Republican Lamar Alexander calls out the Tea Party

Washington Post ^ | Aug 20, 2013 | By Chris Cillizza

[Jim Robinson]

Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander struck the latest blow in the ongoing Republican intraparty squabble between ideologues and pragmatists – or, in Chris Christie-speak, “winners” and “college professors” — in an op-ed published in the Tennessean newspaper Tuesday.

The entire piece, which was written in response to calls from tea party groups for Alexander to step aside due to his willingness to work across the aisle, is worth reading but one paragraph stood out to us. Here it is:

“I learned to count in Maryville City Schools. So I know that if you only have 45 votes and you need 60 senators to get something important done like balancing the budget and fixing the debt, then you have to work with other people — that is, IF you really care about solving the problem, IF you really want to get a result, instead of just making a speech.”

That’s as good an explanation of the philosophy that animates the pragmatist wing of the Republican party as we have read. It’s based on a belief that prizes the accomplishment even if that accomplishment is short of your preferred goal. It’s based on the belief that the goal of governing is to address — via legislation — the problems facing the country.

[Jim Robinson]

The problem is, Senator, the RINOs and statist GOPe loyalists are totally unreliable with their votes. We learned the hard way that they vote with the democrats on many important issues. Fat lot of good that does us.

If you wish a fight the tea party, be my guest. I'm sure you will get one.

[lormand]

Vichy Republicans.

[IncPen]

What idiots like Lamar don't understand is that he's not dealing with 'gentlemen' or Americans, as previous generations might have thought of political opposition.

To the other side, our destruction is all that matters.

[JRandomFreeper]

The way the GOP-E is pissing off the conservative base, they'll be lucky to get a dog-catcher elected.

/johnny

[cardinal4]

By that rationale, we have to accept amnesty to get a deal on the debt ceiling..next year..

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Whenever democrats and RINO’s talk about “fixing the debt,”
my first instinct is to reach for my wallet and hang on to it for dear life.

[2ndDivisionVet]

If he’s a Republican I’m a swimsuit model.

[cripplecreek]

Kapo Republican’ts

[Uncle Miltie]

Lamar! Is an empty flannel shirt.

[tet68]

Vidkun Quisling was a pragmatist too.

[Proud2BeRight]

The Tea Party and conservatives are not going away RINO.

[vetvetdoug]

I knew Alexander when he went from one end of the State to the other walking and wearing a plaid shirt and before he became one of the elitists in Washington, D.C. He stayed at my Uncle's home for a night and we were on his election committee. He no longer is that man. He is a sell out and has sold us out repeatedly. I was there when Attorney General Leech removed Blanton early and replaced him with Alexander. Alexander had integrity then. He's also lost touch with the average Tennessean.

[Yardstick]

Congrats Lamar! You’re the WaPo’s pretty pet Republican for the day.

[Mr. K]

"“I learned to count in Maryville City Schools. So I know that if you only have 45 votes and you need 60 senators to get something important done like balancing the budget and fixing the debt, then you have to work with other people — that is, IF you really care about solving the problem, IF you really want to get a result, instead of just making a speech.” "

LOSER mentality

You NEVER see democraps thinking this way when they are in the minority

You never win by giving up ground

You make them see it your way

[DoughtyOne]

^{It's so refreshing to see him admit he likes to reach across the isle, just like McCain, Graham, Snow, Collins,...
Screw these ass-hats.  They need to be run out of Washington on a rail.}

Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION 08/20/2013: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.
In this political cartoon, Ramirez touches on "Blinding".

FOLKS, THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE AND PENCIL IN YOUR DONATION TO HELP END THIS FREEPATHON.  THANK YOU!  We're $5.00 from 82%!.
...this is a general all purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

a

[Secret Agent Man]

if they learned anything from liberal marxist dogmatics, it’s that you turn up the heat on al of them, espcially vulnerable ones, to get 15 or more to come to your side.

this is the reptards problem. alexander wept, because there was nothing left for him to compromise with.

[greatvikingone]

I would like my representatives to have a spine. Eventually, after eliminating the spineless, we will have 60 Constitution loving Senators. It takes time, not compromise.

[EternalVigilance]

“I learned to count in Maryville City Schools. So I know that if you only have 45 votes and you need 60 senators to get something important done like balancing the budget and fixing the debt, then you have to work with other people — that is, IF you really care about solving the problem, IF you really want to get a result, instead of just making a speech.”

“Consensus: 'The process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead. What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner: ‘I stand for consensus?'”

-- Margaret Thatcher

[a fool in paradise]

You don’t need “60 Senators” to get “something really important done”. You need that many to defeat attempts at debating legislation.

Make sausage. See what I care. Obama had to STEAL 2 Senate seats AND buy off legislators with pork to get Obamacare passed.

Damn right no Republican should have voted for that horror.

[EternalVigilance]

"There are still people in my party who believe in consensus politics. I regard them as Quislings, as traitors... I mean it."

-- Margaret Thatcher