say.
This isn't going to stop
May 25, 2009 - 00:29 ET by ConservativeRexThis isn't going to stop anytime soon. Just a couple of months ago these same dunderheads at the networks were citing Megan McCain as a dadgummed spokesman for the Republican Party.
If these people think Powell speaks for the Republicans let them. Hell, for all I know he just may speak for Republicans. But he does not, won't, and can't speak for Conservatives. We eventually will leave all of these RINO's in the dust. Or, better yet move them to the party they favor, the dems.
The formula for our success is not to act like liberals for God's sake. Or Powell, the same thing. Powell's true self voted for obama because obama is black, and that is the only reason. Not very complicated.
I suppose if we were ever going to take advice on how to win elections, we ought to listen to an authority on the subject, Ronald W. Reagan. The dems can hire Powell as a consultant for all I care. He doesn't follow up on anything, so it's a win for us.
OK let's have a fight about ideas
May 25, 2009 - 01:08 ET by KC MulvilleSo far, the only thing Colin Powell has said publicly is that we have to have a bigger tent. That's not an idea. It's a commentary on the set of ideas. All he's put forward so far is that we can't keep going back to the same old ideas. Well, OK, how about some?
Surely Colin Powell isn't going to wage a fight over abortion. His entire calculus about abortion is that he's pro-choice. He doesn't argue why. He simply asserts it. The general doesn't explain, he gives orders. How about his position on taxes? He has a position, of course. He's for "appropriate" taxes, which is about as helpful as saying that he's for successful government. It's about as helpful as win that battle. Fine. Any plans on how to do it? All of his "ideas" aren't ideas. They're wishes. He doesn't want a battle over ideas, because a battle over ideas would require some debate and explanation, which Powell doesn't deign to share.
Powell doesn't want to be challenged. He wants to be treated with the deference that comes with being a general and secretary of state. Now to be fair, he deserves that deference. I'm a little pissed at the guy right now, but I know he's been a servant to his country, and I appreciate it.
But the moment he plunges into politics he's just another politician. You want the party to move in your direction? Fine. Get up off your dead ass and give me a reason. I don't take orders from politicians. You want my vote? Explain yourself. Sell me. Prove it to me. But if you just want to toss out airy bromides like "let's succeed" or "let's reach out," without explanation, that's not good enough. That doesn't cut it.
Powell wants to be a politician but doesn't want to campaign. He wants to be elected without having to prove himself. Doesn't work that way.
Very well said, KC!
May 25, 2009 - 07:28 ET by motherbeltVery well said, KC!
But you were paying too much attention to the words, and missed th subtext.
In a nutshell: In order to succeed, we need to be more like Democrats.
Same song, different verse.
Why do self-proclaimed liberals keep offering the same advice to Republicans? Because they know it's a loser for them.
Which moderates are going to vote for a Republican trying to be a Democrat when they can vote for a real Democrat?
I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson
And that's why ideas matter
May 25, 2009 - 12:35 ET by KC MulvilleIf you select issues simply on what the current polls show is popular, you don't "stand" for anything. A person who fights for ideas supports the idea, no matter what anyone else believes.
But much as I hate to admit it, I think Colin Powell is exactly right in one respect: we don't elect ideas, we elect people. Powell can talk all he wants about ideas, but he admitted that personality matters more to him than ideas. That's why I don't take his blather about "ideas" seriously - he didn't vote on ideas. He bolted the GOP ticket because, in his own words, because he favored Obama over McCain personally. This push for ideas is just nonsense.
Think about it. The Democrats won complete control of the government in the last election. What ideas have they offered that are new and different? None. Same old crap. They haven't changed anything. Then why have results changed? Two reasons: the GOP didn't live up to the ideas they ran on, and Obama has been offered as a new personality (but no new ideas). The GOP "fix," therefore, is simple. No matter what you say, live up to it. And get candidates who have some personality.
The liberal media.........
May 25, 2009 - 03:30 ET by old crolove to use these RINO's to cause dissention ,as St 0 said above, where there isn't any. They build complete shows and follow-ups based on their premise, which is nonsensicle and minor, and give it major airtime. Who really cares what Colon Powell thinks? I don't, for one, and I would wager any true conservative would not either. They focus on an issue that hurts the Republican cause instead of shining light on the misbegotten policies of Duh1. They are playing pure politics and have been for some time. It is a wonder how any Republican is elected to office with the media spreading their disinformation and information omission around the airways.
not a Republican
May 25, 2009 - 05:15 ET by bknownstMr. Powell is obviously no longer a Republican. If he were still a Republican he would not have endorsed Comrade President Obama last fall. Many people in the party were disgusted with the Democommunist getting McCain the nomination but they just did not vote. No true member of the party would ever endorse the other party's candidate.
Unfortunately Mr. Poweel must believe we are as dumb as the Dems who elected 0, if he thinks we'll believe he is still a Republican. He should do like Arlen Sphincter and admit he has changed parties.
Libs and RINOs are
May 25, 2009 - 05:19 ET by George S PattonLibs and RINOs are deathly afraid, Mr limbaugh and Mr. Cheney have miles to go before they sleep. They deserve 100% of out support. Powell is a race industry flunky.
Where do they keep coming up with this "conservative" GOP...
May 25, 2009 - 06:39 ET by R D Helm...BS?
The last time I recall the GOP being even sort-of conservative was back around 1996 or so.
Now they are the democrats of the early 1980's, which is a considerable distance to the left of conservative.
-Dave
He's right, you know...
May 25, 2009 - 06:38 ET by dmntd1The Republican Party has to change. The one thing that Colin Powell said, and the one type of change I CAN believe in. Problem is, it needs to change back to conservative values. No more spending like drunken congressmen (wouldn't want to insult sailors, especially on Memorial Day)!
We the people should require every bill passing through congress have a notation in the header detailing where in the US Constitution the rests the power to pass that law or fund whatever it's targeted at.
WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare,
This is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy!
May 25, 2009 - 07:03 ET by Dan In SC"moderate Republicans worry that the party is perceived as embracing
only a few narrow issues -- anti-abortion, anti-tax and pro-gun rights."
Um, do these so-called moderate Republicans not understand that all of those issues are WINNING issues with the American people??? A majority of people are anti-abortion. Most (tax paying) Americans do NOT want to pay more in taxes despite what Powell thinks! And even Dems know that being anti-gun is a LOSER!!
So please ABC and CBS, tell us what's wrong with the conservative position on those issues!!!
The problem the Republican party is NOT with its stance on this issues, but rather its credibility! And RINOs like Powell are the reason that the Republican party has no credibility! When will these sycophants in the media understand this?
Powell wants to offer the people an echo, not a choice!
Which party is extremist now?
May 25, 2009 - 07:08 ET by metaphorsbwithuStrange, I seem to remember that candidate Obama ran on a platform to cut taxes and reduce spending, that recognized gun rights, and promised to reduce abortions.
So who's the extremist now?
metaphorsbwithu
wait a minute...
May 25, 2009 - 07:34 ET by jdripperThe looney left believes that being against taxes is a "narrow issue"?
Jack
"If at age 20 you are a conservative then you have no heart. If at age 30 you are a liberal then you have no brains." Sir Winston Churchill
Why oh why
May 25, 2009 - 10:07 ET by StarAZWhy do the Republicans let the Dems or tweeners like Powell or Brooks define them? Them that holds the dictionary calls the play.
Simple Questions
May 25, 2009 - 10:07 ET by slickwillie2001Powell needs to be asked two simple questions by someone in the old media:
Who could the Republican Party have nominated for President in 2008 that you would have voted for over Obama?
Who can the Republican Party nominate for President in 2012 that you will vote for instead of Obama?
I suspect that the answer to both questions is 'no one', and that would put to rest the question of what party he supports.
You're probably right...
May 25, 2009 - 12:52 ET by Dan In SCYou're probably right, I could see him answering "no one," but then again, I could easily see him blaming Sarah Palin for his vote. Unfortunately, this weenie would not speak out until after Palin was selected for the VP, so we won't know for sure.
Personally, I just wish someone would ask him what he likes about the Republican party, and what he dislikes about the Democrat party.
The media will look for any excuse to criticize Dick Cheney,
May 25, 2009 - 11:16 ET by Rush Fanwhile minimizing and covering for Nancy Pelosi's foot-in-mouth misstatements.
Even when the latest polling shows that Dick Cheney's approval ratings have increased, the media frame it in a negative way. Take for example the latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey of Mr. Cheney's favorable ratings. CNN wrote: "But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, released Wednesday morning, indicates that a majority of Americans still have an unfavorable opinion of Cheney."
What CNN and the other democrat-supported media will not mention is that Dick Cheney's favorable approval ratings are just about equal to Nancy Pelosi's approval ratings.
In the latest CNN survey, Dick Cheney has a 37% favorable approval rating, while Nancy Pelosi has a 39% favorable rating. With a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, Mr. Cheney could possibly have a more favorable approval rating than Speaker Pelosi. You definitely won't hear that comparison in the drive-by media.
I agree with Colin Powell that the Republican Party has to change. However, I don't agree with him on his recommended changes. Until we elect Republicans who stand for the conservative principles that helped make this country strong and prosperous, both the country and the Republican Party will languish.
Let's hope that Republicans such as Liz Cheney and Sarah Palin are the future leaders of the Republican Party.
----------------------------------------------------
"We can get women, we can get everybody with a set of core principles that we do not abandon that benefit everybody, regardless the damned color of their skin or their gender!" ~ Rush Limbaugh on Conservatism
The Republican party is
May 25, 2009 - 11:13 ET by SnappyThe Republican party is shrinking. It seems to be losing members in droves. I know I am one of them, I consider myself a conservative now, not a Republican. Why? Because the party appears to have been hijacked by so called moderates. These moderates are merely Democrats calling themselves Republicans, RINOS if you will. For there to be 2 parties, there must be 2 different views. From what I can see the Republicans more and more are being left with the likes of Colin Powell (R?) The likes of Meghan McCain(R?) and so forth... these people are trying to be the hip we can get along face of the Republican party by being DemocRats. But in doing so are selling out on the ideas that make Republicans what Republicans are.
POWELL: THE PANDERING LIBERAL
May 25, 2009 - 11:33 ET by reelman46POWELL: THE PANDERING LIBERAL
“Rush
will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney was misinformed – I am still a
Republican,” Powell said in a much-anticipated interview on CBS’s “Face
the Nation” two weeks after Cheney suggested on the same show that the
retired general had left the party by endorsing Barack Obama last fall.
CRAWFISH NOTE: General Powell is simply wrong
again. He was wrong to come out against the Republican candidate for
president last year, wrong to mush mouth in Desert Storm when we could
have taken out Hussein thugs and wrong by constantly pandering for (it
seems a job or legacy) the liberal ideas of big gov-meant, higher taxes
and secular values (like stopping unborn heartbeats).
How is Powell been any different from a democrat the past few years?
Tell us all how your positions are in any way mainstream Republican?
Powell is part of the problem, not the solution. He got a moderate
Republican candidate then stabbed him and his Party in the back by
coming out for a clueless radical secular socialist with no record of
leadership. That alone should tell you something.
How’s the change working for you now, General? Checked your retirement investments lately?
Hey General Affirmative Action, join that other mush mouth Arlen…the Party does not need a millstone.
Powell has only the stale words of the socialists.
Ever heard of a single new idea from the General? Sit down and shut up.
Just go away and stop begging for an admin job, its shameful.
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
Colin, listen to Carl.
May 25, 2009 - 11:34 ET by pbthinkerI would think that the first thing you'd want, in a Republican, is the vision that they disagree with how the Democrats are doing things and actually have an alternative view. I can overlook Colin Powell voting for Barack Obama, it would have been a difficult position for him to be in the 10% of blacks that didn't.
It's also a little difficult for him to claim his Republican status when he couldn't support the most liberal candidate the Republican Party has nominated in years. However difficult it is for him, in my opinion, to claim his Republican status, Karl Rove is correct, if he says he's a Republican, he is a Republican. That being said, he should listen to Karl Rove and go out and support candidates who agree with his position. He should form Pac's that encourage his positions and actively recruit candidates that agree with him. Going on Face the Nation and criticizing the party will accomplish very little.
Let's see if Colin Powell wants to return to being the LEADER he once was or he wants to just become another of those professional complainers who want the Republicans to be Democrat lite.
Election 2008-God's way of showing us that elections count.
Blah, blah, blah....the
May 25, 2009 - 12:49 ET by SmartypantsBlah, blah, blah....the Republicans need to be more like the Democrats--yada, yada, yada. Let me ask Mr. Powell something, other than His Highness Himself, who exactly is it in the Democrat party that he thinks is so appealing? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Joe Biden? The Democrats are bankrupt. They are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their own economic malfeasance and an upopular war that was seen as solely George W. Bush's fault. There is nothing endearing about that party, nothing of substance that will improve anything. It is full of personalities that are wholly unlikeable and the popularity polls reflect this fact. The only thing Democrats have going for them is a guy at the top, who is a glib speaker and benefits from identity politics, and the fact that they were out of power for a while and, therefore, could conveniently blame everything that went wrong on Republicans. A gullible public ate it up. Now that they have complete power, it is readily apparent that they are chasing their tails. They have no principles and, eventually, this will catch up with them and bite them in the a--.
The most successful war America has ever waged is quickly becoming President Obama's war on capitalism.
→ Powell plays it smart?
May 25, 2009 - 13:00 ET by Cool ArrowMaybe Powell is very much aware of how tragically the Obama Administration will fare against the terrorist states that stand against the US.
It's just hard to figure why a General would be sniping from the sidelines when he could be orchestrating the action.
Gen. Weasel Clark, milquetoast that he may be, would kill for the opportunities Powell has turned down.
What are you going to replace us with?
May 25, 2009 - 13:25 ET by nwahsSo what are you going to replace us with? I can't imagine you drawing anyone from the Democratic party. After you succeed in getting enough of what you label "RINO's" to leave the party, how to intend to become a major party again?
IMO, the Republican party is moving toward a cult, not a major party. When your vision of the future is a dead President and you start purging your ranks of infidels, you are in cultist territory.
I don't know if you expected the "RINO's" to lurch to the right to avoid expulsion, but I suspect they'll just call themselves independent and avoid the nuttier factions of conservatism.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
We'll replace you with the
May 25, 2009 - 13:31 ET by ThisnThatWe'll replace you with the same people who voted for President Bush -- twice.
And with all those Californians that recognize that traditional values are under attack by people who, frankly, don't have any values.
And with those, dims and repubs alike, who are rapidly realizing their big mistake in electing a socialist dictator who is turning our country into a 3rd-world nation incabable of defending itself.
So, backwards shawn, we're going to do ok -- although your loss will be dearly felt.
___________________________________
Liberals constantly demand that we accept a glaring falsehood as truth; Obama's elimination of the word "terror" will make terrorist acts less terrifying
And how many of them will you kick out?
May 25, 2009 - 13:38 ET by nwahsAnd when those people disagree with you in the future, you're going to kick them out too?
If you start to hear an echo, you've probably went too far :D
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
You assume that I have the
May 25, 2009 - 13:46 ET by ThisnThatYou assume that I have the power to kick anyone out? Or that I'm like a democrat who actively kicks out people who I disagree with? Typical liberal -- always trying to project your worldview onto me. Doesn't work that way.
RINOs are fine -- but they shouldn't be allowed to shape the party. Right now, not enough true conservatives are standing up to RINOs. We need to do that; then RINOs can make their own decision on what to do. Same as everyone else. Even you.
The problem now is that (a) we let the RINOs do the talking, and (b) we let the dims do the definition. When the MSM starts saying "This is what is good for the Republican party", we need conservatives to stand up and say "no". Instead, we have RINOs stand up and pant "yes, yes, yes". So the mistaken impression is: Republicans have to change. No, we don't. See my post above.
___________________________________
Liberals constantly demand that we accept a glaring falsehood as truth; Obama's elimination of the word "terror" will make terrorist acts less terrifying
Very well said......
May 25, 2009 - 14:25 ET by SnappyVery well said......
How many RINOs have a daily
May 25, 2009 - 15:21 ET by JerHow many RINOs have a daily forum from which to "do the talking"? Is there a single one who hosts his or her own talk radio show? It would appear that Limbaugh et al are doing most of the talking as well as most of the defining regarding who are or are not authentic Republicans.
Jer
Smerconish, Michael Medved,
May 25, 2009 - 16:45 ET by fitzfongSmerconish, Michael Medved, Joe Scarborough...there's more, but these are just three off the top of my head.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Thanks, fitz... I had
May 25, 2009 - 17:58 ET by JerThanks, fitz...
I had forgotten about Medved, and wasn't familiar with Smerconish. Scarborough "says" he is is the same Reagan conservative that he has always been, just not as "in-your-face" as he had been in the past.
Jer
Hi Jer - I doubt that few RINOs can survive on talk radio, just
May 25, 2009 - 17:02 ET by Rush Fanas few lefties survive on radio. Radio is a business, and only those hosts that can attract sufficient audience and sponsors will survive.
Conservatives on talk radio espousing conservative principles attract large audiences and are profitable. This illustrates that, as Rush Limbaugh has pointed out many times, its the way most people in this country live their lives.
I highly recommend that you review Rush Limbaugh's CPAC Speech if you want to understand conservative principles.
By the way, I know of at least one RINO on talk radio. Michael Smerconish, who claims he is a life-long Republican, is a talk radio host at WPHT - Philadelphia. Smerconish is a "Republican" who is pro choice and voted for Obama.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"We can get women, we can get everybody with a set of core principles that we do not abandon that benefit everybody, regardless the damned color of their skin or their gender!" ~ Rush Limbaugh on Conservatism
Rush Fan... Your point
May 25, 2009 - 18:21 ET by JerRush Fan...
Your point about radio being a business controlled by market share and reveune is indisputable.
However, I'm not so sure berating, demeaning and demonizing those with whom you politically disagree--which has been the staple of both liberal and conservative talk radio hosts--is the way most people in this country live their lives.
Finally, I believe I have a fair understanding of conservative principles--which Rush's CPAC address only partially encapsulates. [BTW, I recorded his speech when it was telecast on C-Span and watched it twice and also printed out the transcript and read it once.]
Jer
Jer - berating, demeaning and demonizing are your descriptions
May 26, 2009 - 00:11 ET by Rush Fanof talk radio. Those descriptions are too harsh for Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt and some other conservative talk radio hosts. For those talk radio hosts I would use descriptive words such as dedicated, sincere, committed, concerned, and perhaps even distressed with the liberal agenda.
Without sounding banal, life is not a game. As Lillian Dickson said -“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.”
Actions have consequences. Conservatives believe the leftist agenda is deleterious to this country, our safety and our prosperity. We believe that big government interference and spending with debt our grandchildren will not be able to repay, weak national security emphasizing treating terrorist with respect and fairness, abortion on demand, open borders and excessive taxes that redistribute hard-earned wealth all promote the decline of America.
Those that call themselves "moderates", such as Colin Powell and John McCain, and perhaps even you Jer, remind me of the Deliberations of King Solomon who, playing the role of moderate, declared that to be fair to all the baby must be split in two. Conservatives are committed to preserving a live whole baby.
--------------------------------------------------------
“The liberal mind does not work like the mind of a regular person. Their obsession with power and control is what drives them at all times.” ~ Rush Limbaugh
And what demographic is that strategy attracting?
May 25, 2009 - 15:24 ET by nwahsI understand your point. Now what demographic is that attracting? I know there may be many, but what is the main group saying "I've come back to Republican party because the RINO's have been shut up!" Is the party expanding or contracting? Do you think more people will identify themselves as Republican in 2010 than did in 2008? If so, what trend or poll are you using?
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
TnT
May 25, 2009 - 15:37 ET by MrShyThe problem now is that (a) we let the RINOs do the talking, and (b) we let the dims do the definition. When the MSM starts saying "This is what is good for the Republican party"
Precisely. Jer, above, argues that the one with the daily platform is Rush, who's not a RINO. What you and us are arguing is, the bigger daily mouthpiece/platform shooting him down is the MSM, who immediately wheel out every RINO they can find, or that opens his/her mouth, and puts them up on a pedestal, completely dressing them up as the "real" Republicans.
You're the next contestant on...
THE MESSIAH IS... LEFT !!
Oh, you're back again?
May 25, 2009 - 16:40 ET by fitzfongOh, you're back again? Tell me something since you're still here: What do you, as a self-described Republican exile, stand for? What specific issues do conservatives support that you oppose? Are you in favor of tax increases and expanded government spending? Do you support the eco-Marxist agenda that allows RINOs like McCain and Schwarzenegger to embrace the economically illiterate "cap-and-trade" theory? Maybe you're one of those "social conservatives" who works for a public employee union and thinks that your leadership can do no wrong? Or is this about abortion? You trot out a lot of stale cliches, meaningless ad hominems and obnoxious platitudes like "dead President", "cults", "infidels" and "major party" without actually stating what specific issues the conservative wing of the Party embraces that you find so objectionable. Your posts have become, like Colin Powell appearances, substance-free and tiresome. So why don't you man up and enlighten us as to what's so special about the RINO wing of the Party that we should give a rat's a** that you're leaving the Party?
So what are you going to replace us with?
We never had you to begin with, so your continued absence is irrelevant. Unfortunately, the nation as a whole (not just the Republican Party) is going to have to learn the hard way...by having the liberals run the federal government and the economy into the ground...that conservative principles and elected conservatives are the only hopes for a better future. I'm not interested in the health of the Republican Party, or in getting along with people like you just for the sake of getting along, I'm interested in the promotion of the conservative ideology...low taxes, personal responsibility and freedom. And I'm not about to sell out that pursuit to make people like you comfortable in my Party.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
So thats your strategy?
May 25, 2009 - 17:38 ET by nwahsSo your strategy is we are all going to see how right you are when the United States collapses?
"What specific issues do conservatives support that you oppose?"
Laziness, arrogance and entitlement. I'm not too hot on the bigotry and peeping tom politics either. Conservatives have done NOTHING but worship a dead President. When's the last time they did something tangible like - oh I dunno - nominate a conservative candidate?
Oh, I know, you've already done the work. You've laid out the tenets of Conservatism as the almighty god Rush sees it. You are entitled to rule the world :D
Fact is either conservatives are insignificant in number or incredibly lazy and incompetent.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
Laziness, arrogance and
May 25, 2009 - 18:22 ET by fitzfongLaziness, arrogance and entitlement.
That's the perfect title for your response. I asked you what specific issue(s) you oppose, and you came up with the same lightweight, substance-free bluster we've come to expect from ignorant, self-important RINOs. Here's a tip: the next time you go back to consult your empty talking points, take a second look to see if they have any bullets attached to them. This may help you understand what the blanket statements you make actually mean. Why don't you cite some examples of what you define as "bigotry" or "peeping tom politics"? As I see it, calling a free-thinking African American conservative like Clarence Thomas an "Uncle Tom" because he doesn't fall in line with the collectivism of the self-appointed "Civil Rights Movement" is pretty damn bigoted...but you RINOs wouldn't think so. What do you mean by "peeping tom politics"? Perhaps you're referring to Chuck Schumer's theft of Michael Steele's credit report when he was trying to discredit Steele's Senatorial bid? Come to think of it, that sounds both bigoted and peeping tom. Perhaps you're referring to the food police sticking their noses in others' business when it comes to what food they consume? Or the anti-smoking lobby attempting to make it illegal for people to smoke in their own homes or automobiles? Or maybe the "peeping toms" are the "environmentalists" who want to obstruct people from driving the cars they wish to drive? You obviously think you're smart, so why don't you go off the script for once and educate us. Frankly, I don't think you're capable of doing so...I don't rate your intelligence as highly as you do...but I invite you to prove me wrong.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Well I guess you should skip over my posts
May 25, 2009 - 18:54 ET by nwahsWell I guess you're just too intelligent for my posts and should ignore them.
Here's a tip for you. Try a paragraph once in awhile. Reading your posts is like reading a car loan contract. Break up the text some.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
Here's a tip for you. Try a
May 25, 2009 - 19:12 ET by fitzfongHere's a tip for you. Try a paragraph once in awhile. Reading your posts is like reading a car loan contract. Break up the text some.
Translation: nwahs shot his mouth off, realized that he was in over his head and decided to bail out. In that way, you have a lot in common with Colin Powell.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Of course
May 25, 2009 - 22:10 ET by nwahsAnd you emerged as a hero. Whatever floats your boat. You did, however, manage to sidestep the idiotic notion of how purging the party expands its base. The question remains. If the dittoheads are throwing out the infidels, the RINO's, who are the replacing them with? I've yet to see an intelligent answer.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
First of all, you're not
May 25, 2009 - 23:08 ET by fitzfongFirst of all, you're not exactly a credible judge of what constitutes an intelligent answer. Secondly, the only way you expand the base is by convincing those who are not part of the base that your ideas are better. If you can't do it right away, you keep educating people until you do...it's a never-ending pursuit. However difficult it may be, it certainly beats selling out your principles to appease ideologically incoherent RINOs. If you sell out to RINOs, you may as well lose because your principles will never be advanced. You, as a RINO, have shown time and time again, that you have no core principles. To you and your ilk, the objective is to advance the Party...well, a Party is worth nothing if it is not based on core principles. I'm not interested in advancing the Republican Party for its own sake. If the Republican Party is merely a Democrat-lite, it's not worth supporting. I refuse to support a Party that gives in to the "Global Warming" hysteria, or a Party that bows to the will of Unions against taxpayers, or a Party that believes that you grow an economy by increasing taxes and government spending. If you want to follow the RINO likes of Colin Powell and Arnold Schwarzenegger...two economically illiterate failures...because you, too, are an economic illiterate, fair enough. Just don't expect to have much of a following.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Whatever
May 25, 2009 - 23:25 ET by nwahs"you're not exactly a credible judge of what constitutes an intelligent answer"
"To you and your ilk,"
"because you, too, are an economic illiterate"
Do you feel a little bit tougher now? I know you've impressed me. I'm afraid to go to work in the morning!
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
And this is the segment of
May 26, 2009 - 08:02 ET by fitzfongAnd this is the segment of the program when nwahs, desperately grasping at straws for some response...any response...begins the whining and general self-pity. So predictable.
If you bothered to defend your position with some substance, you might not be such a bountiful source of ridicule. You have been asked on countless occasions to address your specific ideological chasms with the conservatives you find so objectionable. Yet beyond some unsupported, cursory allusions to "bigotry" and "peeping tom politics", you have utterly failed to answer for yourself or the RINOs you seem so proud to represent. One can only conclude one of two things: 1) that in the cold light of day, you haven't a clue what you stand for, but you just have to shoot your mouth off about something to prove to everyone that you exist or 2) that you're ashamed of what you believe in because you know your ideological arguments wont hold up to serious scrutiny. I get the sense that you, like most self-described moderates, are ideologically shallow, yet refuse to come to terms with how little you actually know. So, when asked to put your cards on the table, to support the conclusions your lame cliches have drawn, you duck into the bunker of phony moral superiority and self-righteousness, lobbing dud grenades about "tone".
I believe Patton once said words to the effect: "I'd rather have the German army in front of me than the French army behind me". To borrow from Patton, I'd rather have Obama/Pelosi/Reid Democrats in front of me than the RINOs behind me.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
nawhs
May 25, 2009 - 23:41 ET by SvenThe question remains. If the dittoheads are throwing out the infidels, the RINO's, who are the replacing them with? I've yet to see an intelligent answer.
nwahs, by dittoheads, I'll assume you mean conservatives.
First, these wishy-washy, RINO, moderates will be replaced by conservatives!!
Secondly, you seem to think that purging our party of these RINO's is a bad thing!?!? The last two Moderate RINO's the GOP ran were dismal failures!! Remember Bob Dole and...oh what's his name...? Oh yeah, JOHN McCAIN?!?! Compare these two Moderates results with Ronald Reagan. Not only did he bring out huge numbers of Republican voters with his CONSERVATIVE message, but even brought along the Blue Dog Democrats!
These moderates are nothing but a cancer to the GOP.
nawhs, let me ask you this: why would a Democrat (or an Independent) vote for a wishy-washy, RINO who tries to sound like a Democrat, when they can have the real thing in a Democrat-Socialist candidate?
Moderates always lose because they stand for nothing!!
Its a simple question
May 26, 2009 - 00:07 ET by nwahsWho are you replacing those you are purging with? If no one you are content with a shrinking party. If you are repalcing them, I'm just curious about the demographic. Are these 18 year old voters? Are these 58 year old voters who were Democrats or Independents that were shying away from the Republican party because of RINO's?
Its a simple question.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
Its a simple
May 26, 2009 - 08:19 ET by fitzfongIts a simple question.
No, it's a stupid question. I understand the term "principles" is at odds with your demographic obsession. After all, you can't pander to principles but you sure can focus group the hell out of them. You see, conservatism is the ideology that is in direct opposition to the garbage that is currently attempting to nationalize all of our industries. Only conservatives can defeat the Democrats when they inevitably destroy the economy. Are you actually suggesting that you RINOs will tolerate another four years of Obama Administration asset stripping simply because the Republicans nominate a conservative to put out the fires? Wow. You really are shallow.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
They're replacing them with Democrats...
May 26, 2009 - 02:58 ET by jawebster1who have seen the light. Democrats need to be changed, not Republicans. Republicans stand on principle. Democrats and RINOs stand wherever the wind blows them. Take the "Limbaugh challenge" and you will see...if you are smart, that is. Jim Webster
BS nwahs
May 25, 2009 - 19:51 ET by general companyI didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
If Snow and Collens are still members,,,no way anyone threw you out.
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Of course they cant throw anyone out
May 25, 2009 - 22:14 ET by nwahsObviously they can't throw anyone out. They just made it clear we aren't on the same side which is fine by me. I can't defend certain parts of dittoism - especially the whining and laziness.
I didn't leave the Republican party, they kicked me out.
Tell us, Oh Enlightened
May 26, 2009 - 08:28 ET by fitzfongTell us, Oh Enlightened One, what "side" you're on. Oh, you can't? Then what, Oh Somewhat Less Than Enlightened One, do you define "dittoism" to mean? Oh, you're too lazy and uninformed to answer? But wait, Oh Shallow One, you accuse conservatives of "whining" and "laziness". Allow me to introduce you to a mirror.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill
Apparently it's different
May 26, 2009 - 08:46 ET by general companyIf you claim to be thrown out of the party,,,,even though you were not?
Well it make about as much sense as anything else he has posted?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
"“moderate Republicans
May 25, 2009 - 17:35 ET by NL207"“moderate Republicans worry that the party is perceived as embracing only a few narrow issues -- anti-abortion, anti-tax and pro-gun rights.” "
This is a tribute to the color the MSM has applied to its portrayal of conservatives and conservative positions. The average American knows nothing about conservative ideology and very little about what "progressives" actually favor.
I am convinced the vast majority of Americans would disagree with the majority of the liberal / progressive agenda if they actually knew what these people stood for and similarly would agree with the vast majority of the conservative platform if they knew what that was. Three cheers for the job the MSM has done (mis)informing the electorate.
Disinformation
May 26, 2009 - 21:14 ET by Sergeant ROCKOr really - Propaganda. The MSM only seeks to make ineffective the GOP as a political adversary. As McCain learned, do you really think that the MSM will give you a fair shake when your opponent is a liberal democRAT?
The MSM's tactic here is effectice. Due to the fact that there are a number of people in the GOP who are wringing their hands over their perceived unpopularity. We call them moderates or RINOs.
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Oh, I see. The media favors Powell over...
May 26, 2009 - 02:51 ET by jawebster1Rush and Cheney. Now I know Powell is wrong and Rush and Cheney are right. When in doubt, go to the New York Times, etc., see what they believe, then go the opposite. Jim Webster