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William Kristol: The Republicans' Opportunity
The Washington Post ^ | February 5, 2009; 8:41 AM ET

Posted on 02/05/2009 9:53:22 AM PST by lewisglad

President Obama has given Republicans a golden opportunity: Insist on splitting the legislation being debated on the Senate floor into a true short-term stimulus, which can pass quickly, and long-term policy proposals, which require serious debate.

Republicans should stop trying to improve the unimproveable with small-bore amendments to the current legislative package.

Instead, they can point out that Obama is supporting under the guise of emergency legislation a bloated catch-all of stimulus, pork policy.

They can make clear that Republicans will support a real short-term stimulus (pro-growth tax cuts, housing measures and a few targeted spending provisions unemployment and COBRA extensions) that meets Larry Summers’s criteria of being targeted, timely and temporary.

They should introduce such a measure as a substitute -- “The Emergency Economic Growth Bill of 2009” -- and trumpet their vigorous support of it.

And they should insist that all the “energy, health care and education” proposals be debated in an orderly and serious way in the regular legislative process -- not jammed through.

This strategy depends on GOP willingness to slow the process down and to challenge Obama’s arbitrary deadline.

The Republican position should be: We’ll pass on this emergency timetable a real stripped-down emergency stimulus.

But if Obama insists on legislation incorporating an alleged “strategy for America’s long-term growth,” then the country deserves hearings and debate that obviously will take some time.

And Republicans should make clear they cannot agree to limiting debate to a couple of days on such momentous long-term legislation.

In other words: If Obama wants a stimulus, Republicans will give it to him tomorrow.

It’s the president’s and the Democrats’ insistence on incorporating a huge and problematic policy agenda in this one bill that’s delaying action.

Why then, Republicans can ask, is President Obama delaying a necessary, short-term, emergency growth package?

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


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: 111th; bho44; gop; kristol
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1 posted on 02/05/2009 9:53:22 AM PST by lewisglad
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To: lewisglad

Shut up Bill. Your track record simply sucks.


2 posted on 02/05/2009 9:54:17 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: Badeye

True enough, but the boy does make sense here.


3 posted on 02/05/2009 9:56:06 AM PST by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must...)
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To: lewisglad
Republicans should stop trying to improve the unimproveable with small-bore amendments to the current legislative package.

Instead, they can point out that Obama is supporting under the guise of emergency legislation a bloated catch-all of stimulus, pork policy.

Bill Kristol buys a clue.

4 posted on 02/05/2009 9:57:51 AM PST by sauropod (An expression of deep worry and concern failed to cross either of Zaphod's faces - hitchhiker's guid)
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To: lewisglad

Are the GOP smart enough to do this? That’s the REAL question.


5 posted on 02/05/2009 10:00:41 AM PST by pctech
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To: Pharmboy

Yes....but next week he’ll be blowing whichever way the Beltway Winds are blowing.

thats how he went from Moynihan’s staff to Quayles, from The Weekly Standard to the NYT and back again.


6 posted on 02/05/2009 10:01:12 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: lewisglad

Kristol was hawking McCain for years. He got what he wanted.
As far as I’m concerned he’s toast as far as deciding what happens to the Republican party. I trust him as much as I do McCain.


7 posted on 02/05/2009 10:01:49 AM PST by LeavingNewYork
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To: lewisglad

Still carryin’ McCain’s bedpan.


8 posted on 02/05/2009 10:04:11 AM PST by TADSLOS (McCain always has a job as Obama's Butt Boy when he loses his seat in 2010)
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To: pctech

First, the GOP has to know if the replacement for Gregg will vote for the cloture on porkulus, or all of this is moot.


9 posted on 02/05/2009 10:06:17 AM PST by lewisglad
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To: lewisglad

“Instead, they can point out that Obama is supporting under the guise of emergency legislation a bloated catch-all of stimulus, pork policy.”

####

Nothing new under the sun.

The Left has ALWAYS used the “crisis” crutch, aided by their allies, the nattering nabobs of negativism in the LeftMedia as an excuse to expand government:

- The “starving” poor (many of whom are 100+ lbs overweight).

- Climate change.

- the millions of “uninsured” Americans (blowing what could be their health insurance premiums on the Casino boat).

- “Crowded classrooms.

- The latest “children” crisis.


10 posted on 02/05/2009 10:08:18 AM PST by EyeGuy
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To: LeavingNewYork
I trust him as much as I do McCain.

He was the major backer of Palin as VP. He aint as bad as all that.

11 posted on 02/05/2009 10:09:47 AM PST by Nonstatist
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To: Nonstatist

I agree. I really like Kristol. I think he’s very intelligent and often right on. Not always, but I don’t require mirror images of my own thoughts and beliefs to admire the ability to think in others.


12 posted on 02/05/2009 10:15:15 AM PST by twigs
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To: twigs; Nonstatist
I don’t require mirror images of my own thoughts and beliefs to admire the ability to think in others.

Then you're not a good model for modern kneejerk freeping.

13 posted on 02/05/2009 10:21:15 AM PST by sam_paine (X .................................)
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To: Badeye

Again...no argument. Never liked the guy (I met him at a DC health conference about 14 years ago when Hillary addressed the 400 or so people there and he’s even less likeable in person). BUT—I agree with his strategery in this instance. He is capable—on occasion—to have 1) an original thought and 2) be right at the same time. Rare, but happens.


14 posted on 02/05/2009 10:35:14 AM PST by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must...)
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To: sam_paine; twigs
Kristol was Quayle's chief of staff. Most people here liked Quayle, as did I. He is a founder of Weekly Standard magazine, which is one of the few conservative magazines out there. He has at times blundered in his advice, on Iraq for example, but looking back ironically it would seem Iraq is one of Bush's few real achievements, come the end of the day.

He's one of the good guys, in a world filled with scum. IMO.

15 posted on 02/05/2009 10:35:41 AM PST by Nonstatist
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To: Pharmboy

Fair enough.


16 posted on 02/05/2009 10:38:19 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: Badeye
.......next week Kristol’ll be blowing whichever way the Beltway Winds are blowing......he went from Moynihan's staff to Quayle's, from The Weekly Standard to the NYT, from Bush to Giuliani to McCain.....and he’s still secretive as ever....smirking and spewing blue blood beltway Republicanism, and kicking conservatives to the curb..........

Winner of the 2008 Best Election Night Performance Award in the category of:
"I Know Nothing About this Republican Disaster."


Billy Kristol (McC campaign mastermind)

"Thank you very much. But I could not have done it without the help of all the
punkeos--David Frum, Michael Gerson, David Brooks, Richard Perle.....and
my Dearest Daddy."

"Sniffle---my Dearest Daddy (who was Giuliani's foreign policy advisor) said,
"The historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism is.....to convert the
Republican Party and American conservatism in general, against their
respective wills,
into a new kind of conservative politics suitable to
governing a modern democracy."

"Sob."

"I especially want to thank punkneo Douglas Feith for faking documents on his
home computer so we punkneos could dupe the president."

"Without Doug we would not have been able to transfer trillions of US dollars
into the Mideast, into the pockets of war profiteers, which enabled Richard Perle
to startup an oil business in Iraq with his cut."

Kristol smirked: "Making Iraq safe for Perle's oil business with US tax dollars was truly a noble punkneo effort."

==============================================

COMMENTS The political entrail readings showed the crucial conservative base stayed home.........too bad the pukes "forget" to tell McC that would be one outcome of the punkneo-RINO bi-partisanship. Be aware that many senior neocons are rank opportunists who squatted in the Repub Party for their stealth purposes-----they are actually former Trotskyites that flew the coop when Stalin executed their hero.

AS FREEPER TADSLOS COGENTLY POSTED: "People forget that candy-ass Kristol, and his crony, metro-sexual Brooks are the original makeover artists for McCain post-2000. They are McC's original groomers and media switch operators.....obsessed with religious cleansing of the party. Kristol at his most smirkiest---urging McCain to fire his 2008 staff, to start all over at the 11th hour, as McC's numbers tanked. Shows how how ill-conceived, advised, equipped and poorly managed McC's campaign was. But then, what else to expect from a Republican candidate made up of neopunks Kristol and Brooks."

Kristol championed McCain early in the election cycle to push his boy to the nomination. Kristol "support" for Palin had nothing to do with conservatism and everything to do with gauging the political winds to get his maverick liberal senator elected president. Kristol is the media poster boy for why D.C. plutocrats are completely out of touch with the rest of the country.

Watching Kristol smirking and squirming in his Fox seat on election night as McC lost his bid for the presidency was a consolation prize to this abortion of a 2008 election cycle.

17 posted on 02/05/2009 11:06:03 AM PST by Liz (The right to be left alone is the beginning of freedom. USSC Justice William O. Douglas)
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To: Liz

Exactly, thanks for posting this.

I’ve considered taking one of the TWS ‘cruises’ just to confront Kristol and Barnes on their bad track record of political ‘predictions’.

Just this past week, 24 hours before Daschle was humiliated once again before the entire country, Barnes oh so confidently predicted he’d be confirmed.


18 posted on 02/05/2009 11:09:19 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: lewisglad
HE'S IN A HURRY FOR REASONS OF VANITY. HE WANTS TO SIGN AWAY OUR FUTURE ON PRESIDENT'S DAY.

This is so he can show off and act historical.

He also fears Rush returning on Monday.

If he's scared, may the Repubs press the advantage.

19 posted on 02/05/2009 11:12:25 AM PST by Mamzelle (Boycott Peggy Swoonin')
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To: lewisglad

The stimulus got Lindsey Graham worked up. Even John McCain was singing the praises of cutting spending.


20 posted on 02/05/2009 1:05:13 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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