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So Far So Ugly in the Republican Political Civil War
The Provocateur ^ | 04/30/2009 | Mike Volpe

Posted on 04/30/2009 10:15:22 AM PDT by fiscon1

The Politico graphically illustrates just how ugly the political civil war is getting in the aftermath of Arlen Specter leaving the party.

Faced with a high-profile defection and the prospect of political irrelevance in the Senate, Republicans took off the gloves Wednesday for a ferocious game of finger-pointing.

Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and George Voinovich blamed the Club for Growth for imposing a right-wing litmus test that chased Arlen Specter out of the Republican Party. The Club for Growth blamed Specter — first for helping to ruin the GOP and then for leaving it. A leading Republican strategist blamed the party for turning its back on moderates. Sen. Lindsey Graham sniped at Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Specter’s pollster blamed the stimulus bill. Karl Rove blamed Specter himself.

(Excerpt) Read more at theeprovocateur.blogspot.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: republicans
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To: Kansas58
Getting rid of RINO’s is the best way to avoid a Third Party split.

Well, Voinovich will be gone in 2010 as well. Hopefully, here in Ohio, we can fill his vancancy with a conservative. Funny how Voinovich and others want to keep pointing the finger at anyone but themselves. The Republican Senate, when they had control, could show ZERO cohesion with eachother. Voinovich argued with Bush over TOO MUCH in the way of tax cuts. Voinovich CRIED over Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations. In the middle of heated Judicial debates, REPUBLICANS ganged together with DEMOCRATS to form the Gang of 14.

This finger pointing is silly and just plain childish, especially from those RINO's in the Senate that are responsible for a good portion of the Republican losses over the past few elections. Crap like this finger pointing is why the Republican Party is becoming IRRELEVANT!!!!
21 posted on 04/30/2009 10:32:42 AM PDT by Eagle of Liberty (This nation must not die on our watch.)
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To: andy58-in-nh

because they won.


22 posted on 04/30/2009 10:34:00 AM PDT by fiscon1
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To: fiscon1

Let the RINO hunt begin. Get rid of all these bastards and then maybe we’ll have a chance.


23 posted on 04/30/2009 10:34:17 AM PDT by JamesP81 (When Obama signed an order providing tax dollars to murder children, he stopped being my president)
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To: Kansas58
The PRIMARY is where Conservatives show their strengths and make CHANGES!

That would be fine except for the fact that the entire deck is stacked against you and in favor of liberals, media and money.

At some point conservatives have to stop squandering their precious chips in a rigged game.

24 posted on 04/30/2009 10:34:53 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (TATBO)
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To: misterrob

So, will you fall for the next Ross Perot clown?

The Republican Party is our only hope.

Yes, the Party is broken -—

SO LETS FIX IT!


25 posted on 04/30/2009 10:35:56 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: broken_arrow1
I was there voting with Republicans for (RINO) McCain, but I won’t do it again! I will vote Libertarian if no Conservative Republican is on the top of the ticket!

I'm with you. We tried it the RINOs way, and look how that turned out. Piss on the RINOs.
26 posted on 04/30/2009 10:36:09 AM PDT by JamesP81 (When Obama signed an order providing tax dollars to murder children, he stopped being my president)
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To: PurpleMan
“FULL BORE Conservative”

Your definition?
27 posted on 04/30/2009 10:36:53 AM PDT by Eagle of Liberty (This nation must not die on our watch.)
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To: parsifal

Nonsense.
We are in the financial mess we are in BECAUSE of liberal government.
Forcing lenders to make loans to people who could not pay them back was a Liberal DEMOCRAT idea.

The mortgage industry gives far more campaign cash to Democrats than to Republicans, and it always has.

Wall Street gives HEAVILY to Democrats.

Capitalism WORKS!

Crony Capitalism, mixed with Socialism, gets as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the mortgage melt down.


28 posted on 04/30/2009 10:38:57 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: FreedomFerret
Actually, it used to be MUCH worse.
There was a time when the majority of Republicans in the legislature, in Kansas, were prochoicers.
NO longer!
Most of the GOP in the Kansas Legislature are ProLIFE!

There are more hard core conservatives in Congress now, as a percentage of total Republicans, than ever before.

The Republican Party IS becoming more conservative.

At the same time, the grass roots are becoming less patient.

29 posted on 04/30/2009 10:42:17 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: EternalVigilance

You would rather squander your chips, as you put it -—

WHERE?

As bad as it looks, the GOP is STILL the best hope we have.

Period.


30 posted on 04/30/2009 10:43:27 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: fiscon1
because they won.

That's funny, because whenever Republicans won, the media would instantly insist that they must "reach out" to their opponents and promise to "govern from the center". After which, the GOP would happily comply and then the Democrats would grab their media megaphones to accuse them of being controlled by right-wing radicals.

So, win or lose, Democrats get to accuse Republicans of being captive to diabolical forces and Republicans get to apologize and beg for mercy.

Sorry, but I'm getting off this bus.

31 posted on 04/30/2009 10:48:26 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.)
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To: fiscon1
"www.theprovocateur.com" indeed. This is nothing. There is no "Republican Civil War." There's just a bunch of fringe groups throwing things at people and a bunch of politicians taking shots at each other.

It's the Club for Growth trying to turn this to it's own advantage and Orrin Hatch settling a little score with them. Normal going to take up arms one way or the other in a battle of prima donnas.

If your standard is ironclad unity and tightly constricting bonds of loyalty unto death, it might look like a "civil war," but in normal political terms it's just another sideshow or foodfight.

32 posted on 04/30/2009 10:49:26 AM PDT by x
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To: x

Meant to say “Nobody normal is going to take up arms one way or the other in a battle of prima donnas.”


33 posted on 04/30/2009 10:50:14 AM PDT by x
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To: GreatDaggar
i think it’s time for you to go back to re-education camp!

No way, man. I have this mental image of Liberal Re-education Camp counselors, and they all look like this:

< shudder...>

34 posted on 04/30/2009 10:52:02 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh (You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.)
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To: Kansas58
I worked for twenty years to help "fix" the Republican Party. Sorry, but the old jalopy ain't worth the upkeep anymore. Even on the few days it's running the people with control of the steering wheel insist on following the Dems towards the socialist cliff.

Just let it go. Life is too short to spend it trying to repair the unrepairable. It's time for a new vehicle.

Bottom line is this: I don't care one way or the other about the survival of the Republican Party. But, I do care deeply about the survival of the republic and what the future holds for my children and grandchildren.

35 posted on 04/30/2009 10:54:29 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (TATBO)
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To: x

Fringe groups like the head of the RNC and Orrin Hatch who’s been in the senate longer than I have been alive? Is this what you mean by “fringe groups”?

What do you call a bunch of powerful politicians pointing fingers at each other over the demise of the party if not a political civil war?


36 posted on 04/30/2009 10:55:36 AM PDT by fiscon1
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To: Kerretarded

I didn’t make the statement.

When people say things like that it neither defines the candidate or the position.


37 posted on 04/30/2009 10:57:36 AM PDT by PurpleMan
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To: PurpleMan

Exactly: what’s the definition of conservative anymore?

Levin’s book has a better approach. Liberal and conservative don’t mean much anymore in a world where Specter is a conservative. If McCain, or Bush, is a conservative, what does that word mean?

The original 10 amendments to the Constitution, and the founders’ own philosophies are all you need.

You either believe the State has all the rights, and determines which rights the individual gets, or the individual has the rights, and defines which rights the State gets.

Things get pretty simple at that point if you’re running for President. Seriously, if all you have to worry about is your philosopy on the nine rights afforded the federal government, the rest of your answers become:

“It’s not a right the federal government has. To the extent SCOTUS and the left believes that the state does have that right, my belief is that people are going to differ on that issue, and they should have the right to live in the state the most appropriately reflects your views on the matter. Personally, I’d rather live in a state that values life, or believes marriage is first a religious rite and secondly a legal status. Regardless, for the federal government to deny people the choice of living in states that better reflect their values, and to have a national set of values imposed on those citizes is the opposite of what the founders intended. If Utah believes that public prayer in State-owned facilities is appropriate, then it should be legal there. If MA feels differently about that, and the people there agree, then that’s OK too. Those that disagree in either state are free to swap houses and live in places that more reflect their values.

Here’s my promise: I won’t allow the federal government to overstep the boundaries the founders imposed on it. The states are the laboratories of society, not the fed. I will guarantee that the fed will meet its constitutional responsibilities.”


38 posted on 04/30/2009 11:01:10 AM PDT by RinaseaofDs
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To: fiscon1

the issue is we cannot allow ourselves to be pigeon holed as far right. WE are the middle,the great mass of American. spector was never middle of the road. he’s always been left. Look at some defining issues,look at amnesty. All polls repeatedly say NO to amnesty. yet we’ve been painted as far right on this. Its a centrist issue. we’re the center. The center has always been more conservative in its nature in this country. The vast majority was outraged at bailing out irresponsible borrowers yet we were painted as cold hearted for wanting someone,anyone to simply say NO. This is the center. we’re not racists. we believe in each being rewarded by what they produce,regardless of race creed or color. Not paying someone according to the circumstances of their birth. All these politicians can point their fingers and blame the “right” Damn few of them have the faintest idea of what the right is in this country. We may be to the right of the dem’s and much of the republican party but we smack dab in the middle of this country.


39 posted on 04/30/2009 11:05:44 AM PDT by wiggen
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To: fiscon1
Fringe groups like the head of the RNC and Orrin Hatch who’s been in the senate longer than I have been alive? Is this what you mean by “fringe groups”?

Fringe groups like the Club for Growth. Maybe "fringe" is the wrong word. Try "lobby" or "advocacy group." I'm not saying they're extremist, just that they have their own particular agenda and don't always speak for a wider public.

You'll find a lot of Republicans who agree with what they claim to stand for in broad terms, but I doubt very many people bother with every press release they issue.

For example, I may agree or disagree with them about protectionism, but I'm certainly not going to sign their petition to keep free trade with China. It's a stunt designed to call attention to themselves.

Politicians like Orrin Hatch trying to settle scores. If he and the other Senators are really bringing all their weight to swatting at this or that advocacy group, then I'm wrong, but I'd be surprised.

Things look different in Washington, though. Orrin might actually think "He was my friend and you drove him out of our party." But to me that looks more like a personal grudge than any "Republican Civil War."

40 posted on 04/30/2009 11:06:37 AM PDT by x
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