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February 11, 2009
So, Who's Up for an Ideological Purge?
The stimulus bill passed the senate? This situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
The only purpose there ever was to allowing liberals like Collins, Snowe and Specter in the party in spite of all their wandering off the reservation was that they would still cast a few keys votes when numbers fell at important dividing points – e.g. a Republican as majority leader when the Senate was divided 50-50; with the party when at or near 60-40 to stop or end filibusters.Maybe there's another explanation. Maybe, and stick with me here, Dave...maybe Snowe and Collins are representing the constituents of their state. Like it or not, and I don't, Maine is a pretty liberal state filled with people who stand to benefit from the bill and are likely to call in support of it. Maybe they're doing exactly what the majority of the people they represent have asked them to do. It's unfortunate they didn't stand up for Republican principles, but good that they're loyal to republican principles. Irritating, but it's better than having them ignore the voters.Neither one of these reasons exists anymore. Democrats presently have 58 votes, and with this betrayal, these three have proven they can't even be counted on to uphold filibusters. As such, they have demonstrated themselves to be completely expendable.
These senators have also proven themselves to be liars by claiming a party label to which they have no legitimate right whatsoever. And if they won't be either honest or honorable enough to simply switch to the party with whom they already vote the overwhelming share of the time anyway, then they must be held accountable from without. They can lie to themselves all they want about being “Republicans,” but that doesn't mean anyone else should participate in their ridiculous delusions.
Also, like Allah, I'm not sure what kicking them out of the caucus would actually accomplish. Sure, it would make conservatives feel good for a time, but wouldn't really do much to promote party unity. After all, if we start booting people for not following principles, who gets to decide what principles are the litmus test?
And do we really want to be a party in which everyone is waiting for the axe to fall if they don't toe the line on every vote?
Posted by slublog at February 11, 2009 05:45 PM
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Comments
And do we really want to be a party in which everyone is waiting for the axe to fall if they don't toe the line on every vote?
Then we'd be Democrats. Ask Joe Lieberman.
Posted by: FishFearMe at February 11, 2009 11:27 PM
"If we start booting people for not following principles, who gets to decide what principles are the litmus test?"
What a stupid question. Principles are by their very definition already decided and agreed upon. Y'know: Reagan? The Contract With America? Conservatism? The founding documents?
The Three Idiots don't care in the least for Conservative principles. Never have, never will. They're self-described moderates, which means they can be bought, as they have clearly demonstrated. But they most certainly are not Conservatives.
They should be immediately expelled from any conscientious Republican caucus. Set these traitors adrift and demonstrate for one and all that the Republican Party has principles.
Now is the time.
Posted by: Jim at February 12, 2009 04:53 AM
What a stupid question. Principles are by their very definition already decided and agreed upon. Y'know: Reagan? The Contract With America? Conservatism? The founding documents?
Lot of issues mixed up in there. Which ones do you think are ban-worthy? Is there a spectrum?
And enough with the 'traitor' stuff. Since you've mentioned the founding documents, you should know that 'treason' has a specific legal definition and doesn't apply in this case. Not even close.
It's worth nothing you ignored the possibility that Snowe and Collins are doing exactly what the founding documents instruct our elected officials to do - represent the people that sent them to office. You may disagree with what they did, but it's ridiculous for you to call them traitors for doing their jobs.
Posted by: Slublog at February 12, 2009 10:12 AM
Don't matter, Spencer is dying as we watch. cancer will take him shortly
How is this relevant to the current discussion at all? No more like this, please.
Posted by: Hillary Stank at February 12, 2009 12:04 PM
Ah, so we get to blame Maine, then?
I think the answer is clear: Slublog for Senator.
Posted by: Hal at February 12, 2009 12:28 PM
I think the answer is clear: Slublog for Senator.
He couldn't afford the cut in pay.
/
Posted by: FishFearMe at February 12, 2009 02:36 PM
First time on your site - I like it!
With respect to the earlier 'traitor' comments, I don't think that the three stooges are necessarily that, however, I think that you can make an argument that the pursuit of this 'its a crisis so we have to act now' legislative process, (or lack thereof), is designed to circumvent the normal legislative process, predicated on a falsehood - the falsehood being that the bill is designed to alleviate the conditions used to drive it's conception. This I believe to be the case, and not in the Republic's best interest.
Traitorous? Maybe more like unpatriotic, but I certainly would grant Jim some slack on the label given those that are so freely applied by those on the other side of the aisle.
-OMB
Posted by: OMB at February 12, 2009 11:58 PM