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twitterLetter to the Editor:
Maybe major parties should fold ‘big tents’
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.
The end of Republican Dede Scozzafava’s candidacy for an upstate New York congressional seat — she dropped out of the race Saturday — could be a clarion call that there is a new dynamic brewing in American partisan politics. Doug Hoffman, one of Scozzafava’s opponents, has a “C” next to his name, meaning he’s running as a “conservative.”
Hoffman was endorsed by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Scozzafava initially was endorsed by the Republican National Committee.
Maybe it is time that we identify and separate the “moderate” Republicans from those who are focused on a purely conservative message. Maybe it is divisive to mix “pro-choicers” and “illegal immigration amnesty” candidates, for example, with those whose political ideologies center on contrary values.
If the Republican Party seeks to be a party of “moderates,” let it be a separate party from those who are based on and rooted in genuinely conservative principles. We are beginning to witness, possibly, a new paradigm in the political system of America. Recent months have seen Arlen Specter defect to the Democratic Party and, prior to that, Joe Lieberman left the Democratic Party to become an “independent,” even though he still caucuses with the Democrats.
In all probability the far leftist values and policies of President Barack Obama and his administration, and the generally left-leaning Congress, have combined to help create a catalytic tipping point in American politics. Only time will tell. Nevertheless, current and recent developments appear to be pointing in that direction.
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"In all probability the far leftist values and policies of President Barack Obama and his administration, and the left-leaning Congress, have combined to help create a catalytic tipping point in American politics"
Well said.
Just look at the Pelosi 2% Bill -- Is Congress really that inept?
On October 30, 2009, Nancy Pelosi announced her 2% solution. That is right Nancy has a Health Insurance bill with a public option that will only cover 2% of the people and it costs just under a trillion dollars.
On 10-14 the lowball Baucus Health Insurance Reform bill for just under a trillion dollars does not cover 29 million people.
So for just under a trillion dollars we are getting:
- 98% of the people NOT covered by the public option
- 29 million not covered by health insurance
- $580 billion taken away from senior's Medicare
- $280 billion not paid to Doctors for services rendered
- it does not include tort reform
- it does not allow plans to cross state lines
- it does not reduce the cost of healthcare providers
- It does not have a enforceable Individual mandate
- It does not allow for catastrophic" healthcare policies.
- It does not preclude cost shifting where one plans pricing power gets a lower rate than other less powerful private insurers.
- It does not impose tort reform to reduce defensive medicine.
This bill is the "BAIT" in the Democrats "bait and switch" medical operation, it only attempts to squeeze the cost of the program administrators by replacing private workers with public government workers.
Future, you forgot to mention those Death Panels, so I suppose they're still in there. Right?
But I'm very happy to hear that you insist on a plan that will cover those 29 million people. You surprised me. First hint of compassion we've heard from you. Ever. Keep upm the good work.
Curious about that fixation on tort reform, though. Are you a doctor? What do you mean when you say tort reform? How about just shielding doctors from malpractice suits altogether?
Future: Great analysis of the pitfalls and massive defects in the current health care bill being pushed down the throats of America. It is
simply inexplicable how so many kool aid drinkers there are who would buy in to a plan riddled by the huge deficiencies and massive costs, and gaps as are contained in this plan. What you have outlined is something that should be framed and saved. Post it everyday, and send
in as a letter to the editors.
Conservative! Code for Vietnam War draft-dodgers and commie-siders. The GOP problem is, it is too top-heavy with felons; Lim"p"baugh, O'Reilly, Dobbs (birther), McConnell, Boehner, Coburn, Cronyn, Sessions, Shelby, etc.
I do not believe that the citizens of this country will accept major health care reform without tort reforms.
$580 billion taken away from Medicare for our senior citizens,but not a penny from the trial attorneys...
lcdrmandingonamve........ Whaaaaaaaat?, conservatives are felons? Holy crap are you myopic about the Democrats or what? The feds would need to build a whole new prison to house the democratic criminals on the left and far left.
The problem with the Republican party today is that it has to many RINOS in it. Those people should just re-register as a Democrat and be done with it.
A lot of RINOS have and are moving to the independent middle. An example is how well Republicans did during the last election after the independents went with the Democrats.
Some day the far right and the far left will not be influencing the political process. They will be viewed as the Hatfields and McCoys.
dingo is just repeating what his progenitors have told him about Republicans. He don't know what he don't know about us. There just happened to be a Republican President in office when the Great Depression hit. Those people have never gotten over that one fact and they told all their children to hate Republicans. President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican and he did more for black people than Jesus Christ did.
The traditional Republican party is dead, slain not by the Democrats, but by those who wore the cloak of conservatism. They were not conservative,they were Fascists--totalitarian, corrupt, and incompetent. GO TO: www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm and form your opinion.
And the Democrat Party is being stolen by the crazies on the far left.
The country is moving to the center and both the Democratic and Republican parties better pay attention.
Lyndon Johnson got the Civil Rights Act through Congress only because of the Republican support he received. Few southern Democrats would vote for it. The Democrats would rather keep minorities in the gettos and on the dole so that they could demand their votes. It is still the same today.
If you really want to know who the big spenders are just Go To: www.lafn.org/gvdc/Natl_Debt_Chart.html
Hey Larry,
What about that New York race you keep bringing up? Doesn't that belie your premise that the country is moving to the center? Heck, the Repub candidate who was considered moderate was drummed out of the race by the NEO-CONS. BTW... I see she threw her support to a Democrat.
Information about Health Care can be obtained just by typing the two words into your address/Go To bar. Please do some research. The truth does not necessarily set you free but it does allow one to make an informed post or decision.
Hey there gmag,
I think Republican candidate Scozzafava is a Democrat posing as a Republican to get elecgted and was leaning too far left for most conservative voters in her district. Maybe it shows her true colors when she endorsed the Democrat...
If you are not a liberal when you're younger you don't have a heart. If you are not a conservative when you're older, you don't have a brain.
When George W. Bush was elected, he increased spending and had more government controls (No Child Left Behind, Medicare part D. etc..) Sounds like the Republicans have been Democrats since 2000. I see no difference between LBJ and GW Bush. Both are very liberal Texas leaders.
It would be nice to see Repulicans get back to the basics of small government and I don't see it with the current leadership.
You can research healthcare all you want and you will know nothing. The bill has not been finalized and after an agreement it will have to be reconciled between the House and Senate version. Even if it were finalized you would have to be an experienced attorney to half way figure it out. That is if you had a month to pour over the thing. The Constitution is a relatively simple document, very short and judges can't even agree on what the meaning of that is.
A two-party system will continue to keep this country fiercely divided - primarily because either one of the two will always be in power and the other will be scrambling to get it back.
With three or more parties of relatively equal popularity it would be much more difficult to push partisan legislation through congress and pork would likely disappear.
Passing legislation would require appealing to your party as well as a large number of at least one other party.
Phargo:
If Jesus were here today he would support
health care reform. So would Abe Lincoln.
Bob Jack:
President Obama's values and policies are
what the majority of Americans voted for.
The Party of Greed was booted out because
they don't care about the average worker.
Republicans go out of fashion after every generation until someone lights a fire under their @sses. Democrats will always be a party in name only, it's a coalition of various groups since it's inception. It would be nice to see the Republicans split the party in Conservative (ie Limbaugh) and Libertarian (ie Ron Paul, 1988 Lib Candidate for President)Parties, but that will never happen.
teamster:
Abe Lincoln might have but he would have been outvoted. Jesus doesn't count because he is diety. Deity don't get a vote.
teamster:
are you a union member? You sound like a union member.