The Republican whisper campaign to remove its own leader gets louder: Steele May Face No Confidence Vote Republican insiders tell Political Wire that a no confidence vote on RNC Chairman Michael Steele is likely to be called after the NY-20 special election on March 31 — regardless of whether Republicans win the seat or not. Katon Dawson, who came in … Read More
Quote Of The (Yester)Day
Senator William Edgar Borah (R-Idaho): “”I should like to see the Republican Party reorganized. … I don’t think there is any room in this country for an old conservative party. . . . Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were liberal leaders. It doesn’t take long to shake off what you call conservatism. . . . There was a vast amount … Read More
Boehner’s Take
Today, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has a Washington Post op-ed entitled "Democrats' Diversionary Tactics": In the first two months of 2009, the Democratic Congress and the White House have spent more money than the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the response to Hurricane Katrina. After they doled out taxpayer dollars at such a blistering pace, … Read More
Rush Is Still Topic #1
Everyone is giving their two cents. I guess it doesn't matter what people say, because as long as Rush occupies the center stage as the de facto leader of the GOP, the worse off it is for the GOP. You can peruse the links (from Memeorandum) below, but the general landscape is this: The Republicans are divided about whether to … Read More
The Right’s Rush Problem
Former Bush speechwriter David Frum weighs in, anti-Rush: Here’s Rahm Emanuel on Face the Nation yesterday: “the voice and the intellectual force and energy behind the Republican party.” What a great endorsement for Rush! (And we know Rush is fond of compliments – listen to his loving account in his CPAC speech of the birthday lunch given him by President … Read More
An Open Letter To The GOP
Stop it. Stop it now. It's uncomfortable to look at. Stop trying to be cool. Stop trying to be "hip". Stop with "the Twittering". Don't try to convince us that the Republican Party is "off the hook". Don't look at the RNC chairman (an African-American) and shout, "You be da man!". Don't be sending some "slum love" to Republican governor … Read More
Why The GOP Is Still Lost In The Woods
Daniel Larison: It seems to me that conservatives and Republicans have assumed the GOP is the natural governing party, at least regarding the Presidency and to some extent as it relates to Congress since ‘94, which is why so many have continued to insist that America is a “center-right nation” in face of mounting evidence that it is not and … Read More
Rebranding The GOP (“You Down With GOP? Yeah, You Know Me!”)
This should be amusing. Washington Times: Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.” The RNC's first black chairman will “surprise everyone” when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, … Read More
Two Americas (What Digby Said)
I was going to blog about this, but Digby beat me to it, so I'll just pilfer her post: If you get a chance to see the HBO Alexandra Pelosi documentary about the McCain campaign called Right America: Feeling Wronged, do it. If you ever doubted that this is actually two countries, and that there is a very real divide … Read More
The Partisans Cometh
A PLAY IN THREE ACTS ACT I (Scene: A House) Obama: Hey guys, we could really use your input on this stimulus bill. Republicans: Go jump in a lake, Messiah! Pelosi: This isn’t about party, it’s about people. Republicans: Did you guys hear something? A cackling noise? ACT II (Scene: A Senate) Reid: We’ve got 3 votes! Can I get … Read More
Idiot Elected Leaders
From Columbus Dispatch: U.S. Rep. Steve Austria said he supports a scaled-down federal economic-stimulus proposal, but the Beavercreek Republican told The Dispatch editorial board that the huge influx of money into the economy could have a negative effect. "When (President Franklin) Roosevelt did this, he put our country into a Great Depression," Austria said. "He tried to borrow and spend, … Read More
Why Is The GOP Smiling? (Or “The Audacity of Nope”)
To read today's Washington Post, you would get the impression that Republicans are happy with their opposition to the stimulus bill. By fighting the popular Obama, the article suggests that the GOP is beginning its road to a comeback: After giving the package zero votes in the House, and with their counterparts in the Senate likely to provide in a … Read More
RNC Leader Follies
I love the little news scrolls coming across my desk today, as the Republican National Committee seeks to elect a new chairman — the guy who will lead the Republican Party. The first ballot had Mike Duncan in the lead. Mike Duncan has been the head of the RNC, which mounted massive losses in Congress in the 2006 and 2008 … Read More
Chart Of The Day
Just who is Republican nowadays? Not many: Gallup concludes that there are only five solid Republican states — representing a grand total of 2% of the population — left in the entire country. Full report here.
The Beast’s List of The 50 Most Loathesome People of 2008
Naturally, they are mostly politicians and pundits, but the Freecreditreport.com guy makes an appearance at 40 (while "you" are at 43). Obama is No. 50. (Other Dems and liberals are on the list, including the Clintons, Olbermann, Caroline Kennedy, and John Edwards). I'll save the suspense — Sarah Palin is #1, who got this scathing write-up: If you want to … Read More