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Alabama GOP Demands that Shelby Retract Support from Hagel
The American Spectator ^ | 2/25/13 | Quin Hillyer

Posted on 02/25/2013 4:58:01 PM PST by Nachum

The Steering Committee of the Alabama Republican Party has taken the rare step of officially demanding that one of the state’s two GOP U.S. Senators change a publicly announced position in a high-profile Washington battle. Specifically, the state party leaders have passed a resolution demanding that Sen. Richard Shelby “reconsider and reverse his decision to support Senator [Chuck] Hagel to be Secretary of Defense.” The resolution, passed early this afternoon, blasts Hagel for statements “favorable toward” countries “that we believe to be enemies of the United States of America,” and also criticizes him for “not being a supporter of Israel, the only dependable ally the United States of America has in that part of the world.” It notes, too, that “many Alabama citizens have expressed outrage at Senator Shelby’s decision.”

This is big stuff. Sen. Shelby is a powerful politician, and the state party long has been supportive of him. But his support of Hagel seems to really have created a backlash.

“It has been an outpouring from people across the state,” State Republican Chairman Bill Armistead told me. “There have been phone calls from a lot of people, plus we’ve all been approached by people we know at churches and in our communities. I haven’t seen anything this strong in opposition to something done by one of our representatives in Congress in a long time.”

(Armistead stressed that this does not indicate opposition to Shelby in general, but only that it was very strong opposition to this one decision.)

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alabama; gop; hagel; shelby
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1 posted on 02/25/2013 4:58:08 PM PST by Nachum
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To: Nachum

Prime example of why the 17th Amendment needs repealed.


2 posted on 02/25/2013 5:04:24 PM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: Nachum
Karl Rove is disappointed, and will seek to punsish those conservatives.

/johnny

3 posted on 02/25/2013 5:05:41 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Nachum

Hey Shelby, Get your ass in gear!


4 posted on 02/25/2013 5:11:07 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: Repeat Offender

Why ? Do you want an even more liberal and statist Senate ?


5 posted on 02/25/2013 5:19:46 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: smoothsailing

He used to be a Dem if I’m not mistaken. I’m going to vote his ass out next time. Hope he has a challenger.


6 posted on 02/25/2013 5:20:17 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Great vid by ShorelineMike! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZjJk6nbD4&feature=plcp)
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

He’s not up until 2016.


7 posted on 02/25/2013 5:24:14 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Repeat Offender
Prime example of why the 17th Amendment needs repealed.

More importantly, term limits need to be implemented.

8 posted on 02/25/2013 5:45:07 PM PST by eeriegeno (<p>)
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To: Repeat Offender
Prime example of why the 17th Amendment needs repealed.

More importantly, term limits need to be implemented.

9 posted on 02/25/2013 5:45:21 PM PST by eeriegeno (<p>)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

I highly doubt the senate would be more liberal if appointed by state legislatures. As things are now, they are free agents, responsible to no one after winning a single race every six years.

Several of them just buy their seats, having enough money to ruin anyone who challenges them in the primary. John McCain is a great example. He is not an Arizonan, his wife is, and she is also a very wealthy beer heiress, who enjoys the Beltway cocktail party circuit.

As far as being more liberal, there is a problem with that as well, because much of the liberal agenda supports enormous federal power at the expense of the states. And this comes directly out of the hide of state legislators who do not like it one bit.


10 posted on 02/25/2013 5:55:22 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Best WoT news at rantburg.com)
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Freepers, your Contributions make every difference!
Please keep ‘em coming! Thank you all very much!

11 posted on 02/25/2013 6:00:55 PM PST by RedMDer (Support Free Republic)
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To: fieldmarshaldj
Why ? Do you want an even more liberal and statist Senate ?

Speaking out of ignorance is never a good thing.

It was originally intended for the State legislatures to pick their Senators so the state would have representation in fedgov. This was to assist in balancing power between the states and fed.

27 state legislatures are Republican controlled....ie both houses. (24 have R controlled governments - ie 24/27 have a pubbie gov too)

17 are dem controlled.

5 are split. Of those 1 has a R governor.

1 state legislature, Nebraska, is "non partisan."

Which would most likely mean the R's would have 54 in the Senate........to break this down for you, that would mean they'd have the majority they don't have.

We currently have two Houses at the federal level that are elected by popular vote.....ie mob rule and have the ability to vote the fruits of one's labor unto another.

There is no representation of the state at the federal level.

By returning power to the State, you would be less likely to see fedgov bullying the States ie raise the drinking age to 21 or you lose highway funding, or you must set the speed limit to 55mph or you lose xxxxx etc.

Further, you probably wouldn't have the GOP steering committee in SC(?) threatening their dumbass Senator for supporting cloture for Hagel's nomination vote.....in other words, the Senator would already be beholden to their State.

12 posted on 02/25/2013 6:05:07 PM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: Repeat Offender

If the 17th Amendment were repealed today, the Republicans would have a distinct advantage. They currently control 27 state legislatures and the Democrats control only 18. That doesn’t mean we’d get rid of the Shelbys, but it would certainly mean Republicans would control the US Senate. It’s a good starting point.

http://ivn.us/infographics/2013/02/07/which-party-controls-the-state-legislatures-and-governorships/


13 posted on 02/25/2013 6:14:49 PM PST by smoothsailing
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To: Repeat Offender
OP steering committee in SC(?)

I meant Alabama, not SC......

I was thinking along the lines of TX (and others) putting forth legislation preventing federales from enforcing federal firearms laws within their respective state(s)....essentially stating the right of the state trumps fed law ala SC pre-Civil war. And mashed it into the topic at hand with Alabama.

But, I meant to add the above points as well, and accidentally hit "post" before I was done proofing.

The point is, the states (legislatures) would already have their ability to check fed power and wouldn't be trying to pass legislation after the fact to combat fed laws.

14 posted on 02/25/2013 6:17:59 PM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: Repeat Offender; yefragetuwrabrumuy; BillyBoy

Repeat Offender, I could’ve spared you all that typing. This has been discussed repeatedly. I suggest reading this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2986688/posts

and a bit of a follow-up in this one:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2989575/posts

Simply put, the belief that you’d get a better Senate with repeal of the 17th is a fallacy (or fantasy), because it runs smack into the political reality and dynamics of today. The likelihood of getting Conservatives committed to smaller government elected from a state government body desirous for big federal gov $$ is next to zero. Texas, for example, wouldn’t be sending Ted Cruz, it would be sending big government liberals like Karl Rove (as a thank you to Dubya) and David Dewhurst (the rich Lt Governor and establishment liberal who ordered the legislature to help elect him over Cruz at all costs).


15 posted on 02/25/2013 6:22:07 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: fieldmarshaldj
You're absolutely right.....and of course Senators sent on behalf of the State legislators would've been oh so willing to vote for 0care........that wanted the States to be responsible for setting up insurance clearing houses. And of course, it didn't pave the way for the New Deal programs which use fed authority to usurp state interests in things like coal, steel etc.

And it in no way currently represents the entrenched aristocracy feared in Senators by the Antifederalists.

There was a reason the Founders put it in the original Constitution.

because it runs smack into the political reality and dynamics of today.

Liberals during the "Progressive Era" said as much during the debate leading up to the passage of 17th Amendment.

They're saying the 2nd and 10th run smack into political reality and dynamics of today.

16 posted on 02/25/2013 6:52:23 PM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: eeriegeno
Agreed. Term limits are required. Imagine how many dinosaurs would be out to pasture had Newt the Poot Gingrich had made the only two positions of the Contract with America that failed, the first priorities, unreadable of the last. (Term limits and a balanced budget amendment). But I should have known a Progressive, a.k.a neoconservative, would have left the big government intact and growing.
17 posted on 02/25/2013 6:54:17 PM PST by cashless (Obama told us he would side with Muslims if the political winds shifted in an ugly direction. Ready?)
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To: Nachum

good for Alabama!!!!!!!!!!!


18 posted on 02/25/2013 7:17:46 PM PST by faithhopecharity (()
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To: faithhopecharity

any senator still supporting Mr. Hagel after all the bad stuff that’s come out about him (undisputed and/or not proven false... )......

should be voted OUT of the senate, asap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


19 posted on 02/25/2013 7:20:34 PM PST by faithhopecharity (()
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To: Nachum

American Jews supported Obama by 69%.

F em

I am Jewish.


20 posted on 02/25/2013 9:26:53 PM PST by NoLibZone (We have the nation we deserve. I predict FR will hate GOP Candidate for 2016 , because of his shoes.)
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