Perspective Journal: News and Polit (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Before Sarah Palin became the embodiment of the conservative grassroots, another national candidate from a state beginning with “A” mastered 21st century Republican populism on his way to winning the 2008 Iowa caucuses. During the campaign, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the funniest Republican since the heyday of Bob Dole, would go off on little-guy [...]
Philip Rucker / Washington Post: Republican adviser faces health care's costly bite Former McCain strategist is about to lose his health insurance — If history had taken a different course, Doug Holtz-Eakin would be inside the McCain White House driving the Republican president's domestic agenda, including health-care reform. [...] Faiz Shakir / Think Progress: Rep. Foxx: Health care reform...
For the better part of today, I have been reading reactions among the right to the news of Dede Scozzafava's withdrawl from the NY-23 race. Probably the most oft repeated commentary I have seen is that the developments of this race once again prove that, "moderate Republicans rarely succeed, and true conservatism wins every time". Scozzafava dropping out is indeed a great thing for the conservative...
I have written about John Feehery before. He is the former Bob Michel and Denny Hastert employee who had to be bumped aside by the insurgents of 1994 before the GOP could take control of Congress and then weaseled his way back into power in Hastert’s office. Then we lost power. Hmmmm . . . Feehery is the guy who gave Bob Michel and Bob Dole credit for the conservative revolution of 1994 and...
After seeing high-profile Republicans like Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin side with her Conservative Party challenger, Doug Hoffman, GOP-endorsed candidate Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign for New York’s 23rd Congressional District. But there is still a battle to win as the more moderate endorsements switch to the Democrats. . The New York Independence Party chair indicated he’s...
William Kristol, not all that much of a rock-ribbed conservative himself, nevertheless argues that conservatives should consider themselves in high clover nowadays. For instance, the Gallup poll released Monday shows 40% of Americans call themselves conservative. That's as high as it's been in the two decades that Gallup has been asking the question. The poll also showed only 20% willing to call themselves...
After noting the new Gallup poll showing conservative self-ID at a high-water mark, the boss writes in the Washington Post : The implications of this for the Republican Party over the remaining three years of the Obama presidency are clear: The GOP is going to be pretty unapologetically conservative. There aren't going to be a lot of moderate Republican victories in intra-party skirmishes. And --...
Matt Lewis wrote a thoughtful piece about the Republican party and what the two leaders mean for the future of the party: The most often repeated template is for Republicans to select the person whose “turn” it is to run for president. That’s how the Grand Old Party opted for Richard Nixon, John McCain, Bob Dole [...]
Today on her radio program, Laura Ingraham interviewed guest Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and asked her about the ideological direction of the Republican Party. The pair discussed recent statements made by retired GOP Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist (TN) and Bob Dole (KS) in support of some type of comprehensive health reform. Dole has called [...]
Certain members of the Republican Party need to stop knocking the current administration’s attempts to clean up the messes caused by the previous one and “grab a mop,” President Barack Obama said during a Democratic National Party fundraiser in New York on Tuesday night. Obama also urged “all the Democrats who are in the house” to “stay focused” on health care...
Tim Pawlenty has been busy snapping up former John McCain strategists in a 2012 bid. I am of mixed emotions. On the one hand, I think he is mostly a RINo in the mcCain mold. On the other, if he is choosing mcCain strategists, thrn he is probably not going to win the nomination anyway. They ran the worst presidential campaign since Bob Dole’s in 1996. What makes anyone think they are going to...
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) burnished her Republican-in-name-only credentials by announcing she will vote for the health care reform legislation written by Max Baucus (D-MT). She may regret this vote, as Healthcare Horserace tells us: Sen. Olympia Snowe may lose out on her shot at the top Republican seat on the Senate Commerce Committee if she votes for health care reform, committee members say. The...
Last week, former Senator and GOP Presidential candidate Bob Dole went public endorsing President Obama’s attempt to reform healthcare. Dole did so over already existing objections by Mitch McConnell and other Republicans. It spite of those objections, Dole publicly issued a joint statement with Tom Daschle saying: The American people have waited decades, and [...]
Bob Dole was told to keep his trap shut by non other than the odious Mitch McConnell, the man who has as an approval rating as low as Dick Cheney's. The GOP’s 1996 candidate for president said he was asked by current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., not to issue a bipartisan statement calling for passage of health care reform legislation. “We’re already hearing from...