Pelosi: Republicans Should Take Back Their Party

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democratic leaders said Wednesday that Sen. Arlen Specter's party switch is a sign that Republicans should become more like, well, Democrats.

"I say to Republicans in America, take back your party," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters. "The party of protecting the environment, the party of individual rights, the party of fairness."

Specter stunned the political world Tuesday when he defected to the Democrats, saying there weren't enough moderates in Pennsylvania for him to win a GOP primary.

Many Republicans said good riddance, but there was no denying that Specter sent shock waves through the GOP.

As for Pelosi's advice: House Republicans said thanks, but no thanks.

"It seems unlikely that the most liberal Democratic speaker of the House in history is the best strategist for the Republican Party," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio. "House Republicans will continue to show the American people that we are the party of better solutions."

Pelosi said Republicans should return to some core issues, such as the environment.

"Our country needs a strong Republican Party," she said.

"But not too strong," added her Senate counterpart, Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Comments

[sheaintsayin]

11:37 PM on 04/29/2009

Boe hner, with yet another bone-headed babbling - sheesh! I believe that the Americans who choose to party with republicans deserve better representation, and a democratic government is better when there is at least a competent, vibrant 2 party system. It will never happen with 'leadership' like the too-tanned one, the can't or won't one, and the other insipid, hip hop-wannabe one.

They will never shake up That One!, our President Obama!

[MJJM]

09:31 PM on 04/29/2009

What a stupid comment!! What is she doing promoting the failed republican ideology!!

She's smelling herself!

[QuasiEgalitarian]

08:20 PM on 04/29/2009

And this is coming from a woman who the republican party would rather see boiled in oil just because...well, maybe they have their reasons. I guess this means no one is interested in the green party?

*crickets*

[isonomist]

12:51 PM on 04/30/2009

I think the conservative wing of the Green Party could be a good place for moderate/RINOish Republicans. The principles of Grassroots Democracy, and ending corpoate privilege are rather Jacksonian in nature :)

[CatoTheCensor]

07:17 PM on 04/29/2009

"House Republicans will continue to show the American people that we are the party of better solutions."

Continue? I can't wait for them to get started.

[Querent]

07:52 PM on 04/29/2009

Bo*ner's statement is the best laugh I've had today. After the upcoming elections, he is scheduled to open the Comedy Club Revue in Las Vegas. I guess he's already trying out his new routine.

[Golfer59]

05:43 PM on 04/29/2009

Nancy, great psychological warfare more on your part. Am sure the republicans are behind closed doors saying "there isn't a damn thing wrong with the party. who the heck the Pelosi thinks she's talking to?" And of course the party of "NO" will say "NO" to your advice and continue digging themselves in a deeper hole.

[force fed up]

05:23 PM on 04/29/2009

~~"It seems unlikely that the most liberal Democratic speaker of the House in history is the best strategist for the Republican Party," said Michael Steel,~~~

LOL! Honestly, do you think the Democrats could do any worse of a job destroying the Republican Party? Nah... Republicans don't need any help for that.

[Skyhawk]

05:03 PM on 04/29/2009

Nancy how about actually serving your party. Let the rethugs wallow in a stew of their own making. Dems need to stop acting like battered housewives.
http://consortiumnews.com/2009/042509.html

[Querent]

07:54 PM on 04/29/2009

Nancy is actually doing a great job as Speaker. Her battered housewife days ended with the Bush presidency. (Torture Bush, not Death Squad Bush).

[Mnemanth]

04:49 PM on 04/29/2009

What? What's this latest silliness? It's your party, so take it back? Take it back from who, if it's theirs already? nancy- think before you speak. Please.

[force fed up]

05:24 PM on 04/29/2009

There are quite a few who bailed out on the party when it went fringe. Maybe its you who should think before you speak.

[CantStopUsNow]

05:47 PM on 04/29/2009

Take it back from Rush Limbaugh. That's what she meant Gump.

[ThatOne4Me]

04:48 PM on 04/29/2009

huh, wah? i didn't know repugs like that existed nancy.

[swanie]

04:34 PM on 04/29/2009

I will only CONSIDER returning to the Republican Party if the leaders disavow support from the neocons (all of them to include the fat pill popping felon), the religious right, unintelligent design, give up their stand on abortion and gays, and start the process to act like REAL Christians when they make decisions in the Congress.

Never will happen, and the party will continue to contract, and the longer it goes on, the less likely that NEW Independents like me will ever come back.

The party as it exists right now deserves to stay in the desert for AT LEAST 40 years.
.

[timberdoodle]

04:33 PM on 04/29/2009

The GOP have long out lived their usefulness if they ever had any and America does need another legitimate political party. First though they have to recognize the Democrats are a right wing party with only a few moderate principles geared towards helping the average American.

What America needs is a left wing party to incorporate some programs into government that work for the average person. The idea government shouldn't help it's citizens is just plain crazy. There are all kinds of services that require government oversight including the many that currently exist.

Somehow Corporate America has convinced the American people social programs geared towards helping the entire country are evil and it's time for people to think long and hard about what needs the public requires that just can't be left up to profit driven entities to provide. Greed is not the best way to accomplish a lot of the necessities of life.

[meko]

06:18 PM on 04/29/2009

There will always be big donors to one party or another who are committed to the ideal that nothing matters as much as passing as much money as possible onto their heirs and ensuring that their descendants remain at the top of society, regardless of their achievements, contributions or merits.

[Hope Lives]

04:32 PM on 04/29/2009

Seriously, people who have looked back and done the math found that (using reconciliation so the Democratic party had nothing to say about it) Bush, over his entire reign of ruin, shifted the bulk of the tax burden from the wealthy (who at least paid a more fair share) as much as he could onto the middle class. By far the middle class carried every street, road, bridge, school and fireman on their back. The rich were mostly the benefactors of our largesse. I call that rich welfare. It IS rich welfare. I would bet there were ten times more rich people on welfare than poor. And they got 99% of the services too. To pretend that the police go into dangerous neighborhoods the same way they do upper crust neighborhoods is just silly. I don't blame them. To Bush, the Presidency was a place where he and Cheney got to play war, since they were chosen by God (he told his cabinet this), got to give away free money and walk away. Please don't complain about President Obama. He is trying so hard and this job has got to be the most stressful (if not downright frightening) job in the world. We should help him whenever we can. We can save America. Wow. We're a bit like Paul Revere and that gang!

[Querent]

07:57 PM on 04/29/2009

I think you meant, "The rich were the beneficiaries of our largesse."

[Liberalforsure]

04:30 PM on 04/29/2009

People go to msnbc.com and grade Obama. Faux news has their readers doing it, let's show them!

[quindy]

04:58 PM on 04/29/2009

Give the link, because I could not find the poll.

[thepoliticalcat]

05:10 PM on 04/29/2009

It's right on the first page, on the left hand side, at msnbc.com. Look for the first headline on the President's first hundred days. It's a link. Click it and it takes you to the poll.

[isonomist]

12:59 PM on 04/30/2009

On blogcatalog, I posted a "100 Day Employee Evaluation" discussion. This is how we should view our public servants

[AmericanWarrior]

04:28 PM on 04/29/2009

The Banana Republican Party, had 16 years dominating congress and 8 years in the Whitehouse. At the risk of a good vomit, why would she speak such venom?

[thepoliticalcat]

05:11 PM on 04/29/2009

She's just giving them a good poke in the gut, pointing out that the party has lost most of its stalwarts and is now composed mainly of fruitcakes like Michele Bachmann.

[Mintcondition]

04:24 PM on 04/29/2009

Shut up Nancy. Why are you worried about the cons. They can take care of themselves. Do you think that if the roles were reversed, they would be offering your club unsolicited advice?