I had a lot of discussions last year with conservatives who refused to vote for – indeed, fumed with anger against – Norm Coleman; because of one transgression or another (keeping a campaign promise and voting against ANWR drilling being one example), they called him a “RINO”. It was palpable balderdash, of course; Coleman was as conservative as a Minnesota Senator ever could be on a wide range of issues, including the ones – I am stressing this much more strongly verbally than you can possible tell through my writing – that should matter to conservatives, things like the budget, the war, American sovereignty.
And above that, remember – perfect is the enemy of good enough. Coleman wasn’t the perfect conservative – but I hasten to add that Minnesota at this point in history is not going to elect a perfect conservative. Norm Coleman was the best that we’re going to get out of five million people who also think Amy Klobuchar and Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum and Jim Oberstar are just dreamy.
Elections have consequences. And in the Obamacare debate, we’re seeing those consequences, lining up at our nation’s head like a Russian-Roulette player’s revolver.
Mr. D at TvM via T has a gentle reminder for at least 300 “conservatives” who helped put Al Franken in office just as surely as ACORN and MoveOn did:
Congratulations to those “true conservatives” who pulled the lever for Dean Barkley to teach that RINO Norm Coleman a lesson. You really showed ‘em. Congratulations to the Peggy Noonans and Christopher Buckleys of the world, who had every reason to know what the result of their perdify would be. Congratuations to Doug Kmiec, who assured everyone that voting with the Democrats was the best way to preserve life. I hope you enjoy your time as Ambassador to Malta. Maybe you can stay there.
Congratulations to all of you. Elections have consequences. You now get to enjoy the consequences.
And a prediction:
The next big growth industry? Maquiladora hospitals. And remember, you heard it here first.
D makes a good observation; this may be the best thing to happen to the economy of Mexico and Honduras, ever.
Too bad we couldn’t have saved a couple trillion dollars and done it by getting them to overthrow socialism instead.
Remember how GWB doubled spending on education in a short time (with no accountability to how it was spent), and then the Democrats said he was starving schools so we need to spend more? I do. Guess what ever election will be from now until we die. Spending on so called health care. The foot is in the door. Harkin told left wing activitists to be patiant. This is only a “starter house”. The “mansion is coming”.
Angryclown respects you kooks who won’t back anyone to the left of Darth Vader. You don’t really want to govern – you suck at it anyway. So why not just consume yourselves with internal purges? Better dead than RINO, don’t you think?
Well, to be fair to us, the voters (and, in Coleman’s case, Mark Richie) pretty well purged the RINOs. It was largely the principled conservatives that won; Michele Bachmann held out against a full court national press, and Erik Paulsen ran to the right of conventional wisdom to win the MN3.
No, Clown, let The One keep this up and we’ll have the country back soon enough.
I tried to convince the hard right purest group that you can’t get a hard right candidate elected in Minnesota, but they held to their convictions and lost their elections. And Obama/Reid/Pelosi are pretty much defining “suck at governing” right now. 2010 will be a Democrat bloodbath.
And Ben Nelson had shown to be no better than a prostitute as he has proven the old joke, it is just a matter of price. And so has live. I am also a bit incredulous to a certain weekend talk show hostess of the other radio band who just a few months ago was willing to chime in with her callers and say how Coleman and Franken have no real differences. Yesterday she was at loss to understand how Franken could be a Senator. So how is that losing on principle working for her. If I wanted to find someone to agree with me 100% of the time I would look in the mirror, but such wisdom is lost on the “young.” Did I always agree with Sen. Coleman? No, but at least I felt I had the chance to influence his thinking such as he held the same position on ANWAR as Sen. McCain. And, Sen. McCain changed his position on no drilling. When asked why? He said $4/gallon gas. Republicans may win back control but at what cost? This health care bill if passed will not be repealed, but be tinkered with around the edges. “The Forgotten Man” is a good book but to get the whole story I suggest reading ‘Economics and the Public Welfare” by B. Anderson. The replay of 1937-38 may only be months away.
Mitch wrote: “Michele Bachmann held out against a full court national press”
leaving out that after her Hardball appearance, the RNC pulled out their money and support. Conservative is one thing, but then there is extreme and crazy. Like the rumored rapprochment with the upcoming CPAC and the John Birch Society. How lunatic ‘fringe’ can you go?
Thanks for the nod, Mitch.
“rumored”
Stick to facts please.
I’ve heard “rumors” that Obama was not born in the United States.
leaving out that after her Hardball appearance, the RNC pulled out their money and support.
I also left out the foster kids and her law degree, too! How sloppy could I be?
You’ve been hanging out with Penigma too much, rhetorically. “Leaving out”? No, Dog, I didn’t “leave it out”; in a statement that *Bachmann won* in a post on a completely different topic, is wasn’t relevant.
Conservative is one thing, but then there is extreme and crazy.
Actually, to the talkingpointbots that you seem to be getting your rhetoric about Bachmann and Palin, conservative/”extreme”/”crazy” ARE all one thing when it comes to conservative women.
The ONLY thing it takes for a woman to be labelled “crazy” and “extreme” is to be anything other than barefoot, pregnant and in the liberal kitchen.
Like the rumored rapprochment with the upcoming CPAC and the John Birch Society.
“Rumored” rapprochment?
This is getting absurd. The “rumor” is a turdbomb floated by the likes of Media Matters (for example; I’m not sure who actually is behind this supposed rumor) to try start a whisper campaign against the GOP.
How lunatic ‘fringe’ can you go?
DG, you need to examine whether or not you really want to turn into another Grace Kelly.
The final straw for me was the October 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. This was the “original” $700 billion bank bailout that kicked off the even more massive wave of spending/handouts that followed. I viewed this as nothing short of a betrayal of the public’s trust and an enormous taxpayer rip-off. That ANY republican candidate would support it I considered either unbelievably gullible or something far more sinister. Norm Coleman did not get my vote on Election Day, nor did any other candidate who supported the bailout. And I stand by my decision.
I was one of those who pulled the lever for McCain/Palin but stayed out of the Franken-Coleman race. I had a hard time going for McCain, but Coleman was a typical Minnesota Republican, and ex-Democrat who governed like a Democrat. I have no doubt that had Coleman won, he would have been holding out for $100 million for the VA hospital and then would vote in favor of Obamacare thus giving the bill “bipartisan support.”
Tony, did you really think McCain had a shot at winning MN electoral votes?
Do you actually have examples for why you feel that way about Coleman? Please refrain from the peevee/deegee left-wing-moon-bat talking points.
…. ….
“How lunatic ‘fringe’ can you go?”
DogNAGit, no one compares to you and PeeveeBoy.