Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bipartisan Group Eyes Independent Bid - First, Main Candidates Urged To Plan 'Unity' Government
Washington Post ^ | December 30, 2007 | David S. Broder

Posted on 12/29/2007 9:21:54 PM PST by neverdem

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a potential independent candidate for president, has scheduled a meeting next week with a dozen leading Democrats and Republicans, who will join him in challenging the major-party contenders to spell out their plans for forming a "government of national unity" to end the gridlock in Washington.

Those who will be at the Jan. 7 session at the University of Oklahoma say that if the likely nominees of the two parties do not pledge to "go beyond tokenism" in building an administration that seeks national consensus, they will be prepared to back Bloomberg or someone else in a third-party campaign for president.

Conveners of the meeting include such prominent Democrats as former senators Sam Nunn (Ga.), Charles S. Robb (Va.) and David L. Boren (Okla.), and former presidential candidate Gary Hart. Republican organizers include Sen. Chuck Hagel (Neb.), former party chairman Bill Brock, former senator John Danforth (Mo.) and former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman.

Boren, who will host the meeting at the university, where he is president, said: "It is not a gathering to urge any one person to run for president or to say there necessarily ought to be an independent option. But if we don't see a refocusing of the campaign on a bipartisan approach, I would feel I would want to encourage an independent candidacy."

The list of acceptances suggests that the group could muster the financial and political firepower to make the threat of such a candidacy real. Others who have indicated that they plan to attend the one-day session include William S. Cohen, a former Republican senator from Maine and defense secretary in the Clinton administration; Alan Dixon, a former Democratic senator from Illinois; Bob Graham, a former Democratic senator from Florida; Jim Leach, a former Republican congressman...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: agentsprovocateur; michaelrbloomberg; rino
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 12/29/2007 9:21:57 PM PST by neverdem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Why? I like gridlock.


2 posted on 12/29/2007 9:23:56 PM PST by ilgipper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

I’d be furious at the whole pretentious enterprise—but I realize that these long-in-the-tooth “moderates” can’t pull more than 26 votes among the lot of them.


3 posted on 12/29/2007 9:26:02 PM PST by SamuraiScot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

The Democratic and Republican Parties have become merely opposite wings of the same bird, and it’s the American people who are getting the bird as our elected officials serve their corporate masters and the special interest groups that dominate both parties.

Lou Dobbs


4 posted on 12/29/2007 9:27:03 PM PST by B4Ranch (( "Freedom is not free, but don't worry the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share." ))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

RINO’s a-ridin’ back to power?


5 posted on 12/29/2007 9:31:49 PM PST by Rudder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch

The problem is not that the Democrats and Republicans are opposites, the problem, is that they are becoming just alike.


6 posted on 12/29/2007 9:38:53 PM PST by NavVet (If you don't defend conservatism in the Primary, you won't have it to defend in the Election)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: wardaddy; Joe Brower; Cannoneer No. 4; Criminal Number 18F; Dan from Michigan; Eaker; Jeff Head; ...
IMHO, we are in this mess because of the moonbat left's ideas and the RINOs who have gone along to get along. Maybe I'm biased, but besides real pollution generated by greedy or careless business, I can't think of a problem that didn't originate as a idea from the left in the first place. If you can think of something, please let me know.

The Bhutto Assassination and Islam's War on Pakistan

Michael Barone: Lessons From the Surge [Must Read]

From time to time, I’ll ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

7 posted on 12/29/2007 9:47:58 PM PST by neverdem (Call talk radio. We need a Constitutional Amendment for Congressional term limits. Let's Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Thanks for the ping!


8 posted on 12/29/2007 9:52:19 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

These guys could make it more interesting.


9 posted on 12/29/2007 9:57:05 PM PST by TBP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch
Lou Dobbs

Suppose you had Hitlery for the Dimmycraps, a "moderate" ("a base-stealing word for liberal Republicans", as Bill Buckley once wrote) (RINO) GOP candidate, a conservative independent candidate of the Keyes/Paul mode, McKinney, Bloomberg, and Dobbs. Who would win and why?

And who would you support?

10 posted on 12/29/2007 9:59:39 PM PST by TBP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Can we say “Third Party Run”?


11 posted on 12/29/2007 9:59:43 PM PST by TWohlford
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Rats and Rino’s bribe terrorists.......conservatives kill or imprison them .....we can’t afford to pay the worlds wages and utilities. Trying to save the world at the American taxpayers expense is criminal in and of itself.

H911ARY Incorporated is that criminal enterprise IMO !

Doom on em !

Merry New Year Doc !


12 posted on 12/29/2007 10:00:51 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: neverdem; Jim Robinson

This is a Leftist hijack attempt, being launched from the ‘center’ ...

Standing firm on Conservatism, valiantly communicating the benefits of Conservatism to the swing voters in the middle will...by the grace of God...save this nation from this massively-parallel Soros-Perot wedgie.


13 posted on 12/29/2007 10:37:13 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Go for it. He can’t possibly win, and he will only dilute the Democrat vote.


14 posted on 12/29/2007 10:47:28 PM PST by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Laundry list of losers.


15 posted on 12/29/2007 11:45:16 PM PST by JohnnyZ ("When we say I saw the PATRIOTS win the WORLD SERIES, it doesn't necessarily mean ...." - Mitt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Socialists of the world unite!


16 posted on 12/30/2007 2:16:56 AM PST by MNJohnnie (Hillary Clinton has never done one thing right. She thinks that qualifies her to be President?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

Surely half the RINOs in the GOP would jump at the chance, maybe even some of the front-runners in the presidential race.

The question is where you would find more than a handful of DINOs to counterbalance them.


17 posted on 12/30/2007 2:25:56 AM PST by Tall_Texan (No Third Term For Bill Clinton!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: neverdem

The destroyers of “national unity” are the Democrats, plain and simple. Fortunately, Bloomberg will hurt them more than us.


18 posted on 12/30/2007 3:46:39 AM PST by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: B4Ranch
Admittedly, I only watch Dobbs occasionally as that is all I can stand but this man is truly cynical of everything and everyone. He must hate getting up in the morning.
19 posted on 12/30/2007 4:38:54 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: NavVet
Please, if you think the two parties are alike, you're not paying attention. If this were true, you wouldn't see the current candidates from the different parties stating opposite positions. They are mirror opposites.

We have Democrats tying to get to the left of each other and we have Republicans trying to see who can get the farthest to the right.

20 posted on 12/30/2007 4:41:20 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson