Republican Night of the Long Knives continues...

[Lowell]

Wow. Having driven popular FL Gov. Crist from their fold the Republican extreme right has just added conservative Utah Republican incumbent Senator Bob Bennett's scalp to their totem. Article.

It appears that a purification ritual is sweeping the Republican primary season. It is like watching a nonviolent [so far] version of a Night of the Long Knives. Suddenly extremist are not extreme enough. The Dems had a version of this following the Nixon win in 1968 leading to very hard left convention in 1972 that produced George McGovern and an un-winable platform.

[Jman]

Wow. Having driven popular FL Gov. Crist from their fold the Republican extreme right has just added conservative Utah Republican incumbent Senator Bob Bennett's scalp to their totem. Article.

It appears that a purification ritual is sweeping the Republican primary season. It is like watching a nonviolent [so far] version of a Night of the Long Knives. Suddenly extremist are not extreme enough. The Dems had a version of this following the Nixon win in 1968 leading to very hard left convention in 1972 that produced George McGovern and an un-winable platform.

Do you realize what you are saying about your fellow Americans? Particularly on this day? Do you even have a clue what this day commemorates?

Even though I know that I will be banned, I have an overwhelming need to say that you should be ashamed of yourself and owe a deep apology.

[Gistok]

Do you realize what you are saying about your fellow Americans? Particularly on this day? Do you even have a clue what this day commemorates?

Even though I know that I will be banned, I have an overwhelming need to say that you should be ashamed of yourself and owe a deep apology.

Ummmm who does he owe a deep apology to??

There have been a lot of "Nazi" comparisons to Obama from the Tea Party folks [[and some republicans), so I think that Lowell used a similar comparison in regards to the Nazi's and the Republicans.

While Lowell is way farther to the right than I am... [[actually I'm a centrist who got pissed at the right during the Dubya era)... I think that his use of Nazi's is more of a parody of the Tea-baggers than an actual comparison of Republicans and the murderous betrayal of the Nazi era.

One persons indignation is another persons humor.... get over it....

[maxx]

They are really turning into the Crackheadlicans. And the right has no qualms about calling prochoice people nazis. They appear to be oblivious of Lebensborn, the nazi program which mass produced Aryan babies for the Fatherland.

[Lowell]

What is interesting about the Bennett dumping was that Mitt Romney, the only Republican who may have a chance against Obama, gave a speech supporting Bennett at the Utah convention. Bennett still finished third to the two far right candidates thus even denying the opportunity for Republican voters of Utah to decide whether or not to keep him.

This speaks volumes about Romney's future in such a toxic extremist setting.

For Jman, my allegory did not call anyone a Nazi but points out a purification mentality that overtakes frenzied extremists, whether a Nazi Night of the Long Knives, Stalinist purges, or Iran fundamentalist restrictions. There is no room for compromise, no room for other voices.

[oladub]

In the articles I read, the issue that keeps coming up with regards to Bennett is his vote in favor of the Wall Street bailout. It would be even more preposterous for a Democrat to have bent over for the Wall Street elites. I don't know what other issues were involved. It should be a surprise to many here who accuse Republicans of being the Party of the wealthy elites to witness Republicans purging a toadie of those same elites. This isn't to suggest that Republicans are becoming Kucinich clones but one this one issue, these grass root Republicans are being more progressive than Democrats who also seem to have an appetite for sharing corporate power and expanding the wars. When will Democrats rid their party of it's banking and insurance company toadies?

The bad news is that the two Republicans who bested Bennett are deemed to also be neocons. It isn't like the liberty or small government factions of the Republican Party have benefited.

[oladub]

How Rand Paul became the Tea Party's Obama

His father's libertarian army and Rush Limbaugh's "Dittoheads" aren't natural allies. But Rand Paul has united them


This is a long article of significance relating to this thread. In Kentucky, the tea party candidate has a good chance of defeating the status quo Republican candidate. This in turn might knock Mitch Mcconnell out of his position of being the Republican minority leader in the Senate and head the Republican Party off in a different direction. "The political divide between Paul and Grayson broadly represents a larger fault line within the GOP: It's Republicans who blame the Democrats versus Republicans who blame the government."

http://www.randpaul2010.com/issues/

I was surprised at how fairly written and knowledgeable this article was considering it is from Salon which wouldn't much like either candidate. If the article is correct and Rand wins the Senate seat, we might be looking at a future president in either Jim DeMint or Rand Paul in the next 2-14 years.

[maxx]

RE: Rand Paul

from his website:
"Defending our Country is the most important function of the federal government. When we are threatened, it is the obligation of our representatives to unleash the full arsenal of power that is granted by and derived from free men and women."

Sounds like he'd like to lob some A_bombs.
"I propose a moratorium on Visas from about ten rogue nations or anybody that has traveled to those nations. I would keep this in place until our government proves they can manage intelligently our Visa process.."
That should help our foreign relations, labeling them "rogue nations".

"I believe that when we must fight, we declare war as the Constitution mandates and we fight to win."
He sounds like a bloomin' A-bomb lobbin', shoot-first-ask-questions-later war-mongerin' lunatic.
Or at least he's appealing to that type. So much for reasoned discussion.

"And every dollar we print to service our debt, reduces the value of the money in your pocket. Rand will fight to strengthen the value of our Dollar so our purchasing power is not destroyed by the sneakiest tax of all: inflation."

Like no one else is concerned about inflation. And if you strengthen the dollar too much, no one will buy our exports.

"Long term incumbency leads to politicians who seem to care more about what is best for their career than what is best for their country."
Of course, he doesn't define 'long term incumbency'.

"Rand Paul would vote to oppose any and all federal bailouts. Instead, he will fight to balance the budget, pay down national debt, restore the value of the Dollar, and allow the responsible to replace the reckless in the marketplace."
No mention of too big to fail.

"Lowering taxes certainly benefits all of us. It gives working men and women the ability to take control of their own lives. It allows business owners to invest in their companies, pay their employees, and create new jobs. Lower taxes encourages spending, saving, and investing – all necessary for a healthy economy."
I read: no social security, no medicare, no head start programs, no federal scholarships or loans, no gradudated income tax. His father was against the Dept. of Energy. Did he ever mention who was going to regulate the nuclear power plants or do we just trust the nuclear industry like the Republicans do? His father also would have abolished the Dept. of Ed. so all the educational gains in the southern states and our inner cities in the past forty years could evaporate.

[oladub]

Maxx, Thanks for the posting. We wouldn't be in Iraq or Afghanistan, or have been in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, or the Gulf War, using Rand's Constitutional position. Reducing visas to countries like Saudi Arabia sounds like a good idea after 9/11. There are still plenty of people in countries like India, whose people don't have a history of terror acts directed at the US and can perform the same visa jobs. Countries will just have to understand that if their citizen/guests of our county behave badly, that their will be repercussions. Obama is setting the stage for massive inflation. Too big to fail is an argument of elitists protecting their own interests. I am indifferent to the term limit argument. You are right about at least a gradual phase out of a number of federal programs. States, of course, could pick up the slack or even run better programs.

What his father says or does is irrelevent although under the Bush administration, companies running nukes were provided with taxpayer guarantees if their nukes chernobylized. This policy has spurred the development of new nukes under Bush and Obama. I blame that more on Congress and Presidents than on the DOE but the DOE carries their radioactive water. I would support slashing the DOE; especially its subidy programs to coal, oil, and other ecergy producers.

I don't know that I could support Rand Paul for President. He doesn't yet have a voting record as a Senator. I printed the links because I think he represents, as well as the Bennett defeat, a move underway in the Republican Party of flushing some of its leaders too closely tied with wars and/or corruption. Maybe the emerging 'coffee party' movement will eventually begin to produce the same salutory effects withing the Democrat Party.

[Papasito]

It would be refreshing to have people in Government that actually represented the people, and put America and Americans first. I don't know much about Rand Paul, so I'm not saying he is the man to do it. I'm sure that the standing political and media powers will shred anyone who dares stand up that does not align himself [[or herself) to politics as usual.

It would be very, very difficult to stand up to the machine.

One more thing: As far as the Republicans go, by ousting standing checkpants wearing RINO Republicans and getting in people who promise to adhere to low taxes, strong defense, balanced budgets and smaller government, I think it's a good thing. For too long there have been career politicians that promise everything in the election, then win and stagnantly exist afterward, not coming through on any promises, or accomplishing little to nothing.

[maxx]

Maxx, Thanks for the posting. We wouldn't be in Iraq or Afghanistan, or have been in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, or the Gulf War, using Rand's Constitutional position.

And maybe there would be no Korea now. It would be like Manchuria.

Reducing visas to countries like Saudi Arabia sounds like a good idea after 9/11.

I'd wait until we didn't depend on Saudi oil.

Obama is setting the stage for massive inflation.

Since we were on the verge of a depression, inflation will take a while.

Too big to fail is an argument of elitists protecting their own interests.

I don't follow your reasoning. Too big to fail means the government should break up the huge investment banks.

You are right about at least a gradual phase out of a number of federal programs. States, of course, could pick up the slack or even run better programs.

Yeah, a lot of the southern states did a really great job with education before and immediately following WWII. Just why do you think the states would do a better job? Because they'd be less likely to be corrupted?

I would support slashing the DOE; especially its subidy programs to coal, oil, and other ecergy producers.

I wouldn't slash subsidies to coal and oil until we had some strong alternative sources of energy. Energy prices would go up.

I don't know that I could support Rand Paul for President. He doesn't yet have a voting record as a Senator. I printed the links because I think he represents, as well as the Bennett defeat, a move underway in the Republican Party of flushing some of its leaders too closely tied with wars and/or corruption. Maybe the emerging 'coffee party' movement will eventually begin to produce the same salutory effects withing the Democrat Party.

Why should anything except the faces change? Candidates still need loads of money to win elections. Without campaign finance reform, the system stays the same.

[oladub]

You make a good point about Korea although it is offset by our failed efforts in Vietnam. Requiring that Congress actually declare wars, as required by the Constitution, would reduce the numbers of wars. Such a change would also reduce the blow back effect which results in things like 9/11. If we don't bomb Pakistani wedding parties, we would also reduce the possibility of Pakistanis showing up in Times Square.

I wouldn't wait to reduce the number of visas to Saudi Arabia. You are on W Bush's side on this one. After 9/11, Bush signed an agreement with the Saudi leader to accept something like 15,000 additional Saudi students. I wrote to my state university and asked what the proportion of male/female students was among guest Saudi students. My letter wasn't answered. I suspect that student deal discriminated against Saudi women so I wrote to feminist groups on campus and they didn't seem to care either. All very curious.

We are still on the verge of a depression. It has only been masked by increased federal borrowing creating temporary liquidity. I'm actually surprised that with all the federal borrowing and spending that the unemployment hasn't come down further.

I was defining 'too big to fail' to mean that the government would save a bank or GM because not doing so would be thought to precipitate a depression. That's bologna I think but we just had different definitioWWII was fifty years ago. Some states like North Carolina and Georgia are going up as California crashes. California used to have good schools. Things change. Citing contemporary California might work better for you than mentioning southern states of fifty years ago. Californians have made their choices. They can live with the results. There is incentive for states to make better choices. Without crutches from Washington, I think most states would make better choices. Some probably won't but I would rather have a few states making bad choices than keep letting the federal government do so.

Federal subsidies for oil and coal distort the energy market by making both coal and oil more competative than conservation or wind energy. There are two remedies; 1) stop subsidizing coal and oil so conservation and wind energy are more competative. 2) provide conservation and wind energy with subsidies so that they can compete with subsidized coal and oil. The second choice, which you support, is now government policy.

With campaign finance reform, politicians and their enablers will just have to cheat some other way.

[Papasito]

George Bush II & Obama are idiots about these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wars have historically been the engine to fuel an economy, and both these Presidents blew the opportunity. What am I talking about? I'm talking about making contracts with France to feed our troops, deals with China to buy ammunition, deals with foreign countries all over the world to sustain this war effort. Had the Government been smart and hired American companies to support the war effort, it could have easily fueled not only our recovery, but created prosperity for years to come, and revitalized our nations' place in this world as an industrial giant.

Just look at the boom after WWII after the big 3 built military vehicles, American farms fed the troops, and American factories clothed them, ect. ect. ect. All historians know that wars can put nations to work. Our leaders for the past 10 years have been well connected hicks or community activists, dropping the ball again and again on missed opportunities.
I want to make it clear that I don't think stupid wars are good, I'm just saying that if we are going to be in them, then we should use them as an economic engine for the country.

[Papasito]

Having driven popular FL Gov. Crist from their fold the Republican extreme right

Crist was no better than Jeb Bush for Florida, both promised to improve Florida's horrible public education system while campaigning, and both cutting education after winning. Good riddance to Crist, a career politician. And hopefully good riddance to Sen. Arlen Specter , another career politician who puts personal gain before a solid set of values.

It would be nice to flush the crap on both sides of the isle out and replace them with people who actually represented thier constituents.

We know that this is a "throw the bums out" election. Tuesday, voters in Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Kentucky will give us a sign of just how far they want to throw them. In three party primaries and one special election, voters will offer hints about their mood toward the president's policies as well as incumbents in both parties that will help shape the political decisions for the rest of the year.
http://www.slate.com/id/2254099/?GT1=38001

The near future should be interesting.

[oladub]

Since this thread is about the Republican Night of the long Knives, here is the latest development. Like with Senator Bennett, another RNC approved candidate goes down.

Rand Paul to Dems: Please Bring Obama to Kentucky
Rand Paul and tea party defeated the Republican Party's establishment's choice 60-35%.

"The disconnect between the Republican Party rulers and Republicans across the nation has been both deep and wide for a very long time. We [[the people) have been quite acutely aware of it. The rulers? Not so much.
With Rand Paul’s mauling of the McConnell and NRSC-approved squish, America’s Tea Party movement offers a very large, very loud “Ahem� to the Senate Republicans. Actually, it was more like a smack across the mouth.
http://www.redstate.com/e_pluribus_u...u-hear-us-now/

Background:
Victory speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4lQnxyM0QQ

Rand Paul At Gun Rights Rally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04cp-Tz5kBM

Also, congratulations to Pennsylvania Democrats for getting rid of Spector; another champion of corruption. Dodd is retiring so there is also some improvement on that side of the aisle.

[ghettopalmetto]

Since this thread is about the Republican Night of the long Knives, here is the latest development. Like with Senator Bennett, another RNC approved candidate goes down.

Rand Paul to Dems: Please Bring Obama to Kentucky
Rand Paul and tea party defeated the Republican Party's establishment's choice 60-35%.

"The disconnect between the Republican Party rulers and Republicans across the nation has been both deep and wide for a very long time. We [[the people) have been quite acutely aware of it. The rulers? Not so much.

Rand Paul: Just a Washington "outsider"--whose campaign victory was bought and paid-for by Daddy's Washington insider connections. How mavericky! We haven't seen such a thing since the 2000 Presidential campaign!

[jiminnm]

What few here seem to grasp is that Republicans win when they get their true conservative base out to vote. They lose when they run as centrists, and when they govern no differently than Democrats. Many of you who made derogatory comments would never vote for a Republican anyway, so their campaigns aren't aimed at you. Add the fact that there is a serious anti-incumbent mood amongst the populace, and pretty much anything could happen [[that includes the Democrat side also).

[johnsmith]

Rand Paul: Just a Washington "outsider"--whose campaign victory was bought and paid-for by Daddy's Washington insider connections. How mavericky! We haven't seen such a thing since the 2000 Presidential campaign!

You really are clueless about who Rand Paul and Ron Paul are and the avalanche of corporatist Republicans and corporatist Democrats, who make up the "Washington establishment" they're up against.

If you rub your two brain cells together, you may get a spark in there. Keep trying.

[ghettopalmetto]

Is that so, johnsmith? What part about Rand Paul did I misstate?

[oladub]

Rand Paul: Just a Washington "outsider"--whose campaign victory was bought and paid-for by Daddy's Washington insider connections. How mavericky! We haven't seen such a thing since the 2000 Presidential campaign!

Daddy's Washington insider connections? I didn't know that Ron Paul was an insider or that he had all sort of insider connections. How are you defining 'insider' and why did they succeed in boosting Rand's campaign but not Ron's? I thought Goldman Sachs and the other money bags were contibuting to someone else's campaign.

Rand's opponent Jack Conway, by the way, is the very Kennedyesque looking Attorney General of Kentucky. He is a fast talker except when he has to introduce a bit of southern accent or other vocabulary to show that he is just a regular guy. I think he will be a good campaigner. He promises more money and more programs from Washington. BP was his 6th largest contributor earlier in his campaign. Rand Paul refuses campaign money from any company that recieves more than $1M of federal contracts.

[johnsmith]

I thought Goldman Sachs and the other money bags were contibuting to someone else's campaign.

Rand's opponent in the primary, Trey Grayson, was the Republican establishment "Washington-connected" big money candidate.

And down he went! Glub glub glub!

[ghettopalmetto]

Daddy's Washington insider connections? I didn't know that Ron Paul was an insider or that he had all sort of insider connections. How are you defining 'insider' and why did they succeed in boosting Rand's campaign but not Ron's? I thought Goldman Sachs and the other money bags were contibuting to someone else's campaign.

My bad. I forgot that you can be a Congressman for 20 years and still be a "mavericky outsider" without any connections whatsoever.

[oladub]

My bad. I forgot that you can be a Congressman for 20 years and still be a "mavericky outsider" without any connections whatsoever.

Ron Paul's top three contributors to his presidential campaign were the members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. So maybe he has picked up a few insider supporters if our armed service personel can be called that. 6 of his other 20 top contributors were computer companies. All in all, it's better than having Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and USB AG showing up as primary financial connections.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/co...906&cycle=2008

[Papasito]

I'd have to agree with that, Oladub. Now if only he could get away from that KKK & anti Jew rap he has, and make himself a little more open and transparent, he might have a shot someday of making the big time. Your average American has heard his name a hundred times but never has heard him speak either. He needs to get 'out there'.

[rb336]

If you look up Rand Paul [[I know nothing of him other than his parentage, and no, I do not care much for daddy) you will see over 90% of his contributions are from individuals. gotta respect that