Posted on 10/03/2006 2:42:16 PM PDT by Jean S
In the final days of the 2000 WH race, Pres Bush was confronted with an unexpected revelation from his past. It was disclosed that in 1976 Bush had been pulled over and arrested for DUI. The news threw the otherwise well-oiled Bush campaign and, as described by John F. Harris and Mark Halperin in their new book, "The Way To Win," the "classic scramble that ensued set off a...frenzy."
Questions about the genesis of the leak emerged almost instantly, but such curiosities were far outweighed by the damage within the story itself. For conservative-leaning voters, the DUI set off alarms about just what was in the background of the once-wild Texas governor who was still something of an unknown quantity. Five days after the bombshell broke, Bush could only eke out an electoral tie. The GOP base, the story goes, was depressed by the DUI.
Is history repeating itself?
Ex-Rep. Mark Foley's (R) transgressions with pages have already caused revulsion across ideological lines, but it is conservatives who could again cause the most damage to Republicans.
As we've reported, the key to Democrats taking back the majority in the House lies in knocking off incumbents. There aren't enough open seats in play to get to 15. Dems must win on GOP terrain. And this means Red America; culturally conservative, church-going, traditional values America.
Specifically, Democrats need to unseat Republicans in districts where Bush won 55% or more -- 10 of the races in our top 30. From Rep. John Hostettler (IN 08) in Southern Indiana to Rep. Charles Taylor (NC 11) in Western North Carolina to Rep. Thelma Drake (VA 02) in Tidewater Virginia, these vulnerable Republicans are banking on a massive turnout of so-called "values voters."
Democratic hopes are aided by a strong crop of challengers, while many of the Republicans running in these districts are among the party's weakest incumbents (paging Mr. Sherwood). Perhaps most importantly, these Democratic challengers constantly invoke their values on the stump, in their ads, and they aren't shy about distancing themselves from the national party on cultural issues.
That Republicans are so vulnerable in the American heartland gives them precious little margin for error in the Northeast, the region of the county where they were thought to be the most at-risk. The battleground for control of the House has moved south and west and from blue states to red. Will conservatives come home or stay home?
[JOSH KRAUSHAAR and JONATHAN MARTIN]
I have an idea, let's demand to see all the congress critters emails.
You won't get those from either side.
EXACTLY!.............
Why is it that when someone in politics gets into trouble they are whisked away for alcohol rehab? Is Washington DC that full of drunks?
Election '06: "All DUI, all the time!"
It's the year of the blogosmear.
Basically, yes
..."DUI?"
Alright, the diversion caught my attention. Sodomy (anal copulation) is hideous. I've been avoiding even looking at the story. But people who are more concerned about politics than morality should think very much about what sodomites do, until they see more clearly.
Replace Foley with a real conservative.
Poor Bob Wormwood...he thought he'd have all the Bush-hater attention to himself. Last night he was relegated to a session with the doddering Larry King, whom no one watches. Sometimes the Dems timing is off, but Hellery will fix that when she rolls out the FBI files on all Republicans in '08. She'll have an expose every week starting in '07.
DUH!
Hastert said on Hannity that the incriminating messages were from 2003. If anyone thinks this is anything but a political smear campaign, let me know, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I want to unload sell.
Foley is a cyber-gay-pedophile. Franks and company have done the dirty deed.
Considering these sick (you fill in the blanks) allowed children to remain at risk so they could pop an "October Surprise" hell no I'm not staying home and my Reublican Congressman is getting the vote I told him to write off long ago because of it.
These clowns can get their answer from my tagline.
Rush thinks there will be one scandal per week, issued on Thursday or Friday so the weekend talk shows will pick it up.
Watching this episode unfold, I think Rush is probably right. Some Dumbocrap held this Foley mess unto himself for a long, long time waiting for an election eve to unfold it.
I'm certain they have four or five more to drop onto the hoi polloi.
Why isn't anyone saying the words, "accessory after the fact?" If these people had evidence of a crime and refused to volunteer it, under the law they are complicit in that crime.
It was OUI, not DUI. Yet, in 1976 in Maine, it appears from researching Title 29-A of the Maine laws, an OUI offense was not considered a crime, but a traffic offense. The laws on OUI offenses on the books today are tougher than the laws were in the 1970s but even under the law passed in 1993 the incident was NOT a "criminal" offense since Bush was not under 21, was not resisting arrest, refusing to take a sobriety test, did not have a
blood-alcohol level higher than .15 or speeding.
I'm not certain who you want to say it, but I've said they are complicit with the predator and that I want the book thrown at the people that had knowledge and kept it secret to use for the elections. They are just as sick as Foley and should be held for charges alongside of him.
You are so right. But the RATS have a network of protection.
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