Thursday Open Thread: Majority Edition
by PubliusYesterday, Sen. Jim Webb announced that he would not seek reelection. It is increasingly likely that the GOP will take over the Senate. What they do with that when they get it is anyone’s guess.
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78 Comments
If they're smart, Republicans will make Jim DeMint the Senate Majority Leader.
They're not smart.
With the piddling cuts proposed by RINOs Boehner, Cantor et al, our debt will ensure there is no Republic to save in 2012, majority or no. Inflation and borrowing will destroy our nation. During the elections we said if these bums didn't do their jobs they'd have the TEA Party to deal with, now we say: "well, it's a start". A start? We're rapidly approaching the finish-line, people. Where'd the radicalism go? We were seriously talking about ax'n Social Security, Medicaid, & Medicare. Now, only 72 days after the, supposed, "TEA Party Revolution" we're placated with $32B? A whole, whoppin' 2.13% — of our $1,500,000,000,000.00 deficit?
"It is increasingly likely that the GOP will take over the Senate. What they will do with that is anyone's guess."
Gee Publius, you make it sound as if the GOP were taking over the Senate next week. It's almost two
years… will we even still have a country by then?
I'm not guessing what ''they'' will do with that. I know what they will do. They will do just what we tell them
to do, no if's and's or but's!
We are through putting up with their shenanigans.
As I said last year before the election, we may have to go to DC and camp out on the Mall…
if that's what it takes, SO BE IT!
.
Speaking of majority, looks like Whites won't be in it for too many more years.
Though of course the story is spun as "Census Estimates Show Big Gains For US Minorities" when "Census Estimates Show Big Losses For US White Majority" would be equally as accurate.
What will they do…? I'd love to throw out predictions like "what they swore to do while on the campaign trail", but I'm just not that naive <sigh>
They'll do what best suits *them*….and then what is best for the country. And typing that truth irks the utter hell outta me. Hold those senatorial feet to the fury of public fires…
I'm sorry to see Webb pack it in before I had a chance to vote against him. No matter, now maybe we'll get a chance to defeat Timmy "The Unibrow" Kaine.
I like Jamie Radtke myself in that seat.
I too was planning to actively campaign AGAINST Webb, but uni-brow Kaine will now be my target.
I'm with CornPone above. I want to know what the guys we have in there TODAY are going to do to stop this country from sliding into an abyss!
2012 is a LONG, LONG time from here, Far, Far in the future…
We need to survive that long first!
Amen Madam Corn!
I like Radtke, too. Hopefully we will get a primary rather than a caucus candidate. I can live with Allen but I'd be happier with a more solid conservative. JMO.
With the intentional damage done to our beloved country in the last 100 years…it concerns me that we may not be able to save our Republic!
Agreed!
How can we ensure a primary vs. a caucus? There MUST be something we can do to influence that…
It all depends on whether Radtke chooses to run as a Republican or as a Tea Party candidate. Ordinarily, if there is an incumbent GOP Senator, which there isn't, that incumbent gets to choose between a primary or caucus. That is how John Warner managed to stay in office so long.
If Radtke runs as a TP candidate then it's a three way race, which could prove to be bad since Allen was fairly popular and has stayed visible in GOP circles. Three way races in Virginia usually produce bad outcomes. Evidence Potts pulling just enough votes to give Webb the last election.
As far as influencing that situation is concerned, it will have to come from the within the GOP. That is the main reason that I re-registered as a Republican and re-joined the local party, even though I am active with the Tea Party.
"……….What they do with that when they get it is anyone’s guess………."
That is not the important question that will loom around 2012.
It is; what will we the Tea Party Movement do to assure,……
the eradication of the damage caused by this progressive administration.
One way or another,……. A party will do it.
I think the question is what will the Tea Party do? Will they continue to support the Republicans or will they move to form their own party?
I believe she registered her campaign as a Republican before George Allen did.
I agree a third party just makes a mess of things.
Good info, thanks.
Senate Republicans = Lucy Van Pelt
Voters = Charlie Brown (?)
Election Promises = Held Football
Look for Webb as a potential VP candidate (replacing Biden).
This is a long game. What we started in 2010 must move through several election cycles and slowly the Washington weasels will get the point, cut, cut, cut government, and when in doubt cut more.
Good Idea! I just hope there's going to be enough conservative going to CPAC to straighten out that gaggle of geese. That'd be a good starting place to do some real a$$ stompin' and make sure "they" realize we haven't lost momentem since the elections.
Yep, they probably will. With the House also likely to remain in GOP hands, that will make it that much harder for a Republican to take the White House in 2012.
This becomes even more of an issue the more the GOP House uses their majority to push far-right agenda items like defunding abortion instead of focusing on jobs and the deficit as the Tea Party said was their mandate. Moderates and independents will be unwilling to risk having the House, Senate and White House all in the hands of a party led by fringe elements, with a GOP president rubber-stamping their agenda.
Mornin Eos,
Despite our "faith" votes, the issues that seemed so clear on the campaign are, what do they call them? Complex. Far more intricate and deserving of deliberate consideration. I tried that reasoning on my husband.
There's this cool house in Texas that's, um, well, priced at double the market value but dang, the kitchen has been totally redone with granite counter tops,a Jen Aire range, it has hardwood floors throughout and a master bathroom to die for, it's in the right neighborhood with the best elementary school in the city and oh yeh, it's got a built in grill on the covered patio……..all things that ADD value later on when we want to sell it…
so it's important to CONSIDER all these upgrades and location when we think about buyin investment property, RIGHT?
He said "Uh, we don't HAVE $390K dollars. How are we gonna PAY for it."
well yehhhhh…there is THAT.
CAVEAT EMPTOR.
Yo congress……What SPENDING is NOT on the CHOPPIN BLOCK when you have NO MONEY?
EXACTLY!!!
"What SPENDING is NOT on the CHOPPIN BLOCK when you have NO MONEY?"
I have been unemployed since early Sept. I've got a couple part time gigs just recently, but 66 hours a month will not keep the heat on my my house. We have cut back SEVERELY ourselves. Congress needs to live more like "we the people" do.
I'm not even thinking about the next election….
I'm just thinking about surviving until 2012….
The Republicans remind me of a line in an old Tom Selleck movie where Selleck is trying to take down the two crooked cops who framed him for a crime. "They have been getting away with so much for so long that they think that the only thing that can hurt them is kryptonite".
The Republicans have been getting away with talking one game while walking another since Roosevelt was president. I don't think that anything short of taking out every sitting Republican in the next two primaries can stop the spending spree. Even if we beat the big spenders in the primaries we can count on them helping the Democrats to defeat any sincere small government candidate. Look at what Scozzafava did in New York. If you're as young as your picture then you don't remember what Rockefeller did to Goldwater and no Republicans will tell you about it.
Unless we are willing to risk losing an election we will end up with a Bush clone like Romney or Gingrich and have eight more years of ever increasing government. We have to support only those with unblemished records of supporting small government. That means no Boehners, no Ryans and no Cantors. They have to go down in the primaries. A vote for the TARP, BushieCare (senior drugs) or the bailouts must be an absolute disqualifier.
We know that the obama admin's marxist redistribution policies, open borders, forced foreign invasion, and an overt war on our core American values and traditions is a recipe for disaster. Our "Americanism" is being forcibly ripped from US.
Start active hearings on the illegal actions of Holder, Obama, Pelosi and Reid. Disband Union money grabbers, Socialists, Open Border advocates, marxists, Islamists and Illegal Aliens . Close up the borders, chop the Fed Govt Agencies & Regulations in half, including the Dept of Homeland Security which is Obama's bat to abuse US!
Restore America. Foreigners of Obama's choice are being allowed to invade America and are ruining the greatest Country on earth!
Political Correctness and Religious tolerance used to be ok. Now it is suicide for US. I reject "PC" and Illegal Alien trespassers and Islamists. We Tea Party activists need to demand that the integrity of America be preserved.
LOL, no I'm not quite as young as the gal in the avi pic, although I am "Among the Very Young at Heart"…
If you remember that song, you may have a clue of my age… It was one of the first songs I remember
learning from listening to the radio as a wee child…
BTW, I agree with your ''take'' on the R Party…
; )
Mornin Ralph,
Sometimes I think a clean sweep is the only answer. Get rid of the cult of corruption by getting rid of those it's already corrupted. A DO OVER.
How many times will Republicans have to betray us before we just toss everyone out and start fresh? I'm not prepared to spend the rest of my life babysitting congress. And this congress has already shown a significant RESISTANCE to swift and meaningful economic and regulatory cuts. They hold HEARINGS more for us I think that with a goal toward true reform.
I'm not seein the same level of "anti-big gov't, anti-spending" fervor I saw during the campaign.
Hey Dave,
Has anyone taken the pulse of the Tea Party to see how many declare themselves Republican and how many are indies? That would quickly tell us whether we nave the numbers for a viable third party.
I think you're right, TR,
I don't know anyone….which isn't a huge group, but they're vocal, who EVER wants a UNIPARTY gov't again, no matter WHICH party that may be. We need the push and pull, give and take of two strong parties with some vocal indies…….you know……REPRESENTATIVE OF AMERICA kind of gov't.
And I've said it more times than I can count….if we make divisive highly emotional and deeply personal issues the focus of any campaign, we'll lose the moderates in BOTH parties who think these are personal choice issues, not congressional mandate issues.
Tricky times, my friend. We're still on very thin ice.
Exactly!
"Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you"
Yeah, I remember that one on the radio too. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone how old we are.
Then the beatings will continue until the fiscal picture improves…
Got that, RNC….?
I got a tent…
RALPH!
BUICK!
CHUCK!
BOKE!
PUKE!
What a terrible thought!
The beatings will continue until the fiscal picture improves…
I'm so sorry to hear that Eos. I have a friend on RCP who's been out of work going on 3 years now. No, he can flip burgers at MickieD's but he's a PhD psychologist who worked to develop educational programs to use to teach children with learning disabilities. No chance for him, methinks. Not with the current ire of the nation directed at education and teachers' unions, even though he isn't part of that.
You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm doing everything in my power to see that you and he don't become part of the "fall out" caused by horrible gov't, obscenely wasteful squandering of our national wealth and that you and the millions of others caught in the economic crossfire can get back to work.
That is EXACTLY WHY I keep yelling for no third party…
All it ever does is split the voting bloc of your side…and gives the enemy the field…
Ross Perot gave us nothing but Clinton…
and a great mornin to you too sweetie
"…….I'm not seein the same level of "anti-big gov't, anti-spending" fervor I saw during the campaign……"
Just watched Indiana's Mike Pence,.one of our,………. "Stars"
His comment were so small, even the volume full blast would not have helped.
These clowns are talking a billion here and a billion there in a way that,…..
one would think we were back in the Eisenhower years.
At the time of the 2012 election, it’s still a Democrat Senate majority, and ‘likely’ does not mean ‘guaranteed’ that the Republicans will take the senate, so a Republican presidential candidate can play on that uncertainly.
I think what is missing is the lack of Tea Party members who,…
are a part of Talk radio and FOX.
This entire cadre always refers The Tea Party as a group they are not a part of.
Conservative media (in part or whole) has to become an arm of this movement.
O'Donnell lost because of Carl Rove,…..
The Tea Party is bigger than Carl Rove yet,…..
his every word is clearly stated in the media.
When I attended the New Lennox, IL Tea Party on Labor Day in 2009,….
there were a ton of signs recognizing that Glen Beck was the rising star at FOX.
His popularity has shot up since than.
Hell, they're already talking about compromise….
You don't compromise with someone who's trying to destroy everything you believe in…..
If at first you don't secede, try try again.
Harry, thanks for my first LOL of the day… ''secede" good one…
Have a good one yourself!
; )
.
That is how John Warner managed to stay in office so long."
Thank YOU Sgt, for explaining that rule in your states election process. Very interesting!
.
I KNOW, Ralph….
How can they just SAY a BILLION….without even blinkin??? I don't get how otherwise seemingly intelligent people can so consistently MISS the point, NOT GET plain english, let alone THINK we're going to be placated with a few spending cuts and maybe defunding PPA or ACORN or some other easy target….here toss'em THIS bone and they'll be like little children with a new toy.
That's the attitude that really does make me want to just send'em all packin and start fresh. Corruption isn't something you consciously EMBRACE. It's a subtle rot that takes you over in baby steps. And the corrupted are the last to admit they're corrupt cause they don't see it, which makes them even MORE dangerous.
What's that FIRST STEP again….
1) Admit you are powerless over "CORRUPTION" and your life has been taken over by it?
I SO TOTALLY don't see that EVER coming out of the mouth of ANYONE in office…..
Rand Paul is talking about 500 billion in cuts, and the Republican leadership is talking about 32 billion (until they reduce that amount AGAIN). The Republican leadership ought to be flat out embarassed. This means that the tea party will have to overthrow the GOP completely from within (will take years) or form a third party and run against both the Socialists and the Republicans (Socialist-lite) at once (and this will also take years). Both will be painful and I don't know which will take longer… but we are talking about a long time in either scenario. GOP is betraying us AGAIN and it is time for them to expire.
What does that have to do with anything? The issue has nothing to do with race or ethnicity – it has to do with ideology… the opposing ideology is a derivative of Marxism. They call themselves Democrats, yet they are not democratic. They call themselves liberal, but they are not liberal in the classical sense of the word. They call themselves progressive, however they are actually regressive. This is the message that needs to be communicated; that the democRat party is destroying the country and it has NOTHING to do with race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
A smart negotiator always asks for more than he'll settle for….
ours have done just the opposite…..
Best guess is that they(the GOP) will do little or nothing of great significance with majorities in both the House and Senate……….There are still way way too many RINOS populating the GOP ranks. It will take at least a decade to cleanse them from the ranks.
In the meantime we will continue to lose our freedoms and liberties as wealth is taken from the "producers" and given to the "takers"…………..FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE!
Saddle up!!!
And, while we are there we should take crates of those stupid "curly fry" light bulbs and smash them on the Capitol steps.
Can you please get rid of the elephant and replace it with images of Tea Party rallies? That's more accurate.
Ok, confession time. That's not really my picture in the avitar either. My hair is somewhat spikier.
Must mean they are not Smart…
Damn fools!
or negoitating for the other side…..
Damn traitors!
I don't know of any polls. But a Tea Party would pull from all but the progressives. As their platform (I think) would be on the Constitution and the role of government.
Your right the Tea Party needs to push the MSM as well as Conservative media outlets to have Tea Party spokesperson on their panels and not some so called Conservative insider. What media types call Conservatives are normally closer to being a RINO and in no way understand the movement.
That would be fun Hobbes, but seems like I heard Rush mentioning breaking one of those things
could cause an environmental problem of epic proportion. Something about mercury poisoning…
I like the sentiment though, perhaps eggs would work, they are biodegradable, and would really
blend right in with the rotten stinking mess we have in DC already. I bet the birds would enjoy the
feast, as an added benefit.
.
YES, zebo.., exactly!!!
; )
Ooohhh, now I seeeee, sorry to be so blond today… I gotcha now… sometimes I need pics, LOL!
So where can we buy those dam things in bulk?
; )
LOL! I have many of those "blond days".
Unfortunately, probably bulk orders would only be available from the People's Republic of China …. distributed proudly by GE.
That's where I lay my odds- negotiating for the *other* side. As my grandmother who raised me said "they've got more faces than Carter's got pills"
Ahhh, my sweet HammahMan, you do know how to make me smile.
So…should we use a 12 foot bullwhip, or get snazzy and use Sjambok, <snort>
….I am soooo bad LOL
Aww, come on now. Let the little puppy have some fun!
<whine> do I haaaaave to???? ; )
not into proffesional polititians….
I'm all for term limits….
Why that isn't an Amendment? It damn sure should be.
It would have to be a national referendum, as few politicians would vote for it….
It would give you some quality time with the puppy, not to mention allowing you to capture a few "Kodak" moments!
Hey youngster! Depends on whether it is the Manilow or Sinatra version.
Nice!!! Although I prefer "If at first you don't secede, @#$% it, do it another way!"
Uuuhhh, who sang it before Sinatra? Seems my memory is of a trio or quartet of girl singers
out with that one in the early fifties. Maybe not though, as I said above I was a wee tot, but I
loved that ''tune''.
; )
pix, you're not bad, (sic)…
You're just like me…tired of people expending all their energy and effort in looking for razor edges to ride on, rather than standing in the well of the House and the Senate, and bellowing "Oh, HELL NO…!"
Just take the plunge, Congress…everyone gets 7% less in their budgets to start with…and the term "mandatory spending" means, "We're gonna look at cutting this stuff FIRST…"
Sugar Daddy is outta cash, kiddies…make do with what you get, or we make you go away…
Capiche?
PS: Sjambok…
Fear is a political tool which can be used by any candidate, but scaring people isn’t always effective, and can be viewed as a weakness. To frighten anyone, an alternative must be offered, and the president has to illustrate tangible improvements. Also, blaming others has been the administration’s strategy for the last two years, i.e. it’s Bush’s fault, and by 2012, it may well have grown very stale.
There's nothing wrong with scaring people when they have good reason to be scared. The prospect of a GOP-led Congress trying to pass a far-right-wing agenda and a president rubber-stamping all of it is a serious concern for moderates and independents.
As for the "Bush's fault" stuff, funny how both sides both want to forget about what their guy did when he was in office. The same people whining about Dems blaming Bush for things spent all eight years that Bush was in office blaming Clinton. Some of them are *still* doing it.
If you saying scaring people is okay, then the Democrats scared people lost the midterms on a national and state level, and the constant harping about the right wing was to no effect this past November. The independents were a factor in the Democrat loss of the House. Interestingly enough the majority of voters think the president rubberstamps the health care law. Rubberstamping goes both ways.
I don’t think voters should forget the past and the president should be concerned about that as well. A large chuck of the debt is money he and his party spent. The stimulus didn’t work and 9% unemployment is 9%. Bush has no political power. He can’t create more debt. Yes, politicians can always scare up the ‘bogyman’ voter, but as I wrote above, it was the Democrats who lost.
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