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One Congressman, Rand Paul, the GOP and What Ails American Politics
National Journal ^ | Ron Fournier

Posted on 04/04/2013 7:58:50 AM PDT by JohnPDuncan

“I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it,” Rep. Scott Rigell of Virginia griped over lunch last month at the GOP-run Capitol Hill Club. “All I did was agree to fly aboard Air Force One and talk to the president and for that I got …”

“Hammered,” said Chris Connelly, chief of staff to the Republican lawmaker. “Hammered,” repeated Rigell. “Hammered by my own people.”

Before we could finish our conversation about the dangers of moderation in modern-day politics, Rigell’s cell phone vibrated on the white-clothed table. “It’s Rand Paul,” he said, jumping up from his chair to take a scheduled call from the tea party star, a freshman senator from Kentucky. “Hello, senator,” Rigell said, walking away from our table for privacy. “Can we talk guns?”

I didn’t know it at the time but I had happened to catch Rigell at his career’s most important hour, precisely as he sought to extricate himself from a political vise. On the federal budget and guns, Rigell stayed true to his conservative roots but had the uncommon audacity to insist upon facts, reason and common sense.

And for that, he was punished.

Trouble began for Rigell in late February when he received an invitation from the White House to fly aboard Air Force One and attend an event in his district. President Obama planned to discuss the effects of so-called sequestration cuts, his latest attempt to blame the budget standoff on Rigell’s party.

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


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 113th; banglist; fournier; guncontrol; rigell; rino; ronfournier; secondamendment; teaparty; virginia
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To: JohnPDuncan
“Please tell the president I accept with gratitude,” Rigell told the White House aide.

Wah!

21 posted on 04/04/2013 8:16:21 AM PDT by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: JohnPDuncan

Generally speaking, Republicans are ashamed of the people who vote for them.


22 posted on 04/04/2013 8:18:34 AM PDT by DManA
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To: JohnPDuncan

Make friends with your enemy’s foot soldiers, it will help undermine the leaders.


23 posted on 04/04/2013 8:20:29 AM PDT by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: longtermmemmory

You don’t have to fly on AF1 to get hammered.

Just sayin’


24 posted on 04/04/2013 8:21:15 AM PDT by henkster (I have one more cow than my neighbor. I am a kulak.)
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: JohnPDuncan

Unfortunately, like his colleagues, Mr. Fournier is really the problem in Washington. Our press become little more than stenographers for a single party and have a central tenant that a lack of government and not individual responsibility is what is wrong with America. Until the Fourth Estate returns to their Constitutional roots, I expect greater disintegration of the American experiment. I am delighted our Constitution allows for a free press. I only wish we had an honest one.


26 posted on 04/04/2013 8:28:44 AM PDT by mort56
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To: JohnPDuncan

I stopped at Fournier.


27 posted on 04/04/2013 8:29:46 AM PDT by TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl
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To: JohnPDuncan; Admin Moderator

What a jerk response. You looking to get this thread deleted?

Keep it up.


28 posted on 04/04/2013 8:29:50 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: Responsibility2nd

I changed the title because the real title is Fournier’s left wing spin

how is that jerk response?


29 posted on 04/04/2013 8:30:52 AM PDT by JohnPDuncan
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To: JohnPDuncan
Click here and educate yourself on how to post. And how NEVER to change headlines.
30 posted on 04/04/2013 8:33:18 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: JohnPDuncan

It is FR policy to not change titles, for the reasons posters have given.


31 posted on 04/04/2013 8:37:56 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
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To: COBOL2Java

No, you weren’t hammered by your own people. You were hammered by the people who elected you, who realize that you’re not one of them - that you are more interested in fawning at the feet of “The One” and preening your own political feathers than defending their country, their Constitution and their legitimate interests.

They are no more your people than they are Obama’s people - and THAT is why they hammered you.


32 posted on 04/04/2013 8:38:01 AM PDT by GilesB
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33 posted on 04/04/2013 8:44:25 AM PDT by deoetdoctrinae (The Old White Flag Republicans can go straight to He// and take their pal Obama with them!)
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To: JohnPDuncan
JohnPDuncan
Since Dec 22, 2012


I understand that but that title is boring (as is most of NJ’s content) so I decided to give it a better title, no harm in that.
Ah, yes there is harm in that - as you were told.
But, after 90 days on FR, you think you know better and can ignore the guidelines. Hmmm ...
34 posted on 04/04/2013 8:47:28 AM PDT by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: oh8eleven

I’m not ignoring the guidelines I just didnt think left-wing spun titles are the best thing to post on a conservative site..


35 posted on 04/04/2013 8:49:58 AM PDT by JohnPDuncan
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To: Admin Moderator

OK Admin I will remember for next time. I just didn’t think this “ails” American politics. That’s Fournier’s left-wing spun headline.


36 posted on 04/04/2013 8:53:05 AM PDT by JohnPDuncan
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To: JohnPDuncan

Until Rand Paul goes back to his original “No Amnesty” pledge and backs away from his “Normalization”(Amnesty) plan he’s just another GOP-E Senator with a different suit.


37 posted on 04/04/2013 9:02:16 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: JohnPDuncan

You can add commentary in parentheses if you have characters left. Otherwise make your comments in the comment section on the initial post, and, in a case like this, note your comments on the headline.

You will often see a left leaning article / headline with the commentary “(barf alert)” added for this reason.


38 posted on 04/04/2013 9:05:45 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: JohnPDuncan

The core reason for keeping original headlines is to try to avoid duplicate postings - if you change the title, someone trying to post the same article a half-hour later may not find it with a search.

As others have noted, you can editorialize in parentheses after the title, up to the title length limit of 100 characters.

Thanks for understanding - I do agree that Fournier’s title is left-wing spin, along with everything else he writes.


39 posted on 04/04/2013 9:13:46 AM PDT by Admin Moderator
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To: Admin Moderator

Believe me... I don’t want to post much of Fornier but felt the whining from the congressman was interesting and worthy of a post :)

I will take on board the advice about using {}’s. Thanks again!


40 posted on 04/04/2013 9:18:04 AM PDT by JohnPDuncan
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