John Sununu. Gordon Smith. Chuck Hagel.
Republicans are terrified of these Iraq war resolutions. If they vote for escalation they will wear it like an albatross through the ’08 elections. If they vote against it they will have personally buried their party’s signature issue. It’s an impossible position. Big surprise that three Senators who spoke brave words about holding the president accountable fold like a house of cards when the time comes to back up talk with action.
***
On a separate issue, Arlen Specter reminds the world why we call it spectering.
Pb
Heh. So either (a) his staff really works for The White House, and he’s cool with that, or (b) it’s time to fire his staff? And then there’s always the third option, that Specter’s just a craven liar at heart.
And yes, Tim, I was thinking about this yesterday, in just these terms–those GOP Senators are definitely spectering. And especially to Chuck Hagel, thanks for showing us all what you’re really made of, when push comes to shove–i.e., screw you, you craven GOP political hack.
TenguPhule
When the Chips are down, the GOP bends over to grab them.
demimondian
Yah, that was kind of my feeling, Pb. So, Sen. Specter, you’re telling me that you don’t even know what is entered into the law books in your name? Doesn’t that worry you?
Dug Jay
This is really very great news…great for America and our troops in Iraq.
Nikki
Don’t forget the mighty senator from Virginia!
Personally, I think he’s outta there in ’08.
tBone
Seconded. I’m embarrassed now for defending him last week. Can’t imagine WTF he was thinking with this – now everyone hates him. Heckuva job, Chuckie.
What a tool.
Jimmmm
Clearly, Sen. Hagel was against being against it before he was for being against it.
Davebo
OK, can we officially stop all the idiotic talk about how brave Chuck Hagel is now?
Jake
Hagel (v) [Hageling, Hageled]: To blow a lot of hot air before an attack of cold feet. (see: McCained; Spectering; Republican Maverick.)
Newport 9
This should also serve as a reminder to the good people of Pennsylvania. Voting Republicanist is always a bad idea, no matter how “moderate” the Republican says he is.
guyermo
Hagel and Warner…filibustering their own resolutions.
does that surpass voting for the resolution before voting against it?
Andrew
Oh boy, McCain, Lieberman, Specter, and the rest of these guys who are such asses are going to be a depressing historical footnote one day.
It’s probably just better to be one of the Senators That No One Has Ever Heard Of! Like Carper, Enzi, Isakson, or Lincoln. I bet their Senate colleagues don’t even know what these guys look like.
tballou
I have read other comments on this vote and they seem to imply that this particular resolution had a number of amendments that may have been especially pro-Bush and that is why it got these no votes from Senators who we thought would vote yes. Does anyone know more details?
Tsulagi
I’m not real keen on these non-binding resolutions. If you can get a quick vote, fine. If not, move on. If Dems think these resolutions are going to be lead weights on Pub candidates two years from now, I don’t see it. With some justification, they’d just be able to counter the resolutions would have no effect on Bush or the Iraq war so they didn’t want to waste time.
Instead, put something up with teeth. Even baby teeth. Then call for the Republican patented Upperdownvote. Then if Pubs filibuster (likely), point that out two years from now. If the Specterers are somehow maneuvered or shamed into taking a vote, point out how they voted.
I would think Pubs like McCain would be eager to do that. Surely they have faith that just a little surge cooking and more time will transform that shit pie into a blossoming cherry tree of democracy and religious freedom. Show how you stand.
Barry
demimondian Says:
“Yah, that was kind of my feeling, Pb. So, Sen. Specter, you’re telling me that you don’t even know what is entered into the law books in your name? Doesn’t that worry you?”
As long as the checks cleared the bank, I’m sure that he doesn’t.
Steve
Poor Blanche Lincoln isn’t even a guy. Ouch.
Barry
There’s a point to be drawn from this: except for very rare occasions, the GOP politicians have supported whatever Bush wanted. Even now, when he’s clearly on a ‘crash and burn’ trajectory, they’re still acting with remarkable discipline. If a Democratic president were to be in this situation, he’d face strong opposition from all of the Democratic Congressment who figured better him than them.
Andrew
Like anyone would ever know.
Richard Bottoms
Ahem.
There are do bad Democrats.
There are NO good Republicans.
How is it you people can continue to be surprised to find that all Republicans are assholes? The only variable is as to what degree. Jesus.
McCain can’t disappoint you, Hagel can’t let you down, Snowne won’t perplex you, if you stop believing that the Republican party is anything other than a club of greedy, inept, theocratic shitheads.
Zifnab
That’s the great thing about being a Democrat in the 90s. You are firmly convinced that you’re not on the same sinking ship as all the other rats.
Now, twelve years later the Republicans at least have the decency to all huddle together in one big fuzzy mass before they drown.
Richard Bottoms
And yes, I’m dyslexic.
mrmobi
Yes. What a putz! And I’ve been defending his opposition to the war. I guess he was kidding. Spectered again.
My Senator, Barack Obama, has introduced legislation which sets a timetable to have troops out of Iraq by the end of March 2008. Along with Rep. Patrick Murphy (who served in Iraq) and Rep. Mike Thompson, here is what they said in introducing the new legislation:
Emphasis mine. Looks to me like there’s at least one Senator running for President who isn’t afraid to step up to the plate. Good on him, but he’d better get used to hearing his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, used by the knuckle-dragger/torture crowd.
cdb
Not sure who the interviewer was, but on MSNBC this afternoon, they had on Senator Murkowski. She stated quite clearly that she voted Party over Principle. I wish I had recorded it.
Richard Bottoms
Sounds like you are through being a sucker. Don’t feel bad, it took almost two years for John to get hip. And even then it was excrutiating for him to have his eyes opened.
Being a yellow dog Democrat, I have of course enjoyed every minute watching conservatives dawning conclusion that they have been had. If it wasn’t for all the dead soldiers and Iraqis, my celebration would be near constant.
But, I also believe their deaths may ultimately be worth something if it results in the total destruction of the Republican party and their theocratic hordes as a serious political force for the next couple of decades.
The Other Steve
Keep pushing Mayor Quimby.
If he thinks the wind is blowing the other directions, he’ll flip party affiliation. Just like he did in ’96.
Mike
It’s ok. They can wear Bush and the Iraq Catastrofuck around their necks. At this rate, the approval rate will be down to sub-20’s as even the Christian Wrong peel off slowly as he tries to build a legacy by giving in a little on the gays. The Rethugs will enjoy the minority status for decades to come. Poor Jebby….his older brother fucked him out of spite along with the old man, just to make sure no one could follow in his footprints as a 2 termer.
I called Warner and Cornyn today and asked if they enjoyed being in the minority, since they had ensured they were going to stay in it. I called Collins a few days ago and suggested that her best election chances would be to flip Dem now and run as a Dem in ’08. Otherwise she would out altogether. She apparently got the message from me and others that she seemed to like the minority better too. She voted with the Dems this time around.
Paddy O'Shea
This is lovely ..
Family Research Council President Rails Against Giuliani Candidacy
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/02/family-research-council-president.html
The GOP is blowing up until little tiny radioactive pieces.
jake
Shorter Tony Perkins:
I’m still politically relevant, darn it!
Please let them form a third party, O pleeze!
Ron Beasley
In Gordon Smith’s home state, Oregon, the Republican leaning Newspaper which has been a Smith cheer leader took him to task. Now Smith was toast any way. He was all for the war until the Novemeber elections and realized his head was on the block in only two years.
Tsulagi
Hopefully Dobson would hear such a calling from the Lord. He could form the Anti Spongebob Society and run on the ASS ticket and platform. You know he’d get all the 28%ers.
The Other Steve
I wonder if the Christian Right is willing to follow the Christian Right Leadership any more. Perkins, Dobson, etc. all took these guys down the path into Iraq, telling them the whole time it would help them ban teh gay.
I don’t think they have any credibility left.
ThymeZone
Snort.
RSA
That’s a nice ironic response to the argument that if we don’t continue in Iraq indefinitely, soldiers will have died in vain.
jake
We’re talking about the same mouth breathers who think backwards masking* makes sweet innocent teens into pagan worshipping sex fiends; look for naughty messages in Disney cartoons and would bar public schools from teaching evolution. Not to mention the whole bomb an abortion clinic to save lives crap. Dobson and Perky Perkins haven’t lost credibility with this lot, they’ve gained it. The fundies need to feel persecuted to assure themselves they are jest lahk Jay-sus and since they have a swollen view of their own importance, being laughed at or ignored = persecution. The more Uhmuricuh strays from the path of righteousness, the better they feel. You don’t think they really want us all sitting in church p-raisin’ the lord do you?
*To those of you too young to know what backwards masking is: Scram ya little whippersnappers!
Bruce Moomaw
While a hell of a lot of Congressional Democrats played these same little cute little two-faced games while LBJ was running the Vietnam War, it should be remembered that there were also a hell of a lot of Congressional Democrats who did NOT. It’s interesting that there is so much less of an honest opposition in the GOP, for whatever reason.
As for Arlen Specter: well, my God. Anyone who accuses McCain and Lieberman of being two-faced has never looked at Arlen, for whom the phrase was obviously invented in the first place.
CaseyL
Two-faced? Specter should be so consistent! No, he’s more cubist, “Senator Folding Down a Staircase,” with the staircase representing all the principles he’s abandoned over the years.
Zifnab
I honestly think the Jesus Freak crowd is backing itself into obscurity with this whole “no sex, no cartoons, no gheys” thing, in much the same way that they backed themselves into a corner on music and divorce in the 60s. You make yourself more and more exclusionary, and you run yourself out of a congregation.
All the revival crap in the 80s and 90s came from churches being more inclusive towards mainstreamers and xenophobic towards elements of society that weren’t really visible or already ghettoized.
I mean, look at these nutcases pushing “the Quiverfull movement” of “have as many kids as your wife can spit out”. What percentage of America even attempts to follow that? How badly were the Harry Potter sales affected by “OMG! W1ZerDS! Satanies!” cries from the god-folk? These guys have scrapped together all this power and spent the past 20 years pissing it away on nothing.
Hyperion
from WaPo
no mention of the involvement of spector or his staff in the rule change
Jake
WTF? Don’t these people listen to what they say?
Arrows go in a quiver and are meant either to kill or for recreational purposes. Are they producing flocks of little murderers for Jaysus? If not, what are these people going to use their little arrows for?
Plus Quiverful Movement sounds like a porn movie.
But I understand your point. As these people seek what they really crave (attention) the sane folks will get repulsed until it suffers the fate of any radical group that has become too scary for public consumption. They won’t shut up and they won’t matter politically and they won’t get air time (until some splinter group goes Jim Jones or blows something up) but neither will they go the hell away.
The melt down is fun to watch though.