Fiscal Conservatives Threatening to Take Over the Republican Party? Great!
By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Politico is running a story today on what it calls the Republican Party's "nightmare scenario" of conservatives challenging up to a dozen GOP candidates in key House and Senate races in 2010. Politico points to several examples of these challenges, one of which is Utah, where Rep. Bob Bennett is in trouble after, among several troubling votes, "his Wall Street bailout vote last fall."
In fact, when you read the article carefully, not one of the conservative candidates mentioned says a word about social issues. All of their opposition is to candidates, like Bennett, who supported or voted for Obama's massive expansion of the federal government.
So this is not about litmus tests about abortion or gay marriage, as much as the left would like it to be. Gallup Polls like this and this show a majority of Americans—and most vocally, the tea party activists—upset at the size and scope of government.
Tea party activists told Politico that "the only way back to majority status is to embrace the conservative principles that the party jettisoned during the past decades once it became too enamored of power." I'd argue that those "conservative principles that the party jettisoned during the past decades" were not social issues but economic principles—like balanced budgets and less regulation of business. It was limited-government conservatism that got jettisoned from the GOP over the last decade or so. As I wrote earlier this week, getting back to economic responsibility—and creating jobs, jobs, jobs—is a winning formula for the GOP. If it's done in a calm, well-articulated manner, all the better. From Politico:
"New York 23, on some scale, is the first battle of a larger internal Republican debate over how to define the party," said former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, a conservative who is challenging [Republican Governor Charlie] Crist for the Senate nomination. "They want us [tea party activists] to vote for their candidates, but they don't want us to run for office."
Rubio's race is one that many on the right point to as the next New York 23, a contest where conservatives and tea party activists are in open revolt about Crist and the national party's decision to endorse him despite his embrace—literally—of President Barack Obama and his stimulus package during a Florida visit in February.
I don't see putting candidates forth who want to rein in government spending as a "nightmare scenario." It's a great way to differentiate the GOP from the big-spending, big-taxing Democratic Party we see in full swing heading into 2010 and the midterm elections.
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Reader Comments
Agreed - No Fiscal Conservatives In Republican Party
The current GOP is socially conservative and fiscally liberal, that ain't no recipe for getting back in power anytime soon - since its the opposite of the majority of the country.
No one is going to put up with going back to corporate giveaways, subsidies for drug and oil companies, socialism for bankers, and liberalizing the casino rules on Wall Street. Since the GOP has become a party of lobbyists forgetting how to govern without industry hand-holding, they have pretty much abdicated any credibility or any coherent policy going forward.
If folks didn't notice the rift in the GOP started during the GOP convention last year with Ron Paul's alternative convention. Let's hope they start thinking about the 21st century instead of 19th century agrarian pipedreams that would continue to be bent on shrinking the country to fit their jello mold of governing.
Catch up to 20th Century at least...
aura dawn veirs of CA
How many decades have you been in a coma ? Who are passing these abortion laws. Kennedy and Speaker of House, etc. Do you know what religion they are.
Look around you. There are gay churches, female religious leaders, priest marry, priest marrying gays, etc.. In your day they would have been excommunicated. In America today it happens.
I don't know what you have against the church and don't care. People passing the abortion stuff are Catholics. You see this is America, Pope don't live here anymore.
.........
You said "Billions of women died in childbirth since our species evolved."
You know, I don't believe you. Just a big exaggerated number you plucked from the sky.
"The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose to 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004, according to statistics released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics."
Numbers are going up but not hospital fault. Later in life child birth for Moms, etc. It’s very safe to give birth.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427256/
After being in coma for so many years take a refresher course in school. Stop living in the past Centuries.
Go by your local government housing Sunday. Tell me how many devout Catholics you see going to Mass. Or whatever day they go.
“Most welfare recipients are not likely to be Leftists who endorse abortion. Women who are afraid they go to Hell if they don't obey church law that ban abortions”
YOU’RE WAY OUT THERE MAN.
But this is called stretching your agenda well past the breaking point. Find something else to justify your hatred of religion. This isn’t flying.
For Steve: Leftist Welfare recipients?
Most welfare recipients are not likely to be Leftists who endorse abortion. Women who are afraid they go to Hell if they don't obey church law that ban abortions== they're the biggest welfare burden. One poor single Mom costs taxpayers $500,000 it was recently reported, for survival, health care, etc. Deadbeat dads get to snicker at responsible fathers. Big poor families multiply tax burdens when they refuse to use birth control & abortion, as they gladly look forward to Heaven for obeying their pastors & producing tithers. Leftists want taxes to be used to provide free contraception, voluntary sterilization and abortion. They want 12 year old boys and girls to learn about reproduction SO THEY CAN PROTECT EACH OTHER FROM PRECOCIOUS, PREMATURE PARENTHOOD. That's what they need, instead of being forced to leave high school, take low-pay jobs & stay that way, seeing their kids go the same way. Many corporations want cheap labor, so they fund Far Right candidates. Let us have mercy on women whom Nature made the reproducers of our kind. Motherhood is a dangerous situation. Billions of women died in childbirth since our species evolved.
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