From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_In_Name_Only
Individuals claimed to be “RINOs”
Family Research Council’s Top 10 RINOs in the House of Representatives
The Family Research Council’s list of the Top 10 RINOs in the U.S. House of Representatives (published October 12, 2005). Ranked by an analysis of 13 votes representing a cross section of conservative issues, most of them concerning gay people, abortion, or stem-cell research.
1. Rep. Christopher Shays (Connecticut)
2. Rep. Michael Castle (Delaware)
3. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (New York)
4. Rep. Mark Kirk (Illinois)
5. Rep. Jim Kolbe (Arizona) (tied for 5th)
5. Rep. Rob Simmons (Connecticut) (tied for 5th)
7. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (Maryland) (tied for 7th)
7. Rep. Jim Leach (Iowa) (tied for 7th)
9. Rep. Mary Bono (California) (tied for 9th)
9. Rep. Nancy Johnson (Connecticut) (tied for 9th)
Boehlert and Kolbe retired from Congress at the end of their terms in 2006.
Simmons, Leach and Johnson were defeated in the 2006 elections.
Gilchrest was defeated in the Republican primary in 2008 by Andrew P. Harris and Shays was defeated in the 2008 general elections.
After the general election of 2008, three of the members of Congress on this list, Castle, Kirk and Bono, remained in in the U.S. House of Representatives.
>>> defend it to the base. <<<<<
“The base.”
How about “the voters”?
Or “other Republicans”?
Or “conservatives”?
This marketing term “the base” is a politician’s term. It’s designed to degrade voters into an amorphous mob to be easily manipulated by political consultants and marketers.
One of the reasons politics has become so disconnected from voters and from reality is the use of marketing terms and psychology and methods which IMO are encapsulated in this term “the base”.
As for Warner (R, VA), I think he’s retiring because he’s 80 years old. But he’s also completely out of touch, and really blew it with his vague position on “comprehensive immigration reform” in 2007.
He ultimately voted against that dog of a bill, but it was a last minute thing and for that alone I’d happily have voted against him if he was to run again in the future.
I already know the 3 winners of the Kennedys’ “Profiles in Courage” award for 2009.
Snowe and Collins will continue to be reelected as long as they choose to run, and probably with increasing margins.
This is a PARTY problem. The party AS a party must solve it.
Start by booting these turncoats—NOW. They have to be GONE from the caucus, with well-funded opponants in the next election cycle.
Think I’m wrong? Helping Spector vs. Toomy was a smart move, too?