Nolan Finley vs. Tea Party GOP

[corktownyuppie]

We all knew this day was coming, but it is still pretty surprising how fast it came. At some point pragmatic problem solving needs to reign over ideological purity. And it is necessary on both the extreme right and left. Between City Council approving the water deal and now this column in today's Detroit News, hopefully this is the beginning of being able to tackle the hard stuff in years to come.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opi...nley/16278905/

[Wesley Mouch]

We'd be wise to elect moderates regardless of your political philosophy.

Nolan:

Imposing the Hastert rule would mimic how Democrat Reid runs the U.S. Senate, which has managed to pass no meaningful legislation in two years.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

We'd be wise to elect moderates regardless of your political philosophy.

Nolan:

unfortunately, Republican moderates or virtually extinct. And to the extent not, they cannot survive a primary

[Wesley Mouch]

unfortunately, Republican moderates are virtually extinct. And to the extent not, they cannot survive a primary

Today, you are right. Tomorrow maybe not. Sometimes tomorrow comes fast, when you're not watching.

[Scottathew]

I had a lot of conservative tendencies, but the gridlock in Washington D.C. has made it so I won't vote for a federal-level republican for the foreseeable future. I usually lean right within Michigan, but if they want to bring the same gridlock politics to Lansing, then I'll just start voting dem on a state level too.

I won't be voting for any incumbents in Rochester Hills over charter violations when it came to an oil and gas recovery contract. Many of those folks in Rochester Hills have state or nation level republican ambitions.

I'm very tired of Tea Party politics where the #1 goal isn't moving the country forward, but to make Obama look bad. It's hurting our country.

[Wesley Mouch]

I had a lot of conservative tendencies, but the gridlock in Washington D.C. has made it so I won't vote for a federal-level republican for the foreseeable future. I usually lean right within Michigan, but if they want to bring the same gridlock politics to Lansing, then I'll just start voting dem on a state level too.

I won't be voting for any incumbents in Rochester Hills over charter violations when it came to an oil and gas recovery contract. Many of those folks in Rochester Hills have state or nation level republican ambitions.

I'm very tired of Tea Party politics where the #1 goal isn't moving the country forward, but to make Obama look bad. It's hurting our country.

Second this, although I don't see that the lockstep left is much better. They're jealous of the TP and wish they could do as well in pushing their initiatives, too.

[Hypestyles]

The TP candidates will likely win for the state legislature. Snyder will likely be reelected.

[gnome]

If Nolan is truly serious about taking on the extremist wing of the Republican Party, he will not endorse David Trott for the Congressional 11th.

[bailey]

If Nolan is truly serious about taking on the extremist wing of the Republican Party, he will not endorse David Trott for the Congressional 11th.

Yup. lay down with dogs, wake up with fleas...etc. If Nolan doesn't what Teabaggers in office, stop endorsing the Party that can't win without placating them. Seems like he might be waking up to that problem.

[gnome]

Bailey, I think you've taken the point too far and are exhibiting your progressive bias in an issue that will require the Editor of the Detroit News to possibly make an existential decision.

the Tea Party movement was not started by the News, and there has never been a Tea Party bent to the editorial positions taken by The News.

The News leans center-right, the Freep tilts center-left, the Tea Party teeters on the edge of extremism.

[bailey]

Bailey, I think you've taken the point too far and are exhibiting your progressive bias in an issue that will require the Editor of the Detroit News to possibly make an existential decision.

I think it exposes either journalistic malpractice or willful partisan hackery to endorse the slate of right wing nutters that Nolan has..especially most recently during the Obama years... and only NOW start writing editorials about a lack of a third/center right option.

The hard right teabaggers are made up out of whole cloth that editors like Nolan wove for them. To now disavow their creation is pretty fucking funny.

[Lowell]

The TEA partiers energized the big GOP gains in Michigan and across the country in the 2010 election while the party of Obama slept through. Republicans found themselves in control of all branches of government in state and promptly cemented it by gerrymandering the house districts.

Then the establishment Republicans woke up with the fleas. It reminds of when the establishment Republicans pandered to the Christian religious right in the 70's and got stuck with ever more extremist candidates at the primary level. Fueled by non-stop Obama-hater rhetoric and codespeak by rightwing radio and cable-heads this meme, which has been floating around the internet, sort of portrays the current the Republican primary-voting majority and the conundrum the party faces.


I can hear the big bucks GOP players whining, "Why can't they^ just vote for us then shut up?"

[gnome]

Fine. Except the topic was about the editor of the Detroit News.

you want to really play the flea bag game? The obvious example is the City of Detroit. A bankrupt, structurally dysfunctional, crime ridden Democratic herpes outbreak.

you seriously want to point to an extremist wing as being the totem for an entire political party?

Sure, I'll play all day long Lowell once you concede that the myriad of problems south of 8 Mile is owned by the political Party that has controlled it for 50+ years.

If you think that is an unreasonable position, you might want to consider walking back from your inflammatory inferred accusations that people who don't vote like you are somehow crazy racists who sport sweatshirts imported from looneyville.

[motz]

Fine. Except the topic was about the editor of the Detroit News.

you want to really play the flea bag game? The obvious example is the City of Detroit. A bankrupt, structurally dysfunctional, crime ridden Democratic herpes outbreak.

you seriously want to point to an extremist wing as being the totem for an entire political party?

Sure, I'll play all day long Lowell once you concede that the myriad of problems south of 8 Mile is owned by the political Party that has controlled it for 50+ years.

If you think that is an unreasonable position, you might want to consider walking back from your inflammatory inferred accusations that people who don't vote like you are somehow crazy racists who sport sweatshirts imported from looneyville.

Have you not noticed that certain private individuals have been bankrolling primary challengers to unseat powerful, more moderate GOP members, ala Eric Cantor? The entire GOP shakes in fear of not just the Tea Party, but their private backers who seem to dictate which issues are important and which ones are not. This means you are seeing some traditionally more moderate GOP members taking anti-immigration stances [[even though everyone agrees, we gotta do something), anti-scinetific positions such as "Climate change isn't real!", etc. Those private backers have whipped the crazies into a frenzy and used that threat to force others to go along with their little "screw democracy" project.

And yes, the "political party that controls Detroit" is guilty as hell of screwing up not just left and right, but all over. Someone at the state level should've stood up and said "Hey, get your act together", but they didn't. There is a reason I dislike Michigan's Dem party.

[bailey]

you seriously want to point to an extremist wing as being the totem for an entire political party?

When that extremest wing is driving the agenda of the entire political party, yes.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Fine. Except the topic was about the editor of the Detroit News.

you want to really play the flea bag game? The obvious example is the City of Detroit. A bankrupt, structurally dysfunctional, crime ridden Democratic herpes outbreak.

you seriously want to point to an extremist wing as being the totem for an entire political party?

Sure, I'll play all day long Lowell once you concede that the myriad of problems south of 8 Mile is owned by the political Party that has controlled it for 50+ years.

If you think that is an unreasonable position, you might want to consider walking back from your inflammatory inferred accusations that people who don't vote like you are somehow crazy racists who sport sweatshirts imported from looneyville.

You're confusing the incompetence and corruption of Detroit with the extremism on the GOP side of today. Totally different issues. George Romney, William Milliken or Gerald Ford couldn't possibly be elected in today's GOP

[bailey]

You're confusing the incompetence and corruption of Detroit with the extremism on the GOP side of today. Totally different issues. George Romney, William Milliken or Gerald Ford couldn't possibly be elected in today's GOP

...or Ronald Reagan or Abraham Lincoln.

[swingline]

You're confusing the incompetence and corruption of Detroit with the extremism on the GOP side of today. Totally different issues. George Romney, William Milliken or Gerald Ford couldn't possibly be elected in today's GOP

Agree with this completely. There is no comparison between the gridlock intentionally imposed on government by the ideologue wing of the Republican party and the incompetence inflicted on Detroit residents for too many years.

And there is no equal blame to spread around for the gridlock either. Political compromise is a non-starter for virtually all Republicans since 2008. The willingness of of so many dozens of members of Congress to play along with or outright promote the ideological conceit that Pres. Obama is actually an unpatriotic*, weak, socialist, white hating, incompetent Muslim fool has made this a shameful era in our political history. [[All this despite the reality that Mr. Obama, if he were white, would have been welcomed with open arms by the Eisenhower Republican party.) The playbook for Republicans since 2008 has been that nothing gets done until they can regain the White House. No exception. There is nothing equivalent to what is going on now and the Democrats' conduct during the Bush administration [[including the level of respect accorded the office.)

* The political calculus, hypocrisy and hubris of the patriotism issue was on full display from politicians and media alike last week after Mr. Obama's latte salute to one of his Marine guards. http://www.salon.com/2014/09/26/f_yo...a_controversy/

[poobert]

Why is Nolan Finley eating his babies?

What an assclown. Of course he can't resist the urge to take a baffling snipe at the Democrats in the Senate, you know, just because he can.

He's such a dick. Just like all his Republican shit-for-brain friends. I don't like either party but there is nothing "conservative" or "traditional" about a party where your two choices are some soulless empty suit ready to sell off this country wholesale to Wall Street or some wild-eyed, cross-burning, slobbering, snake-handling, tongue-speaking imbecile. Fuck the Republican Party. It's time for them to go the way of the Know-Nothings and something not completely jacked up to take its place.

[BankruptcyGuy]

And there is no equal blame to spread around for the gridlock either. Political compromise is a non-starter for virtually all Republicans since 2008. The willingness of of so many dozens of members of Congress to play along with or outright promote the ideological conceit that Pres. Obama is actually an unpatriotic*, weak, socialist, white hating, incompetent Muslim fool has made this a shameful era in our political history. [[All this despite the reality that Mr. Obama, if he were white, would have been welcomed with open arms by the Eisenhower Republican party.) The playbook for Republicans since 2008 has been that nothing gets done until they can regain the White House. No exception. There is nothing equivalent to what is going on now and the Democrats' conduct during the Bush administration [[including the level of respect accorded the office.)

This is inaccurate. Partisan gridlock has been around for decades. What has virtually disappeared is logrolling--the process of voting for a bill or amendment that you don't like to gain a vote from a colleague on one that you do.

Prior to about ten years ago, that process was completely non-transparent to the public. The internet [[and social media, to a great degree) has provided access to the public to specific voting records on specific amendments or bills in real time. That's provided cannon fodder for idealogues from both sides. You have to run to your base to win a primary [[most of the time).

Not too far from home, recall that Rick Snyder ran against a much weaker candidate in Virg Bernero than the stronger Andy Dillon, because Dillon did not have the ideological purity [[read: unwavering deference to public employee unions) that Bernero had. The concept is not purely a Republican one.

I think what's important is that efforts to create a third party would NOT create a party in the center; they would, like in Europe, create two additional parties, at least: the Tea Party types, and the Occupy types.

[Scottathew]

Obama hating is a core requirement of the Republican Party. At a national level they'll do ANYTHING possible to make him look bad, even if it means hurting the country.

Now that they've made him such a bad-thing, they try to attach their political opponents to him. Take a look at the governors race, their are tons of commercials running just trying to find reasons to say Schauer and Obama in the same sentence.

Most republican voters are probably much closer to the center than they are to the right extreme, but the right extreme is who gets to pick the primary winners.

For me the choice was simple, stop voting for right-wingers.

[gnome]

Republicans carping about Mr. Obama is not too dissimilar than Democrats going after Mr. Bush. Picking on the opposition's leader is common. Not uncommon. It is to be expected.

if you think it is of a different tone it may be due to being sensitive to minor slights.

Personally, I noticed how common it was to refer to Mr. Bush as the "so-called President" during his terms in office. I count that as my own bias being revealed rather than a concerted effort by an entire group of people conspiring to defame a single individual.

you may recoil when Rush Limbaugh refers to the President as "Barry" or by using the President's middle name. You have to ask why is your nose out of joint? Both names are correct, the issue is that a reprehensible clown says them.

[EL Jimbo]

Republicans carping about Mr. Obama is not too dissimilar than Democrats going after Mr. Bush. Picking on the opposition's leader is common. Not uncommon. It is to be expected.

if you think it is of a different tone it may be due to being sensitive to minor slights.

Personally, I noticed how common it was to refer to Mr. Bush as the "so-called President" during his terms in office. I count that as my own bias being revealed rather than a concerted effort by an entire group of people conspiring to defame a single individual.

you may recoil when Rush Limbaugh refers to the President as "Barry" or by using the President's middle name. You have to ask why is your nose out of joint? Both names are correct, the issue is that a reprehensible clown says them.

Yes, it is common practice to pick on the opposition leader. However, typically it sticks to legitimate issues. Bush was attacked repeatedly over his "Mission Accomplished" statement, the fact it sometimes appeared more like the Cheney Administration, and a variety of other topically related issue.

The difference with how the Tea Party has continually attacked Obama is that they've gone beyond topical issues and have gone to great lengths to "manufacture rage" over anything and everything they can think of.

How many different versions of his birth certificate did he have to show and STILL people don't believe he's legitimate?

I still don't know what the hell a "terrorist fist bump" is, but apparently Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin do.

It is a part of the job as President to travel across the globe visiting allies and trade partners in an official capacity...until Obama takes office and the Tea Party attacked his first official trip as being a "waste of money".

Damn near every modern President has been a golfer [[hell, Eisenhower had a tree named after him at Augusta). Yet somehow it only becomes a controversy now? Why is that?

Bush spent more days of his administration away from the White House on vacation of any modern President, yet every time he leaves town he gets HAMMERED by the Right.

At some point it has to get exhausting being constantly pissed off about made up controversies. It also makes people look like the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

[Wesley Mouch]

Yes, it is common practice to pick on the opposition leader. However, typically it sticks to legitimate issues. Bush was attacked repeatedly over his "Mission Accomplished" statement, the fact it sometimes appeared more like the Cheney Administration, and a variety of other topically related issue.

The difference with how the Tea Party has continually attacked Obama is that they've gone beyond topical issues and have gone to great lengths to "manufacture rage" over anything and everything they can think of.

How many different versions of his birth certificate did he have to show and STILL people don't believe he's legitimate?

I still don't know what the hell a "terrorist fist bump" is, but apparently Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin do.

It is a part of the job as President to travel across the globe visiting allies and trade partners in an official capacity...until Obama takes office and the Tea Party attacked his first official trip as being a "waste of money".

Damn near every modern President has been a golfer [[hell, Eisenhower had a tree named after him at Augusta). Yet somehow it only becomes a controversy now? Why is that?

Bush spent more days of his administration away from the White House on vacation of any modern President, yet every time he leaves town he gets HAMMERED by the Right.

At some point it has to get exhausting being constantly pissed off about made up controversies. It also makes people look like the Boy Who Cried Wolf.

I feel exactly the same way, except in reverse. It just feels different when its your guy on the receiving end.

I see absolutely no difference except partisan leanings on this. The we're being attacked is just a campaign to bind your loyalty.

[EL Jimbo]

I feel exactly the same way, except in reverse. It just feels different when its your guy on the receiving end.

I see absolutely no difference except partisan leanings on this. The we're being attacked is just a campaign to bind your loyalty.

The majority of the criticisms aimed at Bush from the Left were about substance. The problem with what the Right has done since 2008 is that any criticisms and attacks aimed at Obama that were of substance are lost in the wash with the wave of other made up outrages that are based on stupidity and only aimed at breeding mistrust in our government.

Just yesterday, Steve Doocey [[sp?) of Fox News was interviewing the head of the CDC about Ebola. During that interview, he essentially asked the head of the CDC why we should believe anything he says because he's part of the Obama Administration.

Who does that? Nobody would have ever asked a question like that to a past administration. It was inappropriate, unprofessional, and dangerous. But I'm sure in the right-wing blogosphere it successfully fueled more mistrust because now we shouldn't believe the CDC now either.