May 10 2006
Pace Of Change Too Slow, So Give Up
Pierre Legrand at the Pink Flamingo is a really great person who did hero’s work during Katrina. I respect him a lot and was one of the first bloggers I got to know when I started this site almost a year ago. So I am saddened to see the mental state he is in regarding Bush. Unfortunately it reenforces my earlier post about how those on the right are frustrated with the PACE of change.
Because this country will not go conservative enough, fast enough Pierre is going to stay home and not vote, and it is now fine with him to let Hillary win if that is what it results in.
Here is a newsflash for the Republican party I don’t believe I have nowhere to go! No matter if it means that Hillary gets in I am not voting in the coming election. In the past two elections I have manned phones and donated money to Republican causes. They can kiss my a$$ now. They have absolutely betrayed the trust I placed in their hands.
Well, I don’t know what to say without sounding harsh, but this is sounds like a fairly bad tactic. The logic here escapes me. The pace of progress on conservative fronts is not fast enough, so the idea is to stay home and let the Dems win so they can REVERSE everything we have accomplished? We risk a lot with this idea because Bush has really accomplished a lot:
- Banning the manufacturing of human embryos for snake-oil medical research
- Income tax cuts at all levels
- Tax cuts on investments
- Prescription Drugs for the poor and elderly (which is MUCH better than the previous program monetarily and from a humane perspective)
- The No Child Left Behind which demands minimal results for Federal dollars
- Standing up and standing by our new allies the Iraqis and Afghanis
So somehow the idea is let all this get undone, so we have to do it again in 4 to 8 years later, and be right back here. Not to mention all the bad ideas Democrats will put into law which will need to be undone.
Sorry. Just because the conservative base is not monolithic is no reason to give up on everything we have achieved. I cannot respect this kind of action.
Especially because of item number one. How anyone can allow people to harvest human beings simply because the rest of us won’t deport families who simply don’t have paperwork for their jobs (like some don’t have paperwork for their cars)? I think some people need to stop obsessing over their pet issues and realize this is not all or nothing game. Never was and never will be. It is called evolution.
It’s good to get confirmation that I’m not the only one who’s starting to get uneasy about the new “throw Bush and the Republicans under the bus” attitude that seems to be arising on the right.
For example, some of the things that are coming out about illegal immigration are alarming — there’s a story out now that the Border Patrol has been quietly telling the Mexican government where the Minutemen are patrolling (I don’t know how true this really is or not). But even though government is a huge complex beast with thousands of people in it, a lot of them making decisions we don’t like, some posters over at RightNation.us are muttering darkly about impeaching Bush over things like this.
Then, on Lucianne.com, a few of the regulars have taken to calling those of us who haven’t yet turned our backs on President Bush “Bushbots,” and as far as I can tell, these people aren’t lefties looking to get under somebody’s skin.
The last time we had discontent on the right like this, we got a third-party presidential candidate, who split the conservative vote, thus getting us Bill Clinton. It sounds like this Pierre Legrand wouldn’t mind having us repeat that experience. I just hope there aren’t too many people who feel that way in 2008.
It is sure the wrong time in history for Americans to decide that cutting the nose to spite the face is the correct strategy for handling all the minor problems which the USA is facing (WOT, Iran, immigration, etc.) But should things turn as bad as the can turn, would it be wrong to say that people actually got what they deserve!
It is ironic to think that the Palestinians can make the wrong electoral decision without any visible consequences, seen that they will now get funding as before electing Hamas, but the US will likely cease to be the hyper power it is, and God knows what else, if Republicans follow the “head-in-the -sand” strategy some propose….
I certainly hope people are smarter than that, but who knows…
If the American people are so short-sighted that they cannot envision what a majority under the Democrats would look like then I suppose they will learn the hard way.
You can bet the first thing would be higher taxes followed by more government subsidized programs and a roll back in all the gains in the War on Terror.
The immigration issue has created a fire storm which like all others will play itself out in due time. Unfortunately, we have not had a strong majority leader in the Senate in my opinion and this issue like many others have reached boiling points due to poor leadership in Congress.
As for web sites on the right calling for impeachment etc. I doubt that serious conservatives would entertain such a thought. There is another popular site that is right now having a bit of a rough go with their readership due to some opinions stated by the owner. It is certainly the right of any blogger or commenter to state their opinion, however, they must also realize that there can be consequences when you cross the line.
My hope is that conservatives can have civil discussion and not follow the lead of the left with the name calling etc. Not only is this not genuine, it is childish.
Republicans need to put the crackpipe down!…
Updates: A response to AJ below.
Article at Tapscott’s got me to thinking about being in the minority or the alternative accepting what is defined as a Republican these days. Here is my answer.
Now, with another legislative subterfuge in the of….
Oh, save your energy.
A long time ago, James Madison was able to stradle the debate, where there was resistance at signing the Constituiton, where he wrote (I think it’s in Federalist Papers #10), that FACTIONS were a GOOD THING for democracy! (While Thomas Jefferson was on the other side, saying the Executive Powers would give America a Polish Pope.) Even bright people disagree.
But the way Madison handled FACTIONS was to say it was like OXYGEN. Then, he went on to say that, yes, oxygen supports fire. But you wouldn’t want to rid the world of oxygen to stop fires, because then you couldn’t breathe! Hello reality. Oxygen is necessary for life. And, FACTIONS are necessary to keep freedom alive.
How so? Well, Madison said without FACTIONS you get majorities. And, majorities by their very nature are MOB RULE.
As to a segment of the GOPsters beset with religious beliefs coupled to their fevent displays, the GOP will never deliver. Just like a bunch of frigid wives. Bounce on them all you want, joy is not an outcome of marital bliss. But kids are.
Or at least “were” … when the religious right kept choices away from public view.
So it doesn’t matter.
Do politicians cater to the religious right? Honey, whores cater to all customers. You don’t even have to take a bath, first.
Is it sad that there are frigid women? YOU BET’CHA! They lose out on one of the real joys in life. But what can you do?
One of the real deals in politics is that saints never win. (Perhaps, because to become one first you must be tortured?) So few people actually step up to the plate to get tortured.
While I’ll repeat one thing I’ve learned, from of all people, Al Franken. He went to Bob Jones University with every intention of making fun of the kids. And, instead, he came away impressed. He found the kids LIKE-ABLE. Whereas, in his own community most people don’t like the “poor performers” all that much. Even though parents get to keep their kids home, now, longer than ever before. Since marriage has been put on the back burner.
What did I learn? Having well behaved kids is a joy. And, while life doesn’t provide guarantees, at Bob Jones University the campus abounds with joyful kids who don’t misbehave. Go figa.
Religion serves some purposes mighty well, after all.
And, for the religious right there is a genuine respect for people. It’s what makes them nice, even if you’d place yourself in some other FACTION. I know I do. (And, I also ended up with a kid whose very polite. He counts among his friends people who came from very religious homes. Me, too. I count among my friends a practicing Catholic. And, I’ve benefitted more than once from her criticisms, where lordy-lordy, I do take HIS name in “vain.” Live and learn.) And, no need not to listen.
Perhaps, that’s the key. The religious right people can be too hard for politicians to satisfy. You almost know they’re always gonna go home disappointed. But that’s their problem. They don’t say stuff that’s not worth having a good airing, ya know?)
FACTIONS. The life blood of our democracy, fer sher.
If conservatives are going to commit political suicide and go belly up for the Democrats every damn time they do not get exactly what they want…why should Independents bother with them? At least the Democrats do not eat their own.
For instance. I am not a big fan of the Minute Men. I don’t think they are bad people or anything, but they are not law enforcement, they are not trained and they did not ask for my support…so why should I act like some groupie? And on what grounds would Bush be impeached because Homeland Security supposedly said something to the Mexicans? Maybe they wanted to make sure no body got hurt, but in any event…the Minute Men have no real authority to be there and the truth is the Bush administration could probably have them hauled in if they wanted. But they haven’t.
And when Bush tried to reform social security, he got nowhere because most people do not want to see big cuts in government. Given the choice between a tax increase and cuts in Medicare, most Americans would prefer the latter.
So maybe one reason some conservatives are not getting what they want is that they lack popular support for some of the issues. Presidents are not supposed to be partisan, they are supposed to do what they believe is best for the country as a whole over the long term.
I imagine the truth is the kind of president that could win the unwavering support of someone like Pierre is someone who could never be elected in the first place.
What might happen instead is the GOP will shed the hard-line conservatives, and take in the “Joe Lieberman” Democrats and centrists who distrust both the far-right and hard-left – and it will become the American Kadima.
The consevratives think that 2008 will be a bit like 1994, when Gingrich catered to them. Unfortunately, 1992 was not in the middle of a war for American survival – and 2006 is. By putting their pet issues above the country’s survival, the conservatives will have abrogated in their moral duty to the country – and will thus prove they are as unworthy as the Dean-Pelosi Democracts to lead.
hehe…Yea Harold that might happen. A comet might also hit the earth and destroy it before that happens.
Right now I am enjoying the spectacle of DHS reporting the position of US Citizens, who btw Terrye have every right in the world to be there. This will blow up in President Bush’s face in a big way since most people will probably take a dim view of our government actually aiding and abetting illegal immigration. In the case of immigration President Bush is NOT representing the people he is representing a personal view and is deciding to take the Republican party down with him.
Islam is peace is also the personal view of President Bush. Both of those positions are absolutely lines in the sand that I will not cross.
In regards to someone who would get my support. I found no faults in President Reagan. He seems to have done fairly well in the polls. The Rockefeller wing of the Republican party caused us to be a minority party for oh so many years. Moderation is not an answer it is a cop out.
Pierre
Pierre:
Do the Minute Men own the border? On one hand I hear that the government should control every inch of that border and then on the other I hear that private citizens can do whatever they want at that same border and the government has no right to bother them. Handy.
My point is that I do not know these people. I am not saying they do not mean well, but they have nothing to do with me. Nada. I did not ask them to go out there. I do know that some locals in some places have complained about them showing up and hassling people, while some people appreciate their efforts.
I think the right has gone over the deep end on this to such an extent that they have become hysterical and shrill. And if it is true that the Minute Men have every right to hassle people on the border, I have every right to not give them my mindless and adoring support. You can do that for me.
BTW, I meant that most people would rather see a tax increase on the wealthy than see cuts in Medicare. Medicare is Mom.
Reagan nver supported a wall, he did give amnesty to millions of illegals. He spent more money in terms of GDP and taxed at a higher rate. He did nothing to deal with the growing threat of Jihadism and he was not that attached to the Religious Right. Today the resurgent Buchanan wing of the party would savage the man.
You probably don’t mean to say that I am shrill and hysterical so I won’t take that way. After all I can hear the love in your voice…heh.
In regards to your understanding of the Minutemen. In Texas they are operating on the private property of a rancher whose property has been overun by illegals.
Texas Operations Base, Vickers’ Ranch near Falfurrias, Brooks County, Texas. All operations will be held on the private property of Mike & Linda Vickers and other local ranchers whose properties have been overrun and negatively impacted. The Vickers’ “Tack Room” building will serve as the operations base and communication center as used in previous operations.
Furthermore they are not “hassling” people at the border they are reporting crossings when they occur to the Border Patrol so that the criminals can be arrested.
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps volunteers abide by a strict standard of conduct that includes a ‘no contact’ policy regarding suspected illegal aliens, with an exception to provide emergency water and medical assistance. Volunteers will report to the authorities any illegal activity seen on the border.
The bottom line is this as citizens we do not get the choice on which laws we will obey. Indeed we can even be prosecuted for violating laws we might not fully understand. So it follows that Politicians do not get to pick and choose which laws they will enforce. President Bush may not like the immigration laws but he must enforce them if we are to remain a country of laws. Any cursory glance at his record will show that he has completely abrogated the enforcement of our immigration laws to a degree that has Former President Clinton looking like a law and order candidate.
Now with the reports that the Department of Homeland security has been reporting to the Mexican Government on the Minutemen…well that is a bridge too far for this former Bush supporter.
In regards to Reagan, insinuating that he would think Bush’s big spending is a good idea is hilarious. Reagan spent lots of money on the military, which is exactly what the US Government is supposed to spend its money on. Reagan was constantly trying to whittle down the size of government he simply didn’t have the sort of majority that Bush as squandered.
On immigration Reagan was exactly right and Bush’s best pal Kennedy is the one who gutted the enforcement provisions of Reagans immigration reform.
In exchange for legal status for the group, Reagan insisted that the magnet attracting illegal aliens to the United States be removed by extinguishing any incentive for U.S. employers to hire illegal aliens. In tandem with the amnesty, Reagan campaigned for employer sanctions for hiring illegal aliens, sanctions so stringent that many at the time regarded them as draconian.
Reagan reasoned that if an employer were fined for hiring an illegal alien (as much as $1 million in the worst cases), any payroll savings achieved by the hiring would be wiped out by the fine. In effect, it would be more expensive to hire illegal aliens than to hire Americans or lawful permanent residents. The few illegal aliens who continued to take the gamble and cross the border would be intercepted by a robust and more generously funded Border Patrol.
Punishing employers who hire illegals is EXACTLY the correct way to stop the flood of slaves across the border. We do them no favors by allowing employers to employ them with none of the protections enjoyed by US Employees. Instead we condemn them to lives of misery and hiding.
Instead of that we should vastly ease the legal entry into the country. We should require that anyone seeking to become a citizens or aquire a legal permit return to their country to aquire such paperwork. Simply because violation of our laws should never be condoned. Employers who enslave those poor people should be put into jail.
No Terrye, Reagan would not be amused by the shenanigans of President Bush.
Slaves? tread carefully here Pierre. I don’t have any patience for derogatory talk like that. They are people who freely come here to make a living and help their family. Don’t go insulting them here.
On the US telling the Mexicans where the US patrols are, this is military safety 101. Both sides are armed and could mistakenly shoot at each other. By letting each other know where their patrols are they avoid accidents.
Get a grip people. Patrols with guns are not a joke and precautions need to be taken.
Karig,
About 5% on the right are like this – and they need to be ignored. We want progress, not emotional rantings.
Carol, Factions are fine. Anger and outbursts are to not a faction, they are a weakness.
Being called a slave is certainly not an insult to those who find themselves being employed for below minimum wage without workmans comp or any legal standing to redress workplace grievances. Not sure why you would be upset with my calling them that except that it paints the Bush administration in a poor light.
They come here freely but they are unable to live freely because it is handier for politicians like President Bush to have illegals than it is to have them here legally. You do them no favors.