CNN Political Ticker:
Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr said Saturday it's hard to "overestimate the damage" that's been inflicted on the Republican Party -- not only with this week's defection of Sen. Arlen Specter, but also the "lack of any coherent philosophy, vision or leadership."
"The Republican Party is in very deep trouble right now," Barr said in an interview with CNN.
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Bob " Kick Yo' Butt " Barr -
a shining example of the very thing
he himself laments...
--
Bob Barr needs to work on and find out who his Black ancestors were, because he has negroid features.
Turns out that self-rightous party is just too self-rightous to exist.....they can't tolerate themselves.
Fearless prediction: Within a couple of years, moderate voices of reason like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Christine Todd Whitman will be driven out of the GOP into the open arms of the Democrats.
So much for the big tent theory...
Christine (a neighbor of Steve Forbes) is just too rich to ever become a democrat....
Actually, I think the Republican Party is showing its real philosophy which consists of greed, immorality, envy, intolerance and hate. Showing everybody else is the entire problem in a nutshell.
And if we can stop them from fixing our elections...they will be non-existent!
MR. BOB BARR IS RIGHT ABOUT DEMOCRATS NEEDING EXPLICIT PHILOSOPHY.
We need to appreciate good points made by honest opponents like Barr and start writing explicit description of Democratic political philosophy. It can be done because President Obama is starting to describe it as pragmatism based on empathy. These two are well developed concepts in philosophy and psychology that can be used to describe where Democrats are going; it will not just be goals and values of one person but an ongoing description of where the whole country wants progress to go.
Sorry but Barr's not a good example of someone who you want to take info from for anything. Barr has a checkered past.
A lot of people have a checkered past. He regrets the DOMA. Since then, he's been vehemently anti-Iraq War, pro-drug legalization, and he was one of the first to bail on the Republicans and start publicly speaking out against Bush, way back in 2004. He also spoke out (quite well) on the subject of torture:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0801.barr.html
Give the man a break. I used to HATE Bob Barr. I even used to have regular contact with him with my job in Atlanta, and he seemed like a real d-bag. He's done a LOT of bad things in the past, but I believe he's changed. He's not the enemy anymore.
REPUBLICAN PARTY OBITUARY.
Mr. Barr is a straight talker who is giving another parting prayer over the death of the Republican Party. Some say it's not dead, just a zombie that can come back to power if taken over by vampires like Cheney. Not likely because it is fast losing what is left of it's soul, which are libertarians like Bob Barr. The only saving grace it had was the libertarian values of individual freedom, privacy, and small government. These were destroyed in large part by fundamentalist phony Bush and his Svengali handler Cheney. So it seems that Republicans will drag themselves around in their powerless state for some time. They should be replaced by an honest and vigorous Libertarian Party or the 2 party system should be allowed to completely disappear. This is a likely prospect in the long run. The 2 party system has added stability to American national politics and is the established faith that will continue as long as people find it useful and functional. But if Republican remain soulless in the nest few years, the system will keep around just as punching bag for the media and the Democratic Party.
people we need to wake up the gop and dem party are one and the same coin just different sides. The states need to take back their power states give the federal government the power not the other way around. Everything can be fixed if states stand up and say this is the way taxes is going to be, this is how health care is going to be, this is how education is going to be. It takes a 2/3rds majority of states to ratify anything and then the feds have to go along with it. Read the federalist papers and 5000 year leap it talks about states rights not fed rights. The federal government is there to support the states not the other way around. We need people in congress that listen to the people not lobbys and banks and other interest groups. We need public finacing for all so it is accountable every penny has to be dodnated by check , cash or regular crdit card not pre paid cards. Every donation has to have name address of the person donating.
I sort of agree with you, jesseandrews, BUT I would hope that if the states take back their power, that there will be ONE set of rules for all 50 states.
Right now, there are 50 different rules-one for each state. It's too crazy to try and keep up with what state does what and what is Illegal in one state is Not Illegal in another state,.
The Federal Government should be there for ALL of us--we all pay taxes so we all should have a part of the share. EXCEPT--
Those who DON'T support paying their taxes can go and make their own lives, but don't come to the Federal Government with your hand out; looking for free money or help when you don't want to pay for others to get a share of our tax money!
History has already shown that it does not work. As Mercedes suggested, you need to have common rules across all 50 states. Try to get agreement with just a couple of states and see what you end up with. Articles of Confederation I believe was based on this principle.
I do agree that to legislate without funding or mandate without funding is wrong. However, as was once stated by a President of the GOP, "A house divided will not stand". Lincoln said that just before the Civil War. Another example of states rights gone wild.
Gregor53:
You are very knowledgeable about this subject. Would you happen to know WHY the Republicans are for limited Government and less taxes? Don't they realize that you can only do so much in each state before you MUST reach out and get Federal help when you're out of state funds and you've used up all the state 'fees' (Republican code word for Taxes) people pay?
It would be simpler, CHEAPER, easier and avoid so many headaches if we united and we all followed one main set of laws. That's why I thought we are called the UNITED States. We have our US Constitution, our Congress, our Supreme Court, our Executive Branch, our Bill of Rights. Why mess it up with dozens of different rules and laws for each state?
I've never been able to figure that out--why each state would want to set their own laws--almost like having 50 different countries United by one boundary. I somehow think that those with Power prefer to have a SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) instead of using common sense and logic so that Life would be easier for Everyone in the US of A.
I'm, at this very moment, watching MTP and as I see the pasty, u*gly, "christiany" looking face of Joe Scarborough, and hear the sound of his voice, I'm looking straight at, and hearing loud and clear, what's wrong with the Republican party and what will always be wrong with the Republican party
Bob Barr said he would not apologize to Rush Limbaugh. Stay tuned for a retraction.
Yep, it's that same ole song and dance.
That's pretty ignorant. Bob Barr is NOT a Republican anymore, and therefore owes Limbaugh nothing. Did you know he's pro-legalization, anti-Iraq War and anti-Bush (since 04 at least), and even pro-gay marriage (from a states-rights perspective, at least). Like I said in a comment above, people change.
These demographics, except for #4, are not likely to change for a generation or more. The new Republican party is likely to come from a split of the Dem and DemLite parties.
1. Minorities: Ninety-six percent of black voters supported Obama. He also drew the votes of two thirds of Hispanics.
2. Young people: Obama won the under-30 crowd by 34 percentage points. This bested Bill Clinton's 19-point advantage over Bob Dole among young voters in 1996.
3. Women: Obama attracted 56 percent of female voters. Unmarried women also voted for Obama over McCain by 70 to 29 percent.
4. White men: He had the support of 41 percent of white men. Before Obama, no Democrat since Jimmy Carter had earned more than 38 percent of the white male vote.
5. Hillary Clinton fans: Obama won over 84 percent of Democrats who backed Hillary Clinton in the primaries.
I remember Bob Barr's pivotal role in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. That's enough for me to relegate him to the bin of history.
That's when he first came across my radar screen, and i haven't forgotten.
Never forget!
The whole Impeachment debacle. Remember when the House Members marched imperiously over to the Senate side? Every one of them - DUSTBIN - on the wrong side of history!
"Roll the videotape."
Forever!
How open-minded of you. Back then, I couldn't stand him either. While certainly no Democrat (lifelong libertarian-leaning independent here), I hated the Republicans even more (still do) and was totally against impeachment. Looking back, I'm not sure what was wrong with bringing a President to trial for lying under oath. Sure, what he was lying about was stupid, but that makes lying under oath even worse. He should have admitted it. Sure, what Bush did was far, far worse and he remains unpunished. Guess who is one of the people who've been calling for investigations? NOT Obama. Bob Barr. People change. Maybe you should, too.
Barr is very generous in saying that the Democrats have party discipline and the Republicans don't. If anything, it's still the other way around. The GOP still manages to whip their side in line for zero yea votes on the big bills, while 16 Democrats voted against the foreclosure bill and Democratic opposition is building against the healthcare reform bill.
Democrats vote their conscience.
Republics vote the way they are TOLD to vote!
Same as it ever was!
I don't know for sure, but it looks like some Dems and All repubs' consciences are pretty deep down into the Banks' pockets.
Agreed! That's why we have to do our part to let these people know that we are watching and remind them who they really work for.
I just imagine this, 8 years ago, that party had it all, total power, they were riding high with their new "war president", they had Rove, they had Rush, they had radio, the rest of us were doomed if we did not tow the line, well now, what the he!! happened? I forgot to add that they also had religion. We woke up, and spoke up and the truth cannot be denied, Reagonomics does not work, the middle class has to be nurtured or this country fails. Republicans hate goverment and want it to fail. Then why do they want to work in government? I, guess only to see that it does fail. How amazing to watch the Great ole party be reduced to this failure, but look at the damage they have done!
The gop had the majority in the senate but not a filabuster the dems could have blocked any and all bills but they are crooks to. A filabuster proof senate is when you have 60 votes which has not happen since the 70s with carter, so dems could have block the bills except the tax cuts which were rammed thru. So wake up and smell the coffee both parties have sold us out along time ago. They are just there to get what they can congress needs to remember they get their power from the states not the other way around. We need term limits on all so they do not get to where they are now thinking it is their right to be in congress. We need new blood get rid of the old families that hacve been there for ever likeand others. the dodds. bushes, rockefellers, kennadys, lincolns,
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| 05/ 2/09 11:43 AM