DLTDHYOTWO: Bob Bennett gets the boot. And next…
I’ve said it before and it bears repeating even louder: Entrenched incumbency is not an argument for more entrenched incumbency.
Conservatives in Utah sent that message loud in clear this weekend in ousting entrenched GOP incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett, who begged and pleaded furiously to save his hide in the weeks leading up to the state Republican convention. All together now: Don’t Let The Door Hit You on the Way Out!
Utah Sen. Bob Bennett lost his bid to be nominated for a fourth term Saturday, defeated at the state Republican Party convention amid a strong conservative sentiment that threatens to unseat other establishment-backed Republicans in the months to come.
Bennett, who had spent the past two decades as a respected insider in the Senate, came under fire in recent months for what some claimed were his insufficient conservative bona fides.
Bennett’s critics cited his vote for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) as well as his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee — both symbols, conservatives said, of his lack of commitment to shrinking the size of government.
While state Republicans had expressed uneasiness with Bennett, it was the DC-based Club for Growth that helped crystallize that opposition. The Club spent more than $200,000 on a combination of television ads, direct mail pieces and phone calls designed to influence the 3,500 (or so) delegates who attended Saturday’s state convention.
Under convention rules, all eight candidates appeared on the first ballot. The top three — attorney Mike Lee, former Congressional candidate Tim Bridgewater and Bennett (in that order) advanced to the second round of balloting.
Bennett was defeated there as Lee, a former counsel to popular former Gov. Jon Huntsman, and Bridgewater, who had lost two races against Rep. Jim Matheson (D), advanced to the final ballot.
The writing was on the wall back in April 2009, when I reported on the grass-roots taxpayer revolt against big-government Republicans:
Multi-millionaire jet-setter Nancy Pelosi scoffed that the Tax Day Tea Party movement was nothing more than “Astroturf” politics to protect the “wealthiest people” in America. Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky called the peaceable assemblies “despicable.” Other bitter, clingy Tea Party-bashers grumbled that activists only showed up where Fox News cameras were. But tens of thousands more came out in rain, snow, and cold – in Bozeman, Montana; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Carson City, Nevada; White Plains, New York; Bend, Oregon; Lansing, Michigan; Hilo, Hawaii; Nashville, TN; and everywhere in between — with no media personalities or celebrities in sight.
If only the condescending cable TV anchors at CNN and MSNBC had paused from wallowing in gutter puns about tea bags, they might have reported an even more significant phenomenon: Tea Party protesters were as vocal in their criticism of Republicans as they were of Democrats. In Salt Lake City, Utah, a crowd of 2,000 repeatedly booed GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, who both supported the $700 billion TARP bailout, and protested GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman’s decision to accept $1.6 billion in porky stimulus funds.
In Sacramento, Tea Party organizer Mark Meckler singled out California GOP chair Ron Nehring for waffling on proposed $16 billion tax hikes. The crowd of 5,000 greeted Nehring – who unsuccessfully tried to hitch his wagon to the Tea Party movement – with a roar of boos and catcalls. Speaker after speaker lambasted Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for abandoning fiscal conservative principles. The loudest chant of the day: “Throw them out.”
In Madison, Wisconsin, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan – hyped as a conservative “rockstar” – was well-received. But I heard from staunch fiscal conservative constituents who refused to be silent about Ryan’s complicity. He gave one of the most hysterical speeches in the rush to pass TARP last fall; voted for the auto bailout; and voted with the Barney Frank/Nancy Pelosi AIG bonus-bashing stampede. Milwaukee blogger Nick Schweitzer wrote: “He ought to be apologizing for his previous votes, not pretending he was being responsible the entire time, but I don’t see one bit of regret for what he did previously. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him get away with it.”
Other Tea Party participants pointed out that Newt Gingrich, who jumped aboard the bandwagon, flip-flopped on TARP in the space of a week last September and made common cause with Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi in ads calling for immediate action on “climate change.”
Before the grass-roots Tea Party movement took them by surprise, Beltway GOP strategists argued fervently that the party’s traditional focus on taxes and spending had become outdated. The re-branders pitched their own expansive ideas to replace the anti-tax-and-spend agenda and inspire new voters. These included Gingrich’s “green conservatism,” David Frum’s proposal to raise carbon taxes, and open-borders Republicans’ plans for alternative forms of amnesty. Newsflash: Eco-zealotry and in-state tuition discounts for illegal aliens didn’t bring out thousands of first-time activists on the streets. Stay-at-home moms weren’t up all night making signs that read “Tax me more, please!”
What resonated on Tax Day were non-partisan calls to roll back pork, hold the line on taxing and spending, end the endless government bailouts, and stop the congressional steamrollers who have pushed through mountains of legislation without deliberation. This is a teachable moment for GOP public relations peddlers in Washington. While they search for the Holy Grail of Re-branding in tony salons and country club conferences, the agenda for 2010 is smacking them in the face. It’s the three T’s, stupid: Too Many Taxes, Trillions in Debt, and Transparency.
The GOP path to reclaiming power lies with candidates who can make a credible case that they will support and defend fiscal responsibility. That means acting on fiscal conservative principles now, not paying lip service later. The reckonable forces of the Tea Party movement didn’t let opportunists escape accountability on Tax Day. The GOP shouldn’t assume they’ll get a pass on Election Day, either.
As one of the most popular Tea Party signs read: “You can’t fix stupid, but you can vote it out.”
Sunlight is the best disinfectant, but the ballot box is the ultimate political sanitizer.
Conservatives are cleaning the GOP House. Bennett’s entrenched big-government Republican colleagues should take note — and prepare to start packing.
Previous: John S. McCain, will you please go now?
Related from Erick Erickson at RedState: The Great Disentangling Has Begun: What Bob Bennett’s Defeat Means and Does Not
***
Meghan McCain tries to paint the Bennett defeat as a sign of “extremism” and “hate.” That’s how the McCain family will try to console itself when Arizona finally decides to do to entrenched McCain what Utah just did to his pal.
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Categories: GOP,John McCain,Tea Party
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Good. Anyone claiming to be a “moderate” Republican is not a Republican at all.
Come November, we need to be rid of the Grahams and McCains.
i love the lefty meme on this …
“Even Republicans are not safe from crazy teabaggers!”
yeah, if they voted for Oboobicare, etc..
plenty of others are safe..
Great news. Conservatives need to recapture a major political party, not start a new minor one.
I think this scares the crap out of liberals more than anything. By holding true to the principles of holding any politician acountable for their fiscally irresponsible votes it defeats the liberal mantra that this is just an astroturf movement sponsored by the GOP.
If only that could have happened to Crist, who is still bitterly clinging to his hopes of a Senate seat. An op-ed in the Sun Slantinel was lauding Crist for his ‘courage’ in going the Independent route. The rank opportunism of these entrenched politicians disgusts me.
Saw an ad last week, obviously paid for by the teacher’s union. It showed children and teachers all thanking Crist for his veto against the bill he was originally for. That was his 30 pieces of silver.
flmom,
I hope that crist does not win. It is hard to believe crist can be in the lead at this point! If I lived in FL we would vote for Marco.
L
Bennett is so toxic that even Sarah Palin didn’t risk endorsing him. There is only so much she can do to repay her GOP establishment friends. She is already doing her best to make sure CA remains uncontaminated of conservatives like the very viable (leading in the polls) Chuck DeVore.
And then there is her best bud McCain.
Meghan who? Hopefully we can ask that about her dad after November.
Too bad the TEA isn’t strong enough here in Delaware to bounce Rep Mike Castle (RINO-DE) from the Senate race to replace Biden-prosthesis Ted Kaufman.
McCain & Graham lead a long list of RINOs that really need to be turned out in the primaries. Add to that list our 2 RINOs Corker & Alexander. A primary defeat sends the Conservative message loud and clear. Keep it up Conservative Voters.
Its a good sign when real conservatives take back a state Republican Party.
May they succeed in many more states.
If Delaware is like Massachusetts, a squishy centrist Republican may be the best they can do. A real Republican may not be able to win in Delaware, and I say, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Now, the states that gave us DeMint and Kyl, not 100% perfect but pretty darn good, there, I expect better than Graham and McCain…
Bennett is also bitterly clinging to his seat. Last I heard, he is going to run as an independent. I saw him the other day, almost crying because he lost. What is with these people??? He is 76 years old, served three terms after promising to only serve two, now he won’t let go, and instead decided to split the republican vote and maybe give the election to a liberal. Someone needs to set this guy straight. Buy him a fishing pole and send him up to the lake.
And yet the leftist media still can’t allow itself to this.
Oh, and Graham is NOT a RINO. He is a liberal progressive democrat pretending to be a Republican. I don’t know why. He should just change parties and get it over with. I loathe him. He wants crap and tax so bad he is drooling. What a moron.
Oops! …to [see] this…
Two words that should never be used in the same sentence are: career and congress. That and restrict lobbyists to the lobby (no privacy, no backroom deals, everything in the open)could go along ways toward the Tea Party goals.
As for my Governor Crist pandering to the teachers union by vetoing the education bill; what if he proposed bringing it back with a provision for corporal punishment included? Who would that would pander to?
The polls are showing Crist leading Rubio by 4 points right now, but we still have about 3 months before the election. Seems Crist syphoned off those Dems who were lukewarm about Meeks.
Bennett to me shows that exposure to Washington D.C. is similar to long term exposure to mercury. If you stay in the environment long enough it just builds up in your body over time until you are poisoned.
The only cure is to end your exposure to it, before it kills you.
The voters feel as if these elected will not listen to them on very important issues that are cratering our Republic. We phone, fax, email, and write letters stating our views. They do not care one flit! All that matters to them is to get money and votes from people when it is time for elections. I just pray come Nov. we can make a difference to try and stop this maddness in dc!
L
The Utah convention was not a gathering of extremists and haters. These folks were your suburban and rural neighbors, the “fly-over” folks and tea party enthusiasts. They were highly motivated by their desire to return our government to the principles in the constitution.
Bennett was stunned. Hatch looked shell-shocked. They don’t get it, they have no understanding of what happened. Many of Bennett’s delegates left the convention once he was out, rather than take the opportunity to vote their conscience in subsequent rounds of voting. Chris Cannon, who we threw out in favor of real conservative Jason Chaffetz, actually said to a reporter that the people were showing their ignorance. These RINOs just don’t get it! It’s not a take-over or coup in the GOP, it’s a house-cleaning!
November is going to be SO interesting…
These entrenched incumbants would rather fish in Washington, much fatter fish and they jump right in your boat. Don’t even have to work up a sweat to get them.
As much as I disagree w/ many of his decisions, Lindsey Graham has a tough election row to hoe and I find it difficult to blame him for putting on the RINO suit from time to time; if he didn’t, his state’s registered Democrats could easily place it in the “D” column and the GOP would have a mighty hard time getting it back.
It will be interesting to see how this might change Hatch’s questioning, statements, and vote for Elena Kagan.
On your knees you scurvy knave!
BTW, I just read Meghan McCain’s post. She evidently has little knowledge of the past political history or current political events of this nation (or others, for example Venezuela).
Asking for cuts in government size/scope and Constitutional government is NOT extremism. Being angry about proposed “fundamental transformation” to our economy and government is not hate. Dissent IS patriotic.
As for “indifference” being the opposite of love, RINO/”moderate GOPer” indifference to bad laws and acceding to socialist seed-projects in the name of being well-liked within the beltway is a large part of how we’ve gotten on the road to hell (which for the political class is a paradise, because the lawyers, politicians in the token opposition, and state-run media types will be protected).
I see it kind of like this: The government of this nation is supposed to be “by the people and for the people” but over time some monstrous bad ideas (think of them as cadaver parts from bad governments throughout history) were put into place gradually over time that had the potential to become a monster, and then some mad “political scientists” harnessed the lightning to bring the monster to life and the monster is rampaging through Frankenstein’s castle. If the monster gets through the gates (in November), it will bring complete destruction to the countryside.
The “fundamental transformation” that is proposed is not fully understood by the masses (in part due to compliant fossil-media). It’s not a new way of running the government, it’s a way of running the people. The monster of big government is going to get out of the gates and claim that the people are no longer the master, it masters the people. The people are there to be managed.
And people like Meghan McCain, who are perfectly capable of learning why people are upset with the government (but dismiss their concerns with INDIFFERENCE), are sitting there saying “it’s ok, the frankenstein just wants to be our friend” because they don’t know any better.
I’m sure Elie Wiesel would agree that the only thing worse than indifference is willful indifference.
/rant
Bennett was ousted by the Racist Teabaggers?
I didn’t even know he was black…
I need a bigger bumper.
Senator Bennett was warned by the Utah Republicans to NOT vote for TARP but His Incumbencyship knew better than the riff raff of the Flyover. Although generally a good conservative and decent man the lure of the pomp and power of the Beltway melted his brain. Enjoy your retirement Senator and by the Grace of God and some hard work in the trenches may we send John McCain to join you.
We Riff Raff, Bitter Clingers, Hateful Haters, members of the VAaast Right Wing Conspiracy and citizens have work to do.
===
Let your sidearm be like Master Card:
Don’t Leave home without it.
Read the linked Meghan McCain column. She is living proof of the old saying that “the apple does not fall far from the tree.” I suppose she and her father both persist in their convoluted and ridiculous masquerade about being “conservative” in the hope that they can fool enough people to get him reelected. They will likely succeed, whereupon they wil both revert openly to their true RINO natures. What a family of hypocrites.
HPD: Man killed in home invasion after suspect poses as census worker
See signature above.
Definitely a step in the right direction for those trying to take over the Republican Party. Keep this up, and you may get back some of the conservative vote.
The real test, however, will be the choice of candidate for the White House in 2012. One win in Utah isn’t going to be enough. Still, keep up the good work.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
From Meghan McCain’s article.
What the hell is wrong with her, and those like her? aka… the aisle crossers.
They think they’ve accomplished something when they reach across the aisle.
No doubt, if they were held at gun point and negotiated to only be shot once, they feel they’ve “accomplished” something.
How about disarming the gunman you idiot.
And this is priceless.
Only a RINO would consider being told to be more conservative a rude comment.
They just don’t get it. They need to leave.
Meghan McCain makes the case FOR child abuse regardless of age. But then her father does too.
===
An Armed Society is a polite society.
In the mean time, Palin supports Fiorina. Get rid of one, replace with another…
What an arrogant jerk. Pay attention incumbents. We don’t want any of you. You are all the problem not the solution.
Damned right, that is the idea. Replace replace replace.
I never leave it at home, if I was to do that, why have one.
The people of UTAH sure gave their message to this RINO!!! I only hope that the people of AZ give the same message to OL’ JUAN come our August primary… Send him packing, and off in the sunset!!!
That nut didn’t fall from the tree did it now.
pueblo1032,
I hope dear john gets the boot also come Nov. megham will really think people are nasty and mean if this happens.
L
The first 5 people listed in the phone book would do a better job in DC than the entrenched elites. I hope they are all living in fear. Those whose core values consist of self interest need to go and go fast.
The person who made the comment to Cindy and Meagan McCain was a Class A jerk. Neither is the U.S. Senator from AZ. he makes the speeches and casts the votes. They do not.
I have no heartburn with any family member supporting their loved one. That is expected. They should be left alone.
John McCain does need to be more conservative, but the messaage should be delivered direct to him.
I can’t wait until Senator “my friends” McCain, champion of “god’s children” from across the border, and best friends with Juan Hernandez, gets a look at “comprehensive incumbency reform” supported by the conservatives of this country. His arrogant self-interest will metamorphose into ennui.
Prediction – within two yerars she’ll be a Dem…
You mean she isn’t one already?
Not hardly. I think you’d best learn to differentiate between someone who is wrong and someone who is willfully with malace of forethought trying to destroy our way of life.
If we do not see a difference between a John McCain and a Lindsey Graham versus a Van Jones and a Harry Reid and an Eric Holder, we are in trouble.
This news made my weekend!
Juan McAmnesty had to change his Depends.
What would the Left say if and when Obama doesn’t get the nod to run for a second term? Just kidding…we know Libs never learn from the past. Maybe Jimmy Carter can help BHO on his campaign.
Really now, let’s see she blabs her leftist leaning mouth all over any t.v. or any media outlet that will listen to her. Her and her mother have been in public campaigning for Juan, now you think they are beyond reproach by the voters? huh? They both opened themselves to comments from the public by openly making themselves heard.
Besides your taking her account of what was said (yell) for gospel, think maybe she has over stated what happened. it wouldn’t be the 1st time she has.
I remember your comments from other posts about McShame, he is your hero. fine, that is your choice, they have put themselves in the public light, catching comments is part of the game whether they like the comments or not, disregarding obscene and or derogatory remarks naturally.
Why do you feel that you have to make those kinds of statements? That line of argument is how we end up with “Yeah, our party REALLY SUCKS but the alternative is even worse!” for a GOP party campaign motto.
We get it. Now try working with us to get a party that DOESN’T suck.
don’t beleive the leftist media’s talking points. If we buy into their narrative, we end up with candidates like John McCain who really had many of the same positions as the Democratic candidate. (Immigration, Global Warming, TARP).
The GOP is not racist, hateful, or extreme.
What’s Meghan McCain’s claim to fame? (wow, that rhymes..) Sorry, politics can be pretty down and dirty, so, comments (kind and unkind) said to her, or to her Mother, are to be expected. If Meghan’s truly upset, she should be angry at how her Father has let so many conservatives down over these MANY YEARS. Sorry, no sympathy for this privileged, know-it-all daughter of a Senator.
You are correct. We must stop allowing them to dictate the talking points and thereby dictate the argument. We don’t answer to them remember?
This encounter sounds like a chance happening of someone who is probably fed up with McCain. And even though most reasonable people wouldn’t act the way he did, maybe he’s being a jerk for a reason.
Regarding Meghan McCain. She’s not a child and she put herself into the political discussion. Frankly, she’s naive when it comes to politics.
Sounds like a lot college students who are clueless about reality.
She has a tattoo and some gay friends? As if that gives her “progressive.. aka “Maverick” creds.
I don’t fault her for having a political voice, but this voice is misguided in my opinion and at the root of the party’s problem.
She doesn’t understand what it means to be “Conservative”.
We see the difference.
Holder and Jones are trying to destroy America. McCain and Graham are just driving their taxi.
Bennet can’t be serious about going independent. Jesus the man is 76 and has been in “government service” most of his life. Go retire, and write your memoirs, and take McCain with you. Your Tarp vote didn’t cost you your seat, you and Teddy never had a seat. The people of Utah decided you were not serving them well by spending their money on such stupid and wasteful projects which has bloated our grandchildren’s debt. Bye bye big spenders, big gubmint do nothing incumbents.
quit being suchahater!
/sarc
Point 1 – The comment made by the Class A jerk concerned John McCain; not her. He did not tell her that SHE needed to be more conservative. He could have. But people who make “drive by” comments like that are pretty gutless.
Point 2 – You obviously do not remember my comments about John McCain as a Senator.
However, as a fellow veteran d@mn right he’s a hero of mine. He kept the faith under horrific circumstances.
Phil you are not within 10 kilometers of the target.
Better look again.
Actually, I thought Phil’s comment was perfect.
It’s not necessarily about exclusion. It’s about including those that will make it the best party. Unfortunately, including the best might not leave room for others – even a war hero deserving of respect for being a war hero.
She already is, just to stupid to realize it.
Let’s make RINO an endangered species…..
Hey, Republican National Committee:
“Can you hear me now?“
*He should be; He is no better than Bennet; He is proud of his support for S-chip, just another entitlement that has put us in an economic death spiral.
*It is all about the spending, and most of these entrenched rat bastards in D.C. are DIRECTLY responsible for the current state of the nation; The GOP has this one last chance to get it right, and that is this November; So far, I see signs of failure, as they continue to support RINO’s over consistently conservative candidates across the country.
Or she doesn’t want to lose withdrawal privileges from Mom’s ATM account, at least while Pop is calling himself a ‘Republican’ senator.
Thanks for the reminder about why I will never vote for Newt Gingrich for POTUS.
Corkie, I am somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun. But I sure as double hockey sticks know the difference between a Citizen of the World Socialist, who hate the American system of laws, its way of life, our individual liberties, and me personally versus someone like John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
I hope Hayworth is the AZ nominee, but if he is not, then all the purists best Cowboy Up and vote for someone who may support our positions 40% of the time and can give us a majority (which is BEYOND huge) or end up with a Democrat who will be with us ZERO PERCENT of the time.
You’ve seen what’s happened to our country in 16 months. You want 32 months more of it? I am not sure what we’ll have left by then if the DEMOCRATS, aka the World Socialist Workers Party, are not stopped cold in November.
Bennett to his credit said he would not do a Crist, but would support the conservative nominee. We’d best be ready to reciprocate, when our guy/gal is not selected, because I think our freedom depends on it.
Fly, wish there was a way you could have whispered that.
Show no cards.
Purist is a bad term to propagate.
Fiscal conservatives simply want their candidates to be fiscally conservative. There is nothing extreme or radical about this simple concept.
If someone isn’t a fiscal conservative, then support for them must be withheld – even if withholding such support results in Democrat victory/control.
Let the Democrats own fiscally irresponsibility. Then, when fiscal irresponsibility fails it will be obvious which party owns it.
Right now, we have fiscally irresponsibility without it being clear which party owns it. That ruins the Republican brand for a long time. As long at Republicans don’t fear losing support for being complicit with fiscal irresponsibility, then we haven’t escaped the dangers anyway.
I would like to see the calculations for “candidates being with us 40%, 60%, 80% of the time”. It’s a vacuus argument when “conservative” Republicans with 80-95% ACU ratings vote for amnesty, cap and trade, porkulus, and the rest of the socialist one-world-without-borders-global-government agenda.
What is it about the 80-95% that cancels out THAT 5-20%. It’s all part of the corrupt mentality that finds virtue in being “partly pregnant” and “sometimes honest”.
The GOP is a party that doesn’t stand for anything because there are too many Republicans who think that way.
So why are you guys even commenting here? What is your agenda? You already have the party you want so why exactly are you fighting those of us who believe parties should actually stand for something?
Flyover. McCain was downright heroic when it came to what he endured as a POW. Most people, myself included, probably couldn’t even imagine what it was like for him.
But regarding his politics, he is who and what he is. On many occasions he has thwarted the efforts of his own party and enabled the efforts of Democrats on issues that were and still are critically important. Gang of 8 .. gang of this.. or that. His signature legislation shuttered political speech for individuals. He panders to the Open Borders crowd, then switches his stance when it became politically expedient. No, he’s not the only one, but that doesn’t exonerate him.
And As GladzK pointed out, supporting someone with his record versus a long shot conservative because he is the lesser of two evils, is not the message conservatives want to send to politicians. That’s like not taking medicine that will save your life because of the immediate displeasure of it’s bad taste. We don’t want the comfort of an R in a seat if that R is going to sail down the same Big Gov’t, Big Spending road as a Dem.
Do we want another term of Obama? Hell no. Do we want another 2 years with Democrat majority in both houses? Hell no. But do we want another run of republicans addicted to spending, ignore America’s wishes and panders to whatever group they think gets them the most votes?
Hell no.
Take a deep breathe now before firing off and reading my post. I never said, nor did I insinuate the “jerk”(you jumped all over that and you have no idea what was said or in what manner) made comments directed at her conservatism. It’s her daddy, her and mommy that needs to know what it means to be a conservative. As I stated in #50 when a family member starts shooting off their mouths they become fair game for input from the public, actually there is the 1st amendment that has no restrictions in regards to such talk…even as far as vulgarity, something I personally do not approve of.
Yes I do, you didn’t approve of some of rhetoric, actions and votes. So, your not alone there.
I respect Juan’s service as a Naval fighter pilot and POW, but it stops there with me. IMHO when he refused info or accepting an early release from that hell hole, Hanoi Hilton, was he not following U.S. military orders as laid down in print?
I will admit my disdain for him after becoming a senator has probably affected my feelings about calling him a hero. it’s not like he a choice in what happened in Hanoi…with the exception of following military procedures, he could have let himself out early.
Me too, but we are in a gunfight. Phil and corkie think it’s crouquet.
I don’t know Phil? How many RINOs held the line of Obamacare? EVERY SINGLE ONE! How many Blue Dog Reagan Democrats voted for it? ALMOST ALL OF THEM!
If we do not get conservatives in during the primaries and every RINO is replaced by a Democrat, because you took your ball and went home mad, just what will the country look like in 32 months?
Not a recommneded course of action.
My sentiments exactly, rightisright. I had no major disgreement with your post. McCain is a national hero and a lousy GOP senator.
My GOP senator has spent his whole career “crossing the aisle.” Was initially for Healthcare Reform and confirmed Holder. GAG!!!! I wish we had a JD Hayworth running against him in our primary. AZ at least has the opportunity. I wish JD and his supporters well.
It felt good, but I’ll be honest we can’t rest on our Laurels. Keep the Mo’ in Two O’ Ten!
You’re right, he should retire and go home. He is, after all, set for life and maybe beyond on income and health insurance plus retirement and what ever else he’s fixed for himself.
Just like Bennett, Sen. John McCain promised he would only serve two terms. It is time for McCain to go.
How did you manage to make such a stupid assumption?
I’m not the one making light of the macroeconomic realities of being fiscally irresponsible. You are. You’re the one that labeled conservatives as purists simply because they want to withdraw support from members of congress that are complicit in fiscal irresponsibility.
That would be an interesting point if Obamacare hadn’t passed.
Thank you, citizens of Utah, thank you.
Flyoverman: The only time THIS Republican party sticks together is when they have no choice and we have a gun at their heads, such as we do now.
It just seems like the Juan McCains and Lindsey Graham (not to be confused for the eternally hotty hot Lindsay Wagner) always sell us out when we are about to win.
If you like THIS Republican party and are afraid to lose it, there is no need to despair. Just get the operation and re-register as a Democrat. Same thing.
How many Republicans did we have to torture to defeat McCain/Kennedy/Bush amnesty? How many Republicans did we have to torture to defeat Cap and Trade? How many Republicans did we torture to no avail fighting the Bush bailout and then the Obama/Pelosi bailouts? Get the drift Flyoverman?
We are fighting a one-party government at war against citizens. You are defending it and the best you can do is argue illogical tactics. It’s not victory if the other side wins!
That is why it’s crucial to place principles over party. If nothing else, it helps make it clear that we don’t win by delivering the other party’s agenda for them.
But then, you RINOs don’t have any principles. You believe that it is Republicans absolutely MUST be in charge because…. well… just because.
I did not vote for McAmnesty and I will never vote for McAmnesty. Call me a purist or anything else you’d like. I WILL NOT support ANYONE who would sell out this country by abandoning the rule of laws and surrendering our sovereignty. McAmnesty tried to jam that down our throats TWICE! Not to mention all the rest of his outrageous behavior with his various “gangs”.
Amnesty is national suicide.
If the GOP wants to survive, they will start representing American citizens, enforce the laws of this country and stop pandering to citizens of other countries who are in our country illegally.
It is beyond disgusting that we even have to remind them who they are supposed to represent.
The only time McCain has been effective as a Senator has been to deliver victories for the DEMOCRATS!
If he survives the primary, he will do it again.
This temporary repositioning as a conservative will only last until Aug. 24.
VPat: People have already forgotten that the second time Juan tried to cram McAmnesty down our throats (just after the 2006 elections), he delegated the task to his AZ tag team partner Jon Kyl who had just been re-elected swearing that he could NEVER support amnesty. The bill was re-introduce as the Kyl/Cornyn border enforcement bill. Yet he is routinely cited as a true conservative to this day.
Real conservative state that Arizona. McCain, Kyl, Napolitano, open-borders mayors… Yet how many of the AZ commentors here launch gratuitous attacks against CA? We produce conservative politicians like Duncan Hunter, Tom McClintock, Chuck DeVore, Ronald Reagan and many others.
We even built the only effective border fence (thank you Duncan Hunter) that pushed the border jumpers east for those “more conservative” states to deal with. Where is the fence AZ, NM, TX? We built one!
Yeah, CA is the problem.
Phil, trust me, no one has been tracking who the weasels are when it comes to amnesty closer than I have. Kyl ran in 2006 opposing amnesty and turned around IMMEDIATELY after the election and sponsored the resurrection of McCain/Kennedy. McCain is doing that same dance now. Hopefully the voters in AZ won’t fall for that two-step again.
The weasels must go! And that includes quite a few GOP Senators. American citizens desperately need representation, the illegal aliens already have the Democrats, the illegal alien employers have most of the GOP.
Who’s standing up for Americans?
A few in the House, a few in the Senate.
It’s truly disgusting.
Yep
Most all get bought off by the Rockefeller CFR/Trilateral Commission elitists that want to turn the USA into a NWO.
The Rockefeller’s and their family trust foundations are now said to be worth some where north of 16 Trillion.
That is alot of walking around money for the traitors that get elected and swear on a bible to protect, preserve, defend out Constitution.
Orin Hatch is 6 term senator from Utah, 1st campaigned in ’76 on being a two term senator and returning home…Lieing RINO.
I’ll spell it out for them one more time so they dont need to waste their time trying to understand what is happening to them. There’s more of us than them, and we surround them.
We’re cleaning house in the GOP in this cycle – then were wiping the Dems. But if the Dems get replaced in the meantime, thats just a bonus to the overall objective. Independents will come and go as needed.
And if there happens to be collateral damage to useful idiot Republicans, who have been bought/horse-traded off, then so be it. Dont worry, we’ll fix it on the next go round. They are either with us or against us – but if we find out they are posers, then political retribution will be forever more.
We’ve got to get our people back into the right positions in the government agencies and on the right committees in order to purge the parasitic bureaucrats that have now been placed in positions of power.
The congresspeople/administration are just the obvious face of the problem. The policy developing bureaucrats and lobbyists are the real virus.
Then you are seeing differences that aren’t really there.
Correction- Then you are seeing differences that aren’t really significant because the same policies result from these people.
The blather of the people you mention above is unimportant, where they will take us is important, however.
More on why McCain sucks. From a 2008 article here about McCain pandering to the PUMA crowd.
Political Expediency
[Insert McCain photo here]
The road of life is littered with the bodies of dead idealists.
I have no major heartburn with anything that any of you have said about the policies and positions of the RINO’s.
However, you are all blissfully ignorant of the immediate threat to the country we face at the hands of Obama, his thugs and the leadership of the Democrat Party.
Give the primaries your best shot and give the 2012, 2016, 2020 ….our best shot to get conservatives and conservative leaders in the GOP. I hope it happens by noon today!!!
HOWEVER, once the primaries are done ending the Democrat majority in at least one house of Congress is critical. If we do not, I doubt we will be able to remove the Progressive Socialits from power in our children’s lifetime. They are on the edge of attaining “critical mass” that will give them a majority based on amnesty, union membership, number of government employees, persons dependent on government, and voter fraud that we cannot overcome. Once that happens they will have the time, the means and the power to shred the Constituion. The financial markets, auto companies and banks are just a prelude for them.
You will not be a “racsist tea bagger.” You will be an enemy of the state.
Our only way back will be that we hope the country implodes and we able to pick up the pieces and start all over.
That’s my assessment.
Oh, no difference between Eric Holder, Harry Reid versus John McCain on the War in Iraq, the War on Terror, Gitmo, terrorists trials ad rights for terrorists?
Well, love2rumba, the people out in the field laying their lives on the line for us sure as h@11 see a difference.
I hope JD Hayworth the the next US Senator from AZ, but if he does not get the nomination, I’ll take McCain over a military hating, soft on terror Democrat in a heartbeat.
But………….. those who would let the Democrat win had best not tell me you support the troops.
Your assessment is willfully obtuse.
And you will never understand our brilliant strategy as long as you insist on clinging to your tactician mindset.
By ironically accusing us of being blissfully ignorant you make yourself look like a simpleton.
Step up the thinking, and you will see that we are not idealists at all.
We have drawn a line in the sand and intend to hold that line regardless of the cost – a cost we understand well.
We are not playing around here. This is the nuclear option, and we know it.
Those running for public office that delude themselves into thinking that we will abandon the nuclear option do so at their own peril. They should not call our bluff.
This is about fiscal responsibility.
Don’t tell us that you support the troops because the troops can’t be supported when all the money is gone.
Again, your thinking is an order of magnitude below ours.
I won’t be me us letting Democrats win. It will be those that are stupid enough to put McCain back on the Republican ticket knowing that we aren’t fooling around. THEY are the ones that should heed the warnings – NOT us.
Well said.
Flyoverman is saying once the primaries are over, and the choice then is between a squishy Republican and an ardent marxist Democrat, your vote needs to go to the Republican for obvious reasons. If you don’t understand this, it isn’t him being obtuse.
It’s neither brilliant nor a strategy.
And in terms of it being a “nuclear option” it looks more like Wile E. Coyote standing next to the Acme Giant Firecraker with the fuse burning down thinking he finally has caught the Road Runner.
The world’s oldest military manuever. The Classic DIP (Die in Place).
Knock yourself out.
“He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”
Corkie, what the Flyoverman squishies refuse to accept is that if the GOP fails to reform in 2010 and leads us right back to “our party doesn’t suck as bad as the other party”, they will be howling about the 3rd party movement next year.
It is utterly astonishing how arrogant these people are. They can kick out conservatives yet still insist that they are ENTITLED to our votes. Did it work in 2006? 2008? See cliff, jump.