Jun 13 2007
The Only Path Forward For The GOP
I am spending the day as a proud father watching his son graduate from college, so if your posts get caught in the spam filters that is why they are stuck. The oldest daughter graduated from college a few weeks back. If I don’t respond to comments, that is why. So while I am gone I have the solution to the GOP’s divide.
I posted something similar over at Wizbang on a DJ Drummond post asking how can we, the right, move forward again. I thought I would post a version of it here too. The problem we have is one group in the conservative coalition is blocking the desires of another group of the coalition – one headed by Bush and with membership that is from the full spectrum of the GOP base. The anti-amnesty crowd have been trying everything they can to dump those portions of the bill which deal with the illegal aliens who have been here a long time. And in doing so they have questioned the motives and characters of those on the pro-bill side of the debate. For this to end the opposition must end.
There must be common cause and common ground to repair the rift. No bridge no repair. You don’t have to support all aspects of compromise bill to support those portions you believe will do the most good. But you do need to accept elements and ideas and proposals from others in order to govern. No bill will address every possible issue or problem. It fills some holes, leaves others for another time. It will have good elements and not so good elements. All bills are this way. Time to face the facts and either repair the rift or cement it into place.
The anti-amnesty crowd need to come back into the coalition and realize they must respect the wishes and goals of the broader GOP and conservative community. They must or it dies. Focus on those pieces you believe in and put your energies into making them the best you can.
You don’t have to support the hole bill. You don’t have to like the bill’s popular provisions for the existing illegal aliens. But to undermine your allies and attack them is wrong. Oppose, do not fight to the death in a scortched earth campaign. Lose some, win some. Don’t torpedo everything. The GOP is going to be scarred for a long time if this impasse is not fixed, and soon. The bill supporters have not tried to take out any elements that they may not necessarily support or find to be workable solutions. They agreed to create common ground. That is all they can do. It is now time for the opposition to realize they have gone beyond any benefits to party and country and they must mend the rift.
There is no alternative. If the GOP is to rise again it will because diverse groups can come together and trust each other in common cause. It is a reasonable path out. Support your favorite element, tolerate those from others in the coalition. Or kiss the whole thing good-bye.
Addendum: It should be noted successful parties come together on hard issues. Parties that fail are the ones who cannot muster a consensus. Rule of life.
As for Scooter Libby. Did I not read in Robert Novak’s blog that Libby’s law firm represented Bill Clinton in the impeachemnt proceedings and that was the reason the Republicans backed off from filing criminal charge against both Bill and Hillary? If this is true, let his ass rot in jail. Not for the Valerie Plame game but for what he did to save the Clinton’s image so they coudl foist Hillary off on us as if she were a pure as the virgin snow becuasse no charges were ever filed against her. A pox on the lot of them.
Republicans appear to want to “play nice” and appease those that disagree with them.
But with Democrats, this is a take no prisoners, blood sport.
For the life of me, I just can’t understand why Republicans seem so blind to this reality.
Apache, in your Libby tack are you taking cues from the George Soros-Barack Obama Daily Instigator? The reason I ask is because I just happened to receive this:
[BEGIN EXCERPT]
In a post at the Huffington Post, liberal lawyer Robert Bauer makes “the progressive case for a Libby pardon.” What gives this story a man-bites-dog quality is that, as the Hill reports, Bauer works as chief counsel for the campaign of Barack Obama, the No. 2 Democratic candidate for president. The closest Bauer himself comes to mentioning this is a vague disclaimer: “All the views expressed in this post are those of the author and not of any client of his firm.”
The Hill reports that “Obama’s campaign said the senator would not ask for Bauer’s resignation, adding that he is ‘still our lawyer.’ “ And it’s nice of them to be so open-minded. But wait. Look at this passage from Bauer’s Huffington Post post:
To Bush’s antagonists on left, a pardon would be only another act in the conspiracy — a further cover-up, a way of getting away with it. But this is the entirely wrong way of seeing things. A pardon is just what Bush’s opponents should want.
A pardon is just what Bush’s opponents should want. A pardon brings the president into the heart of the case. It compels him to do what he has so far managed to avoid: accept in some way responsibility for the conduct of his Administration in communicating with the public about national security and in its treatment of dissent. If the pardon would be politically explosive, then this is what the administration’s critics, hungering for accountability, have been waiting for.
How cynical! And Bauer is working for a campaign that has declared a global war on cynicism. [END EXCERPT]
The Progressive Case for a Libby Pardon by Robert F. Bauer:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-bauer/the-progressive-case-for-_b_51983.html
Time after time it has been shown that when repubs stick to core conservative & traditional principles, they do well in polls and elections. That is the crux of why the GOP lost congress.
And after getting stabbed in the back by the dems, you think Bush would have learned his lesson on this, but … well, he really has tried to change the tone in Washington, but it sure hasn’t helped him with the media.
And it’s good politics. If Bush were behind legislation that focused only on border security and stopping illegals his poll numbers would go up. If Dems were to block this from being legislated, they would be in weak position with voters.
I hate to say it, but when it comes to politics, President Bush is waaaaaaaaaay out of his league against this current crop of Democrats. I admire him for doing what he thinks is the right thing. I truly do. That takes guts. It isn’t easy.
But he is going to doom the Republican party for decades to come. If you think we lost voters in 2006, just wait until 2008. It is going to be a landslide victory for Democrats. It won’t even be close.
Whereas, as you point out, if he were to just come down on the popular side of this bill, we could pick up voters. But he isn’t going to do that, and instead we will lose even more voters. Look at the Rasmussen numbers of registered Republicans vs registered Democrats. People are switching in droves!!
It really sucks to be a conservative right now. We are pretty much screwed.
MomDear, you are right on about the people who are backing this bill. When somebody makes a proposal, you can tell what effect people really think it will have by who supports it and who opposes it. This is such a strong point that a lot of people are not mentioning, on purpose. Does anyone believe that GEORGE freaking SOROS has the good of this country in mind??!!?? PULEEZE. This man has been spending billions of dollars to undermine our currency and destroy our economy. He is a mega rich hard core socialist america hating son of a bitch. When someone like that is pushing hard for a cause like this, you have to have an IQ below thirty to not see what’s going on! There are a few predictable groups who are supporting this legislation, democrat pols because they know it will destroy the GOP for years, but not so much democrat voters, they have children to provide for and political games are not funny if their family starves. Socialists are for this bill because they know we would be absorbing millions of socialists in the next few years. Some union bosses are for this bill because they think they can unionize all the new cheap labor. This one particularly cracks me up, if they think mexicans are going to pay union dues, they really do not have a grip on reality. The last group can best be described as the ignorant, and I don’t mean that as an insult, I mean that they are a conglmeration of groups of people who don’t know what the hell they are talking about and most of them won’t listen because they already have their mind made up.
Here is what I want you bill supporters to do. Simply make a statement that you are on the side of George Soros and you think that he has the countrys best interest at heart. Is that so hard? I mean, if you are for the bill, wouldn’t the statement be true?
Momdear, I can’t agree with you on Scooter Libby just because I don’t know about the law firm thing with the impeachment, but I do not like the abuse of power that the court has exercised in his case and I would rather see that despicable ASS Walton get slapped down. We cannot allow all judges to start carrying out political grudges like this which is exactly what he did.
Otherwise Mom, I still love you and want to have your baby!
MomDear: I think you’re partially right on the Libby thing; I didn’t know he/his frim represented Hillary & Bill; but I DO KNOW, that he represented Marc Rich, and is the person who got Rich is PARDON, thru Clinton!
The real reason that Fitzpatrick went after him so hard, was that Fitz was on the losing end of that debacle, Fitz fought against Libby/his firm getting Rich the pardon, and lost!
So, this was Payback for Fitz, to take down Libby.
But Fitz was till out of control, and Libby still did nothing wrong in the Plame faux-scandal; but I won’t forgive Libby for getting Rich a pardon, just as I won’t forgive Clinton for pardoning him, and I won’t forgive the Bush Administration for appointing Libby in the first place, knowing his history in the Marc Rich Scandal.
It’s just one big incestuous corrupt cesspool up there in DC, and it’s starting to make me sick to my stomach!
Let me think about this. Hmmm…..
The President has stood up against his staunchest critics to fight the global war on terrorism.
The President has stood up to 70%+ of his own Republican party to fight for the immigration bill.
The Attorney General, with the obvious blessing, if not direct guidance, of the President appointed a special prosecutor for the big leak that wasn’t really a leak case.
The President managed to get his prescription drug program passed, even though everyone knows we can’t possibly pay for it.
The public is growing seriously tired of the war in Iraq. It contributed to Republicans losing elections in 2006.
The President failed to stand up to his own party when earmarks and pork spending were getting completely out of control. All he had to do was veto it. But noooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
And now, now that his approval numbers are in the tank, and there is no apparent end to the war in Iraq, and the President is alienating even his own base, and the Democrats are all but a shoe in for 2008, and you ask me if a I think sending this one man off to prison so that the party may some how be “saved” is the right thing.
Hmmmm…………….
The answer would be a hard core He11 NO.
Ivehadit,
I will hold Malkin et al responsible. And if you want to see a backlash…just wait and see that one. That crowd will o-v-e-r.
I must say, your anger is misplaced. Michelle Malkin knows more about Aliens, Islamists, and our broken Immigration system than anyone I know. I took the time to read her book Invasion. It is one of the best, most well researched books on the subject available. Rather than be angry at someone who has done the research to back up her words, might I sugest reading her book, then honestly tell others what you thought of it. That’s what I did in 2002 when it came out.
The saying “You cant judge a book by it’s cover” (or your pre decided opinions of the author)is true. I read a lot of books, in fact, I seem to always have one to read, as soon as I finish one! I primarily read Climate Scientists Books, Immigration Books, and Islam books. Try it, then report back.
Charlotte Schools:
I must tell you about the 2007 Enrolment Breakdown:
5,222 new students this year in the Charlotte Mechlenburg Schools this year.
2,660 “Hispanic” students (OVER 50% )
1,397 “African Americans” (27%)
12% listed as “Multi-Racial”
189 “White” students (3.6)
But as the story says, this is an improvement over last year! Last year they lost 404 “White” students!
Now, I must also tell you all of our school have portable Classrooms on the lawns now.
All of our Jails are full.
Our Clinics are over crowded.
Our Taxes are going up every year.
Charlotte is crime riden, gang riden, and loosing it’s Southern Charm
Now, what has caused this mess?
Primarily, a total invasion from beyond our State, and Countries Borders. That is why many of us are very passionate about stopping the flow. I baught my house new in 1999. At the time I was in a nice area. Boy, has it changed!The majority of the stores near my house I can not even read the signs of. Why would that be? They are all in Spanish. My Phone Book now has spanish thru out too.
If I go to my localWal Mart on a weekend, I’d swear I was in Mexico. It’s 70% Mexican now. My mother lives in Central Florida, she told me her Wal Mart is the same way.
And it’s because of this rapid transformation for the worst, that so many, including me, are saying enough! It must stop, or this Country is in danger of no longer existing. It will be a hodge podge of Multicultural Groups, rather than a collection of people with a common culture, common language, and common traditions. With out that common glue to hold our society together, I fear there won’t be anything of value to pass on to the next generation.
I hope this was helpful to some. Maybe it did some good.
The President isn’t going to lift a finger to help Scooter Libby.
He is more concerned with expending what little political capital he has left trying to help people who are in our Country illegally. Scooter Libby, a loyal public servant who stood by his side through thick and thin, can just take it up the a$$ as far as he is concerned.
Talk about your misplaced priorities!!!!!!!
Like I said, it is getting more and more difficult to defend this man.
My daughter starts kindergarten this year. She is my 2nd daughter. My first daughter graduated from college in Germany this year. Yes, I divorced and re-married.
We are sending my daughter to a private school. Now, in all honesty, I wouldn’t send my children to public school just because of the anti-US bias in our school system. But, even if I were to somehow overlook that fact, I couldn’t send my kids to public school even if I wanted to. White children are picked on mercilessly in our local schools. Our next door neighbors tried to send their kids to the local public schools, but their whiteness made it unbearable for their kids. They ended up making up a BS statement to the school officials so that they could drive their kids to school out of district. So now, every day, they drive their kids to a different school district in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon, just so their kids don’t get picked at for being white.
Our neighbors across the street also have their kids in a private school. It isn’t the same school that we opted for, but it is a private school nonetheless. And they did it solely to avoid the harassment and fights that come with being a white kid in our school district.
If I go to my localWal Mart on a weekend, I’d swear I was in Mexico.
We have WinCo about 5 miles down the street that is EXACTLY the same. I have been in there when I was the only white guy in there. I joked with my wife the other day that I felt like I was entering a foreign Country. I felt like I needed to get my passport stamped at the door when entering. It is surreal.
I want to be perfectly clear, because I know that if I am not AJ, and all the other flaming loons will jump to the wrong conclusions.
I support the President’s fight on the global war on terror. I feel that it is OUR fight. It isn’t just the President’s fight, it is OUR fight. It is the Nation’s fight.
And this issue is sooooooooooooooooooo damn vital that I have overlooked a lot of other issues that I have disagreed with the President on. I have stood by his side and argued for him (and us) on this battle.
And I have done the leadership thing. I know how hard it is to be the one responsible for making the decisions. I know what it feels like to have countless people second guessing you and playing the role of arm chair quarterback. They can all go to hell in my book. They don’t have a clue what that job is like.
I have argued that in history will judge President Bush favorably. I have argued that in 50 years, after all of the emotions die down, history will prove him a wise man.
But even I, a staunch supporter, can’t pretend that what he is doing to the Republican party doesn’t matter.
If he continues on this path of alienating every living person in the United States, the Republican party will be screwed for decades. Assuming that the Democrats aren’t in power when a major terrorist strike occurs on American soil.
If the Republican party takes the fall for his actions, and it most certainly will, then all of the good he has done will be completely un-done by the Democrats. They will surrender to our enemies faster than you can say, Nancy “Let’s go to Syria” Pelosi. Faster than you can say, Harry “I never met a land deal I didn’t like” Reid. Faster than you can say, Al “let’s surrender our sovereignty to the UN” Gore. Faster than you say, Hillary “stick out your a$$ and say ouch” Clinton.
Everything that he has worked for will have been in vain. It will all be un-done by the Democrats. And then they will really screw us. They will probably throw in an extra measure just out of vindictiveness.
Imagine a purely hypothetical scenario. Let’s say you wanted to piss off as many people as possible. And you are the President of the United States.
You would have to piss off both the left and the right. No easy feat.
Now, in this imaginary scenario, pretend you are President Bush, what would you have done differently?
I put it to you that he has done the best job possible under such a hypothetical scenario. It would be impossible to piss off more people than he has.
Talk about setting up the Democrats for a landslide in 08.
As for Scooter, the president could grant respites to keep him out of jail and then pardon him just as he leaves office. This is a precedent that has gone back to George Washington.
As for the immigration bill they are going to attempt to bring it back and each side will get 10-12 amendments to be voted on and then they will see if they can gain cloture at that time. Neither Reid or McConnell can guarantee whether this will pass at this time. The guest worker expiring in 5 year amendment that was voted on before is not touchable. Also protected is the provision giving law enforcement agencies access to information provided on illegal alien applications. If it should pass the Senate with the fines provision it may have problems in the House since only the House can initiate that type of provision. It is still a longshot but hopefully they can make it a better structured bill in the long run then it is now.
Jacqui,
The amnesty-hypochondriacs could have always made the bill better by trying to make it work instead of trying to kill it. The difference is an amendment where application information is available to law enforcement (another great ammendment) versus the poison pill variety. And do not be surprised if they come back with more fixes and extend the guest worker program later. That is the difference between working together and working at odds with each other.
Some are finally getting the message. Many will never break the code.