Postman reads the New Republic. Here’s a snip of the original article:
FOR THE NETROOTS, partisan fidelity is the sine qua non. As Moulitsas told Newsweek in 2005, “The issue is: Are you proud to be a Democrat? Are you partisan?” What they cannot forgive is Democrats or liberals who distance themselves from their party or who give ammunition to the enemy. The netroots will forgive Democrats in conservative districts for moving as far to the right as necessary to win elections. But they do everything within their power to eliminate from liberal states or districts moderates like Joe Lieberman or Jane Harman, whose stances are born of conviction rather than necessity. This is precisely the same principle espoused by Norquist and other GOP activists. They will defend Republicans who need to demonstrate their independence from the national party in order to maintain their electoral viability. (As Norquist once remarked about Lincoln Chafee, “A Republican from Rhode Island is a gift from the gods.”)
First off, in 2006, conservative groups like Club for Growth went after Senator Lincoln Chafee. They ran a right wing candidate in the primary that forced Chafee to move to the right, only to put in out of the mainstream in the general election. Rhode Islanders loved the Chafee family, and they really liked Lincoln Chafee. But, after seeing him tack to the right, they remembered that their “nice guy” Senator was still a Republican. And being a Republican in New England was a really bad thing to be in ’06.
So the idea that the conservative interest groups are so Machiavellian, so brilliant, and so comfortable with moderates like Chafee, is wrong. Democrats like Markos from DailyKos got painted as a purity-demanding extremists for going after Lieberman. The difference is, Connecticut is a blue state, and either Lieberman or Ned Lamont was going to win in ’06, so there was no real downside to trying to knock out the DINO Lieberman. Conservatives, on the other hand, were not nearly so savvy, and sabotaged Chafee with an ill-advised primary challenge.
The Netroots? Smart and savvy. Club for Growth and other conservative groups? Dumbest mother f****** in the universe.
What’s more, ever since Rep. Jane Harmon was challenged by the Democratic base in her district, she has seen the light and has become a great congresswoman. And conservative Democrats like Sen. Ben Nelson and Rep. Gene Taylor do receive their fair share of kudos on liberal blogs, even though those two guys don’t vote with Democrats as much as I’d like them to. Heck, having Nelson in Nebraska is a gift from God, and Taylor, while socially conservative, is an FDR Democrat.
As for the difference between the “wonkosphere” and party-line Democratic blogs, I see the difference, but in the end everyone is on the same team. Goldy a political blogger of the first order; he’s all about winning elections and gaining/using power. But, he also has his wonky side wherein he’ll get into the nitty-gritty of tax reform and gambling issues. I too am a proud political hack who also likes to write about health care and urban planning.
So, Postman, I’d take anything about liberal blogs that’s published in the New Republic with a gigantic grain of salt. They love kiss-ass DC cocktail party Democrats who apologize for being Democrats. The New Republic LOVES Lieberman, and they love Democrats who believe that if only Democrats were more like Republicans, they’d be in power…
…when, in fact, as we learned in ’06, the opposite is true.
“New Republican” Democrats don’t know how to win elections or accomplish anything that real Democrats view as important.
There’s three things you’ll find in the middle of the road: dead skunks, yellow lines, and Joe Lieberman.
So Headlice:
Are you saying Bill Clinton and the Democrap Leadershit Council was worthless?
Are you saying their definition of progressive issues was wrong?
Are you saying Hilary’s membership in this group is a waste of her time?
Just wondering!
2 I can’t speak for Will, but my answers would be:
(1.) Nearly so for him and now entirely so for them.
(2.) You damn betcha.
(3.) Who gives a damn?
I wonder if they use U.S.-manufactured electronic voting machines in France?
“I too am a proud political hack who also likes to write about health care and urban planning.”
I’m merely a hard-working political hack who likes to write about how inept, dishonest, and slimy Republicans are — which they make easy by, well, by being what they are.
As for winning elections, that’s a necessary prerequisite for NOT HAVING REPUBLICANS IN POWER FUCKING THINGS UP!!! It’s gotten to a level where I’ll take a bad Democrat over any Republican every time. I didn’t use to be that way.
In the old days, I voted for some Republican candidates. But now that Republicans put party loyalty ahead of everything else — including God, country, and the lives of our troops — I can’t vote for any Republican anymore. I have a higher duty. Now, I need to save my country from something unspeakably evil.
Postman entirely misses the biggest difference of all between Democrats and Republicans. We Democrats do engage in self-examination and self-criticism. We do value honesty, ethical standards, and results. Republicans have sacrificed every ounce of integrity to getting power at all costs. And because they believe they’re doing God’s work, they have no inhibitions. It is this “mission for God” facet of their psychology that leads to think, in their own minds, that they’re justified in doing virtually anything — including lying, stealing, torturing and killing, and breaking laws.
The once-proud Republican Party has degenerated into a loosely organized mob of sociopathic criminals, and this can be traced directly to their self-righteous belief that they’re God’s missionaries. Not! They’re thoroughly in the grip of evil, and they’re doing Satan’s work.
#4 PelletHead – From Free Republic
(AFFP) 07MAY07 Paris. Hundreds of U.S.-trained election attorneys boarded transatlantic flights this morning to form an army of lawyers demanding a full and fair recount of yesterday’s nationwide election.
Following the dramatic triumph of conservative Nicolai Sarkozy over rival progressive Sego Royal widespread calls of election fraud have been reported from New York to as far as Los Angeles and Hollywood, CA.
A hastily formed team of specialists from the newly formed Kerry, Rodham and Gore LLC firm organized the campaign challenge and its spokesperson R. Emanuel feels optimistic, “We can clearly show some form of cognitive dissonance is afoot where every knows a popular, socialist, woman cannot possibly have lost to a stubborn, rightwing, white, male. This is FRANCE for crisakes. We have a case and will make sure that every vote is counted until the results match reality”.
The U.S. 9th circuit court of appeals has freely offered its services in advising the French Supreme Court how to properly handle such cases.
re 2: Yes, yes and yes.
“The times keep on changin’
So I’m keepin’ on top
For any bad cat who walks through my door.”
Steve Miller (Space Cowboy)
re 7: Young workers have been fed a line by the Conservatives that if there were no labor unions, there’d be full employment.
So, they vote conservative. We’ll see how they feel in a few years when rhetoric and reality collide.
Of course, by then it will be too late. Like in the U.S.
Repairing the damage started by Reagan and finished ( to the best of his ability)by Bush, will take a lifetime.
From which Blue State did Segolene Royal campaign from? Only a horses ass would think that 2008 will be a replay of 2006- particularly in the House.
You’re right. 2008 is not going to be a repeat of 2006. At the rate Republicans are going, it will be much, much worse for them.
re 10: I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Republican politicians have been occupying a “smirk free” zone on TV for quite some time now.
The only one retaining his “what me worry” smirk is GWB. And even the
Queen of England has personal experience with George’s retardation problem.
You voted for a man who can’t even read!
Yeah, Nutroots did a great job with Marcy Bruner last year
Postman doesn’t have the stones to respond here – he’s a punk.
And Puffybutt, I love it when you pretend to be a fireman. Just so you know, in case you missed it, 90% of the Netroots candidates won last year and helped us TAKE the Congress and TAKE the Senate away from cowards and traitors like you. And there’s not one fucking thing you can do about it bitch!
Golly Gloomy Gus Stupid: If I pretended to be a fireman, Voice of Chalk Scratching would out me.
Since he hasn’t Union Fireman must be someone else.
Naturally Stupid aren’t you? You show up at Drinking Libtardly to get your weekly infusion?
Please tell us where you eat and where your water comes from. We don’t want any!