Welcome to the Democrat Party’s civil war
Welcome to the Democrat Party’s civil war
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009
Seems like only yesterday the Washington establishment had proclaimed the Death of the GOP. Pundits churned out public autopsy reports faster than the L.A. County Medical Examiner. Liberals gloated over the supposedly irreparable fissures between right-wing populists and Beltway Republican elites. Conservatism, we were told, was suffering brain death and heart failure. My, how quickly things – ahem — change.
Social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, the GOP leadership, Sarah Palin’s heartland supporters, conservative think-tank intellectuals, D.C. and Manhattan conservatives, Big Business and small-business conservatives, Joe the Plumber conservatives, and every stripe and flavor of conservative in between are all united against the Democrats’ proposed government takeover of health care. All.
It’s the Left, not the Right, cracking up. It’s the party donkey, not the elephant, now in a rabies-crazed frenzy. Funny, though, how internecine rancor on the Right always puts conservatism in its last, final, permanent death throes (again and again), but internecine warfare on the Left is merely a matter of healthy, principled disagreement.
Former Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean went on the “YEARRGGH!”-path again – dressed in Tea Party-esque drag – and exhorted the majority to “Kill the Bill” and start over with a public option. White House senior adviser David Axelrod – echoing criticism of Dean more commonly heard on the Right – promptly pronounced the Vermont liberal’s rantings “insane.” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs dismissed Dean as irrational. And this was just the left-wing Punch and Judy show preview.
“Progressive” blogger and Hollywood producer Jane Hamsher declared war on Sen. Joe Lieberman’s wife, Haddasah, to punish him for his opposition to Harry Reid’s massive Medicare expansion “buy-in” plan. Best known for disseminating an online image of Sen. Lieberman in blackface to support failed liberal challenger Ned Lamont in 2006 and for issuing a death threat to conservative author Kate O’Beirne (“the b*tch is dead meat”), Hamsher demanded that the Susan G, Komen breast cancer foundation fire Mrs. Lieberman from her role as a “global ambassador.”
“Progressive” documentarian Michael Moore one-upped Hamsher’s attack by threatening to boycott the entire state of Connecticut until it started a recall of Lieberman: “People of Connecticut: What have u done 2 this country? We hold u responsible. Start recall of Lieberman 2day or we’ll boycott your state,” Moore wrote on his Twitter account. Recalls, alas, are unconstitutional in Connecticut. Not that “progressives” would ever let any state or federal constitution get in the way of a bloody ideological vendetta.
Obama’s BFF and most frequent visitor, SEIU president Andy Stern, threw the president’s own words back at him in a cri de couer to Big Labor’s brothers and sisters: “President Obama must remember his own words from the campaign. His call of ‘Yes We Can’ was not just to us, not just to the millions of people who voted for him, but to himself.” And moving toward the middle, moderate Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson is having his own Joe Wilson moment. On Thursday, he announced he couldn’t support his colleagues’ abortion language “compromise,” which he said failed to restrict government funding for abortion services.
Meanwhile, House Democrats are blaming Senate Democrats and the White House for the legislative meltdown. The Nobel Peace Prize winner-in-chief himself has come under fire. Democrat Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin carped that “the Obama administration is sitting on the sidelines.” Democrat Rep. John Conyers of Michigan accused the White House of selling out to the insurance industry.
It all feels very 1990s – the period between 1992 and 1994, specifically – when liberals smugly declared the premature death of the GOP only to be walloped by the midterm conservative backlash. The ruling majority got greedy, overreached, and lost touch with average Americans. With the support of the public, Republicans united to slay Bill Clinton’s stimulus monstrosity and Hillary Clinton’s health care monstrosity. And the core differences between the parties could not have been clearer.
Then, as now, GOP strategists flirted with hapless “re-branding” programs in the wake of failed presidential campaigns. They bought into the public autopsy reports of their friends in New York City media green rooms and Georgetown parlors.
Then, as now, it took a grass-roots conservative groundswell to remind the Beltway bubble boys and girls that adhering to core fiscal conservative principles — lower taxes, less government more freedom – held the key to party unification and opened the door back to power.
And then, as now, conservative talk radio helped galvanize the revolt against a Democrat-spearheaded attempt at a government health care takeover. Local Seattle talk show host Kirby Wilbur’s huge protest against Hillary Clinton’s visit in July 1994 was the turning point. National media outlets could not ignore the public booing of the First Lady in the liberal Emerald City and the legislative doom it portended.
One major difference now is the vast proliferation of alternative media – through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and Fox News – that has facilitated the spread of information about Democrats’ big government designs and given rise to Tea Party activism. The Right’s ability to change the narrative is greater than ever. The Democrat crack-up reminds us that there are no fait accomplis in politics. Political coroners, take heed.
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Popcorn ready. This is political theater at its best!
Bless Kirby Wilbur and his 11 simple rules.
If the dems had ANY honor it would be pistols at dawn. Being what they are, I hope there are no survivors of Donkeycide ’09
We know a war against freedom when we see it.
watching this crap on christmas eve…PRICELESS.
What is truly terrifying is that the crazies (which are legion) are wanting the Democrat Party to be even MORE radical than they already are. Is it even possible in a representative democracy? Maybe that’s the point with these people. They yearn for a Green Maoist/Gaia society.
Great column, Michelle. Another point, it’s remarkable the similarities in tactics by the climate proponents to stifle debate and the Democrats who have blasted any Democrat who have wandered from the health care debate plantation.
Pass the popcorn please
Now we wait for Howard Dean’s head to explode.
Demolitionrats.
HOLY MOLEY!!! This is the DEMOCRAT PARTY that I know and love… They eat their young… If they formed a firing squad, it would be a circle… Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory… Man, I could go on and on and on… They have always, and will continue to SELF DESTRUCT!!!
OBAMA THREAT TO CONGRESSMAN: ‘Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother’…
Pistols, swords, fists–enjoy!
Egads. This is like e real-life horror flick. Wake me up please.
We need immediate Constitutional reform to break the back of this uncontrollable central government and the ability of America’s domestic enemies to to mount the kinds of socio-economic attacks we have seen of late. Reinforcing the rule of constitutional law is the only way to restore a stable republic. In the meantime maybe the Left can spontaneously generate a political cancer that will kill or cripple the Democrat Party. One can only hope.
Didn’t that already happen? Or maybe it was just his brain that exploded, leaving the head alone and empty. Howard Dean is trying to derail the bill, but only because it is not communistic enough. He ranks right up there in my opinion with ManBearPig as one of the all-time worst traitors of this country. And that is saying a lot, since there are so many to choose from!
In the end the Left considers us a bigger enemy than Al Queada. They will not fracture when it comes to opposing us.
If you think they will you have no understanding of what these people are like.
Although I very much hope we can avert a violent civil war, history indicates that very seldom freedom is restored without the cost of bloodshed.
I fear for this country.
If the Republican Party is smart, it will adopt the ideals of the Tea Party movement as its platform. If they do this, they will win landslides in 2010 and save the party from extinction.
If they do not, they will fail to capitalize on a situation that would have been the first step in ensuring their long-term survival.
We shall see!
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
It has one, and it’s called Leadership:
POTUS
FLOTUS
Vice-POTUS
Whitehouse Officials
Senate Leader
Speaker of the House
Cabinet Members
Committee Leaders
Leftist Judges
MSM
It’s no longer about dems vs reps. The majority of American voters have reassembled within the Tea Party movement as the majority coalition. In a two-party system, it doesn’t make sense that the only two electoral college parties are 2nd and 3rd in size and popularity to the majority coalition.
In a post-partisan America where the economy is being destroyed with toxic derivative investment vehicles, it is perfectly appropriate that our political system that created this impossibly corrupt system is being down by a derivative political coalition.
Why don’t we drop the derivative crap and go back to investing directly in stocks and bonds and while we’re at it, let’s create a new party that doesn’t hide behind the mask of “comity” in waging it’s war with us “divisive” citizens.
That’s another issue raising its ugly head. MSM is busy casting the Tea Party movement as a 3rd party upstart, in order to get as many as possible to go along with the concept, and therefore secure Democrats in power FOREVER.
The Republican party needs to be corrected, not splintered into another impotent movement.
This is a very well-written column.
Agreed.
Let’s not fall for the “lesser of two evils” argument again. We just took down the corrupt GOP and are near taking down the corrupt Dems. Let’s not screw this up again. Right now, the RNC is lining up a lame Tim Pawlenty vs former Al Gore Texas campaign manager Rick Perry battle for the GOP nomination. If we again get lulled into foolish forgetfulness, you RINOs will be at war against us Tea Party people again.
The current cram down tactics didn’t start with Obama. It started with Bush/McCain/Kennedy. Let’s stay focused. The one-party system is at war with American citizens. We have knee-capped both parties’ attempts now let’s finish the job. Either we purge and take over the GOP to rebuild it or we form a new party. Let’s use our majority constructively.
We has a splintered Republican party once. Remember Ross Perot? It gave Clinton 8 years as President.
Take control of what already exists, unless you want 100 years of misery.
The dem’s shooting themselves in the foot is good.
But, if RINO’s are still in control of Republicans, then we won’t be able to take advantage of it properly.
We have time to find good conservative GOP candidates. The election isn’t until 2012. Tim Pawlenty and Rick Perry are just testing the waters. We and the Tea Party have a huge voice now and the GOP will be forced to listen! I feel we can find good conservative candidates to run for GOP nomination. Third party spin-off will KILL us!! You have to know that!! Think!!
I voted for Ross Perot and we ended up with a balanced budget. You RINOs just can’t work the brain wiring to comprehend this but the Clinton presidency fulfilled the Reagan agenda. Yeah, hard to wrap fatally partisan minds around isn’t it? Perot got us temporarily back on track. Deal with it.
That is EXACTLY what I’m talking about. You are arguing against 3rd parties but yet insist that salvation is to vote for that 3rd party GOP! THINK!!!! Read what I wrote! Follow my logic! Let go of your GOP security blanket already!
What does it take for you RINOs? Just cast your automatic Republican votes and let the thinking adults do the talking.
I can appreciate your comments, find it quite enjoyable watching the left eat their own. I have a concern, not about your comment but the article in “The Hill”.
“His populism has played well back home. DeFazio won his 2008 election with 82 percent of the vote, even though his district isn’t overwhelmingly Democratic. Obama won it by 11 percentage points, but President George W. Bush won nearly as many votes as Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004.” what a farce, being a resident of the county(Lane) which is a county he represents, is not known as being “The People’s Republic on the Willamette” for no reason. This areas is as blue as it gets, I live here, I see it. The entire city, county governments lean strongly to the left. It’s a left wing college town.
Is enjoyable watching the left beat up it’s own.
Popcorn anyone, drinks?
Phil…how much good will it do to vote third party, split the vote, and end up with Obama again? Seriously…the harm he is doing to this country MUST.BE.STOPPED! We can’t stop him if we split the vote! I totally disagree with you on this one. And so does Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and most of the other major conservative voices out there. Why do you think that is? Are you really smarter than them?
Here’s a poll from yesterday underscoring the plight of the Democrats’ free-fall. Now here’s the money quote:
In other words, we Tea Party people are winning. Most Americans, excluding the few remaining die-hard RINOs and uber-leftists, have given up on BOTH parties.
The GOP kicked us conservatives off of the Titanic in 2006 and have been in a death spiral ever since. Now the Dems are promoting one suicide pact after another on their own Titanic.
That’s why Tea Party has rendered the Dems and Reps to 2nd and 3rd party status. Let’s win this thing.
The Democrat Party is also home for some of the most fervent antiIsrael figures in the US. Jesse Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, John Conyers, US Representative James Moran, Rashid Khalidi, James Zogby and countless others. In fact, the Democrat Party is in many ways the home of every left of center antiSemite. It is sad that this nasty fact of life is overlooked by so many. It is not an accident that so many on the Democrat left always and inevitably mention that Joe Lieberman is Jewish. That may explain the leftwing absolute obsession with destroying Joe Lieberman. Even the New Republic, which should know better, just published an assault on Joe Lieberman and mentioned that he was Jewish in the first paragraph. I wonder when the last time the NR or other liberal publications mentioned that Joe Biden is an Episcopalean.
Good luck doing that. Remember NY-23. It’s not just the RNC. The state RC’s are infested with Beltway minded RINO’s who will sacrifice the platform for a win.
I am DONE with that. If you cannot support the platform, leave. Done with Steele, McCain, Grahamnesty, Snow, Crist, Pawlenty, etc. etc. etc.
I am a Conservative. I am voting for the most conservative candidate in any election…… period. The RINO majority was only markedly better than the current one.
I’m done with them.
We can’t survive, as a Republican form of Democracy with a free market system, under the rule of law, 8 years of President Obama.
We;ll go the way of the UK, a nanny state slipping ever deeper in standard of living and personal liberty. More likely, Zimbabwe.
Don’t have time to wait on a viable third party. Need to purge the RINOs from the party. That starts in the primaries.
Donate to people like Rubio over the pansy RINO Crist.
I already have.
Well, I am still praying that the GOP puts forth good conservative candidates so we don’t have to splinter the party. I think we are heading for disaster if we do that. The GOP is starting to get the message. Keep after them. Then, if they refuse to listen, dump them. But give them a chance to get back to the conservative roots. They just might!
This is why the GOP leadership will never reform itself. They enjoy the company of their rich liberal friends but they differ only in that they posess some genteel conservative sensibilities. They do not , however, seem to posess any core conservative principles. Therein lies the problem. How do you replace a quiche-eating cabal with genuine conservatives? Not sure if it is possible yet constant pressure is vital.
The third party idea is fine in principal but before it could ever gain traction and start to make changes the country would be years into a gray gulag nightmare. The representative democracy we knew as America would be long gone. You might be able to kill the anaconda but the goat would still be dead.Too little too late.
Right – we need look no further than the ’92 election to verify that! Not only did Perot send Clinton & co. to the WH, he more than likely helped increase Democrat majorities in both Houses.
With 2010 so close, we can’t even afford to rehash all this third party talk and risk giving Pelosi the Speakership for another round of out of control spending, taxation and job loss!
Happy, they have more than had their chance. Too late. They lose.
Fantastic work, Michelle! You must be a riot at family gatherings!
OT
WINTER HELL STORM TO CRIPPLR WASHINGTON DC?
It seems to me the Go Third Party strategy and the Reform The R Party strategy are not mutually exclusive.
The threat of the rise of a third party is necessary to reform the R party. The threat is berserker-suicidal, but it must be believed to be a real threat by the R party elites or it will probably not work.
Meanwhile, the debate is irrelevant until Congress has been torn from the hands of Pelosi and Reid and their ilk. A conservative Presidency will be meaningless if we still have a Pelosi Congress and an horrific Obama legacy that must be undone.
So we fight for Rubio and DeVore and so on. There will be plenty of time after 2010 to fight over the Presidency.
Do you have evidence of this?
Going home the other night Steele was on with Hannity – he certainly didn’t indicate getting any of it.
Oops! even = ever
I don’t usually drink. But on election night 2010, I’m going to have a shot of Bushmill’s when Bret Hume announces Harry Reid is gone. I’ll finish whole bottle if he announces Pelosi has been beaten.
The R Party will be reformed by nominating and electing conservatives, not by convincing the current crowd at the RNC.
Coburn for president.
OT, but it looks like the Iranians have made a move toward Iraq and taken control of an oil well. Geee, if I didn’t know better, I’d say Carter was the President. Dejevu
Misscheryl said:
Our dear leader will flap and squawk and try extra hard to look serious as the reality sets in that he is way over his head and pay grade and will not know how to deal with this besides hold a conference.
NRO Tweet tracker: Reid to unveil latest version of Obamacare tomorrow (assuming anyone can get to the Senate in a snowstorm).
W/ prominent places at the table for both ACORN and SEIU -
This civil war started by Democrats growing the government, growing the deficit, and mismanaging the economy – IOW, acting just like Democrats!
ditto
Great piece, Michelle!
Thus, so will we.
Wake up Marxists in DC. God is trying to tell you something. Next time, He won’t be so nice.
That the donks are having a “civil war” is good news… but the elections in 2010 and 2012 will turn on whether the conservatives squander the opportunity presented by having one of their own.
The onus is on the Republican Party to get out in front of the “tea party” movement, and on said movement to keep the pressure on the Republican Party leadership to fix its compass.
If the tea partiers use their influence to correct the Republicans, that would be a tremendous service in two ways:
1. We’d maximize the damage that can be done to the Domestic Enemy (a.k.a., the donkey party); and
2. We’d be less likely to see a return of George Bush-style “compassionate conservatism” – which amounts to little more than donk-lite.
On the other hand, if the tea partiers overestimate their influence and capabilities and fall for the third party delusion, then they will do great harm not just to the Republicans but to the country as well.
Hope-a-Dope is on the expressway to a one-term administration. The donks are cruising toward a massive bruising in Congress. About the only real way that we could snatch defeat from victory is to fracture ourselves.
The “tea party” is a great cattle prod, but not a substitute for a political party. It doesn’t have the money, it doesn’t have the time to get organized, and those who may be called its “leadership caste” aren’t interested in running for office (I’m talkin’ to you, Michelle).
Rest assured that in 2010 and 2012 the moonbat crowd that comprises the donk base will close ranks in their hatred, run against George Bush again, and with their allies come up with about 45% of the vote. Not enough to cling to power — unless the other 55% splits.
If they keep a sense of perspective and a touch of humility, the tea partiers can help to show the donks to the door and to usher in a more responsible, and responsive, Republican Party.
If, on the other hand, they get delusions of grandeur, then they can serve as Kingmakers for donkey rule by plurality — and share the responsibility for all the evils that would flow therefrom.
A great big BINGO!!
Michelle,
Just a heads up. Kirby Wilbur is no longer with KVI as they decided not to renew his contract. It is a huge loss to all of us here in the Pacific NW. He was a great host and a great man. I got to know him over the years and he never wavered on his Conservatism. He will be sorely missed.
And tomorrow, the sun will rise, and with it some responsibilities will return, some will continue and some will be created.
If you have any doubt that many global warming extremists are self-proclaimed communists and socialists – CLICK HERE for an AFP video showing these extremists marching through the streets of Copenhagen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNQqUACJ_Kw
Just goes to show the absolute stupidity of the Watermelons. Glorifying a dis-credited ideology while freezing in sub-zero temperatures protesting global warming. The only thing I see here is what happens when a watermelon freezes – I have always been curious about that.
I dont understand something, and perhaps someone can enlighten me. Aren’t the dems one democrat (Ben Nelson) away from passing this crap in the Senate? If so, then all this rancor (and there is rancor) in the dem party doesnt sound like it is going to prevent Senate passage.
Also I agree that there is the possibility of a conservative tsunami in the next election, but if this legislation passes, it will be hard to take back. The Dem party is like a suicide bomber, willing to kill itself in the next election(s), as long as it takes us all with them.
Slightly off topic, from Tim Phillips:
oops, sorry. double entry.
More damage than the R’s would do by themselves? I rather much doubt that. Think NY23.
Responding to Cap and Trade with their own illegal plan is not demonstrative of “getting the message”. Neither is their response to ObamaCare. Saying no to an idea just to replace it with a similar idea is not “getting the message”.
Instead of presenting their own similar plans, they should be standing firm on the Constitution and the ideals of the Founding Fathers.
This platform will suit any faction that “gets the message” just fine. Should the Republicans embrace it, they will win me back. If they don’t, you can bet I will be following whomever does.
Quite frankly, the demise of the Republican Party DOES NOT guarantee 8 years of Obama. It simply guarantees that Republicans won’t be taking his place. With the Tea Party movement gaining such momentum at this rate, it will easily defeat both the Republicans and the Democrats – and this is very likely to happen in plenty of time to waste Obama in 2012.
If the Republicans want to survive, they will have to embrace Tea Party ideals, or end up on the scrap heap of history.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
War in the democratic party? forget the pistols and swords, I doubt the cowards oould come up with wet noodles at noon.
Ms. Malkin, with all due respect, that headline is beneath you.
You really think Reagan would have “balanced” the federal budget by devastating the military and raising taxes? I don’t.
I do not want permanent Democrat control, especially after 11 months of Obama….and I won’t be doing anything that might help that happen…sorry.
I don’t want Republican control either. I want the constitution back in the drivers seat. There are probably less than dozen R’s that would even reach 75% conservative voting threshold (as in – in line with the constitution). Think McCain, Graham Snowe, Collins, just to get started. I’ll pass.
If the R’s get conservative candidates, I’ll vote for them. If they put forth “a little bit less socialistic” than the D’s, I won’t vote for that.
What if you could have permanent, or a least near permanent conservative Republican control, would that work? I don’t want a bunch of RINOS either, but I really don’t want the kind of socialist/marxist/communist who are now in power. We might recover from RINO damage, but another 3 years of what we have now we may never be able to undo.
Liberal champion Lanny Davis does not agree. How about a “firing squad”?:
I wish I knew what this meant. I think it’s a beer ad.
The greatest power the President alone has is the power of saying ‘No’. It matters not who controls Congress – they all go there to spend, spend, spend. We need a President who will say no to this impulse, no to logrolling, no to omnibus spending bills, no to earmarks, no to usurpation of rights held by the States and the People. By saying ‘No’ to Congress, a President can affirm the tenets of the Constitution. This is who we need – someone who understands the power of a ‘No’ under the U.S. Constitution.
And someone strong enough to withstand the media onslaught from the mainstream media-democrat complex that will hail down after each ‘No’.
If the GOP were to take the House in ’10, what are the odds they won’t keep the same sort in charge *cough*boehner*cough* and blow it again?
Have some popcorn, give yourself a night off and then pay attention.
The “Night of the Living Dems” is not over. **IF** the RNC can ditch Romney, McCain etc and get some bonafide CONSERVATIVES and they win and they live up to the talk, then perhaps the conservative majority can have some peace and the country can be saved.
it is not enough to win, it must be overwhelming!
I love Moore’s threat to boycott Connecticut if they don’t recall Lieberman. Despite the legal or legislative ability to do that, CT is so deep blue that all they will be doing is boycotting themselves.
Maybe CT can boycott MA and buy their own more expensive gasoline. Maybe New Yorkers can boycott MA and stop driving the price of real estate up.
Where does it end? LOLOL!
legal or legislative INABILITY to do that.
Mea culpa.
I’m with you….Marine_NCO. We must get active, get involved, and put up a fight, right in our own neighborhood. The conservative CHANGE must be promoted everywhere and it is not enough to win, it must be an overwhelming roar from the American public that enough is enough with Republican and Dem corruption. You probably know, more than anyone, that we may not win every battle, but we must win the war. I cannot hope that every single incumbent would be unseated, but I can dream.