While it appears everyone is talking about Ann Coulter’s idiotic remarks at CPAC (“I think our motto should be post-9-11, ‘raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'” and she is being met with loud condemnations from the right wing of the blogosphere), few are discussing the presence of Bob Barr:
You’ve heard of bear baiting? We’re going to have, today, Barr baiting,” R. Emmet Tyrell, a conservative publisher, announced as he introduced a debate Thursday between Barr and Viet Dinh, one of the authors of the USA Patriot Act.
“Are we losing our lodestar, which is the Bill of Rights?” Barr beseeched the several hundred conservatives at the Omni Shoreham in Woodley Park. “Are we in danger of putting allegiance to party ahead of allegiance to principle?”
Barr answered in the affirmative. “Do we truly remain a society that believes that . . . every president must abide by the law of this country?” he posed. “I, as a conservative, say yes. I hope you as conservatives say yes.”
But nobody said anything in the deathly quiet audience. Barr merited only polite applause when he finished, and one man, Richard Sorcinelli, booed him loudly. “I can’t believe I’m in a conservative hall listening to him say [Bush] is off course trying to defend the United States,” Sorcinelli fumed.
Barr, out of office, has really turned out to be one of the most interesting Republicans out there.
Eural
Ok – I’m going to run with the first thought that jumped into my head:
Supreme Chancellor: [to the Senate] In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.
[Senate fills with enormous applause]
Senator Amidala: [to Bail Organa] So this is how liberty dies – with thunderous applause.
George Lucas – the Nostradamus of the 21st century. Who knew?
The Disenfranchised Voter
Yes, because Bush is a Republican and thus every single policy of his must be conservative and supported by conservatives.
I’m beginning to think that Ann Coulter is actually a Democrat who is trying to make the Republicans look like violent extremists.
Grotesqueticle
Bob Barr is interesting because, he’s an actual conservative. He is true to the conservative principles he believes in, which makes him ill-suitted to be just another fluffer on the porn-set that is todays Republican party.
“Wow, can you believe that guy? He’s still talking about all the BS we shilled to the people to get elected back in ’94. Hasn’t he gotten the memo that it’s all about pandering to relegious nutjobs and lining your pockets with cash now?”
Laura
Bob Barr, love him or hate him, is sticking to his principles, no matter that it’s his own party offending them. What a concept. It helps that he no longer is in office, but most voters have never been in office. I can’t understand why more aren’t outraged at the Bush Administration. There’s nothing “conservative” about shreading the Constitution.
Barr’s passion is the Constitution, so naturally, that pits him against the Bush Administration. He also was an outspoken critic of the outing of Valerie Plame. He was in the CIA, so that’s expected, but he was also dismayed by the Administration’s willingness to alienate and anger frontline intelligence agents. And even though he wrote the Defense of Marriage Act, he’s opposed to ammending the Constitution to prevent gays from ever having the legal right to marriage. It’s not because he’s socially liberal, it’s because he’s a real conservative who’s opposed to fucking with the Constitution. This segment on CNN is a can’t miss if you want to see where Barr stands with this Administration.
MN Politics Guru
I really don’t understand people like Richard Sorcinelli. Are they so petrified of “terrists” that they will stop and nothing to stop them, including giving up all of our civil liberties? Murder? Does he walk around his house every night with a baseball bat, checking all of the closets for monsters? Does he wake up in the middle of the night sobbing in fear?
People like these need to grow a pair. Terrorists are idiots. They succeed out of luck and nothing else. Effective law enforcement agencies working together can stop 99% of attacks; nothing can stop the other 1%. There isn’t much anybody can do if a few terrorists want to carry out suicide attacks on the Mall of America, for example. But the fear of terrorism is not so great that we need to all go running and crying to Papa Bush to protect us from the boogeymen.
Richard Bottoms
Look like? Maybe not extremists, how about violence inclined assholes with no understanding of diplomacy? Cause right now it looks like they don’t know shit about war fighting or diplomacy.
“Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you.”
— Londo Molari
Slide
I heart Ann Coulter. So here we have this skank of a woman as the keynote speaker at CPAC. What does that tell you boys and girls? Cole can rant all he wants about all the silly things Cindy Sheehan may say, but when she becomes the keynote speaker at an equivalent Dem gathering let me know ok?
Ragheads? Assassinating Bill Clinton? Yeah, the morally superior conservatives are such a wonder to behold.
Richard Bottoms
You reap what you sow. Here, have a steaming helping of kiss my ass.
Oh and thanks Ann. Looks like we won’t talking much about Corettagate this weekend.
Laura
Well, except for this little bit. For those who are interested, Al Franken has a thoughtful response to the critics on Huffington Post.
The Other Steve
The word you are looking for is COWARD
The Modern day Republican is a yellow bellied sapsucker.
Brad R.
It’s interesting- Barr left office at just about the same time that the GOP transformed itself into the George W. Bush Personality Cult. I wonder if he’d be singing a different tune were he still an active member of congress.
ppGaz
Best string of comments I’ve seen on a blog, ever.
Richard 23
Why does CPAC hate America?
Otto Man
I’d agree, but swap “conservatives” for “Republican” there. He’s clearly somebody who sticks by his political ideology — and, apparently, his country — even when his party doesn’t.
Nat
I wonder if he’d be singing a different tune were he still an active member of congress.
Barr has never been known for treading lightly, so I suspect he’d still be a pain in the ass. It’s unlikely he’d have become so singularly devoted to attacking the administration over abuses of power; this is the stuff of which party-backed primary challenges are made. But McCain and to a lesser extent Graham, Craig, and a few others haven’t let their party loyalty stop them from occasionally pestering Dear Leader. True, they’re senators, but it is still possible for members of the GOP to show some backbone and independent thought.
I’d always thought Barr was an asshole back in the 90s, when I was still a registered Democrat. I still think he’s an asshole, but he’s probably the kind of asshole I could get along with pretty well.
On a side note, it’s going to be even worse if we ever have another Democratic presidency or Congress and the GOP magically rediscovers its much-abused small-government principles. Knowing what we know now, could anyone here from the right honestly claim to be voting Republican because you want to stop Democratic power grabs? I used to vote Republican all the time because I wanted to keep my Democratic legislators running scared, but I don’t think that’s going to be justifiable any more.
CaseyL
As Mr. Spock would say: “Fascinating.”
The RW GOP Pisspantapalooza has decided to toss Bob Barr off the reservation, for insufficient Cowardly Obsequiousness to their King.
Since we’re totally done with the whole “Constitutional democratic republic/nation of laws not men” thingie (oh, yes, my children; we are toast: ain’t nobody puttin’ that genie back in the bottle) I guess the best thing to do now is entertain ourselves by watching the ruling claque continue to devour its own.
carpeicthus
Bob Barr is just gooder. And I mean that.
KC
I’m happy there are a few Barr’s left in the Republican party.
neil
If I hear one more word about Michael Moore being a guest at the DNC, I’m going to… oh, well, I guess there’s nothing I can do.
neil
By the way, does anyone else think that this was a calculated move? I bet there are way fewer people who say “I can’t believe the Republicans are embracing this racist, they’ve lost my vote” than say “It’s about time someone starts talking sense, they’ve got my vote?”
At any rate, this is definitely a way to get Andy Sullivan back on the reservation.
D. Mason
Remember, Bush is a uniter not a divider.
jg
I can’t believe the republicns were so successful in convincing their flock that everything Bush does is ‘defending america’. Once that sets in its impossible to make them see whats really happening.
Interesting how? Do you agree with him?
Cyrus
Careful about that, you never know if you’ll have to eat those words. But even if so, there’s no comparison. All the not-totally-insane complaints about Sheehan are rudeness or grandstanding, maybe even misusing her son’s memory. And of course, disapproving of Israel’s foreign policy. (She agrees with David Duke on that, but then Bush agrees with David Duke on Greenland’s foreign policy, so I don’t think it proves much…) Until she says that she wishes Tim McVeigh had gone to FOX News or something, comparing them is ridiculous.
neil
He’s interesting, or even unique, because he believes that there’s room within the Republican party (much less, within the United States) for disagreement. Obviously this is an unpopular position.
Pooh
PoTD nominee
Barry
“I really don’t understand people like Richard Sorcinelli. Are they so petrified of “terrists” that they will stop and nothing to stop them, including giving up all of our civil liberties? ”
Just check to see how many wanted to give President Clinton more power, after the OK City bombing. Not that many, were there?
skip
I have given up wondering what Bush would have to do to offend up the Richard Sorcinellis of the world.
Tacitus spoke of a leader creating a desert and calling it peace. Bush has created a fortress and called it freedom/
Pooh
Parody, or entrance exam?
ppGaz
Bush is an untier, not a uniter.
Bush is an unfavorable anagram alternative.
GOP4Me
Bob Barr is a traitor to ideals of the Republican Party, pandering to liberal extremists who are traitors to America. The ACLU is financing everthing he says, so of course he’ll say whatever he has to to please his financial masters.
Talk about a RINO in the pocket of lobbyists. You fools think Abramoff is a Republican crook? I give you Barr. If he were still in office making these allegations, there’d be public outcry for his indictment. But I guess when you’re a private citizen, you’re allowed to prostitute yourself and become the paid shill of left-wing political causes.
As for what Ann Coulter said, I think it was silly of her to use racially inciteful language. But does anyone disagree with her basic contention that those who try to intimidate us should suffer consequences for putting America at risk? Oh, wait, the terrorist-huggers in the Michael Mooreon Moveon.org Moorish wing of the Democratic Party do. Carry on, saps. Every time you post, somewhere, some centrist reads it and becomes a lifelong conservative patriot.
Otto Man
George Walker Bush = Rush A Beer Keg, Glow
George Walker Bush = Be Greek Lush, Go War
George Walker Bush = Growl “He’s a Keg Rube”
ppGaz
That is just excellent work.
Krista
That’s my favourite…
Pooh
It’s over, PoTD.
Steve
To me, the hundreds of cheering audience members counts for a lot more than a handful of right-wing bloggers condemning it after the fact.
searp
GOP4Me: you miss the essence of Ann Coulter. Without the inflammatory language she wouldn’t get to be a keynote speaker. What she says is just what everyone in that room is thinking. Libruls as traitors, foreigners as ragheads. Right out of the KKK, I bet we could dig up some KKK or John Birch Society shit from the 50’s and 60’s that used the same language to express the same thoughts.
Bunch of xenophobic yahoos, that’s the Republican party now, with ideals imported from the KKK. Led by a drug addict moron and paid for by corporate crooks. I think it is a criminal enterprise, myself.
scs
Sorry to change the subject, but I was kind of thinking about the latest unmasked plot to crash a plane into a L.A. tower, which by implication was uncovered by NSA spying. Remember the story a few years ago about 4 or 5 dark middle eastern men standing together in a plane on the way to LA and walking about in formation in weird ways, and scaring the passengers? After that story, the media said that it wasn’t anything notable. Looking back on it, I wonder if that was part of that L.A. plot.
GOP4Me
So only racists and xenophobes think that terrorists should suffer for the consequences of their actions? I think Ann Coulter’s point was valid and needed to be said, I just think she shouldn’t have obscured it with racially inflammatory language.
Which right-wingers are agreeing with the racist aspects of her statement? As for the rest of your post, I could just as easily cite the lengthy history of the Democratic Party from Boss Tweed to Dan Rostenkowski to Harry Reid, and demand RICO charges against the entire organization. Speaking of moronic drug addicts and the KKK…
GOP4Me
Yeah, good point. And remember how all the lefties said we were racists for even pointing it out?