Posted on 09/15/2010 4:07:05 PM PDT by Kaslin
WILMINGTON, Del. — On the eve of the primary that would end his electoral career, Rep. Mike Castle was in a reflective mood. He seemed calm and confident, yet almost everything he said sounded valedictory as he offered a prescient analysis that explained in advance a defeat that echoes through the nation.
A genial and courtly man in the manner of the elder President Bush (who held a fundraiser for him in Kennebunkport), the nine-term congressman was mourning the decline of both the conciliatory style of politics that animated his career and the moderate Republican disposition that the Tea Party is determined to destroy.
"There are issues on which, as Republicans and Democrats, we should sit down and work out our differences," Castle said Monday as we sat at Kelly's Logan House, a watering hole where he has gathered his closest supporters the night before every election since his first victory, for the neighborhood's state legislative seat, in 1966.
Republicans who might be inclined toward the middle of the road, he said, are petrified of "quick attacks by columnists and the Sean Hannitys of the world. People are very afraid of crossing the line and being called Republicans In Name Only — or worse." As a result, "not too many members are willing to stand up."
"Part of it," he added, "is worry about primaries, and this election has shown the power of very conservative groups."
Castle's defeat at the hands of Christine O'Donnell, a perennial candidate who may be the least qualified Senate nominee anywhere in the country, does indeed mark the final collapse of the Republican Party not only of Nelson Rockefeller and Tom Dewey, but also of Bob Dole and Howard Baker.
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LOL. How could she be worse than Zer0? At least she knows the Constitution.
EJ is just real sad that all those Republicans that acted like Democrats are going away.
Poor EJ.
Boo frick’n hoo. Get over it already!
This same azzwipe said conservatism had died in 2008.
I love how they are now concerned with qualifications when we have the least qualified POTUS ever.
Liberty smiles when E.J. is unhappy.
“Castle’s defeat at the hands of Christine O’Donnell, a perennial candidate who may be the least qualified Senate nominee anywhere in the country, does indeed mark the final collapse of the Republican Party not only of Nelson Rockefeller and Tom Dewey, but also of Bob Dole and Howard Baker.”
He says that like it’s a BAD thing...
Castle is not a moderate — he is a liberal.
Moderates! Moderates!
We don’t need no Stinkin Moderates!
Bingo!
Paging Alvin Greene.....
O’Donnell should say she will seek support from Castle backer who did not understood his liberalism, but she could not expect or even desire Castle’s own support, as he is too far outside the goals of the Republican Party.
Hypocrite. Dionne was positively giddy in 2006 when Ned Lamont beat Lieberman for the nomination.
Howard Baker was a son-in-law of two old compromisers, Everett Dirksen and Alf Landon. Could anyone expect more of him?
Dems never stop to consider that they put up the two (at the time) most liberal members of their party as the Pres. nominee and didn’t put up anyone near as conservative as we would like. Who’s more extreme?
these drooling charlatans of the left gave us Hussein Obozo as the “least qualified US Senator in history” and now as the least qualified POTUS in history, and they still want to harangue us all about “qualifications” and moderation and “conciliatory” politics??????
E.J. Dionne is the kind of leftist sewer rat who poses as an intellectual to tell his inferiors how brilliant and self-important he is....
My hero’s: Nelson Rockefeller, Bob Dole and (Tom Dewey? That was mid-last-century, right?).
Howard Baker I always had a positive impression of. He compromised as Majority Leader but it was 1980’s, we only had one house and Reagan. They did alright.
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