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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 01/30/2009 : 17:38:28
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This rather astonishing news from CNN:
GOP Chairman Michael Steele
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Michael Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday.
Steele, the first African-American to hold the post, defeated South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson, 91-77, in the final round of voting among the RNC's 168 members. Only 86 votes were needed.
"This is our opportunity. I cannot do this by myself," he told the crowd at the annual RNC meeting Friday. "God bless you, and God bless our party. ... It's going to be a new day."
Steele also told his fellow party members that it will be a "great honor to spar" with President Obama.
For the duration of his campaign, Steele fought perceptions that he was too moderate to lead the party because of his blue-state roots and his former membership in the Republican Leadership Council, a group that sought to curb the influence of social conservatives in the party. |
This might signal the first rays of sanity for the Republican Party's renewal. Of course, it's still possible that the NeoCons -- with the help of fascist noise machines like Limbaugh, Coulter and Hannity -- will further weaken or even destroy the GOP in internal fights that are bound to come.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 01/30/2009 17:44:05
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 17:47:16 [Permalink]
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| Well; there needs to be, and there will be, a conservative opposition in the US. So, it might as well be a somewhat moderate GOP rather than the fascistic fringe that Palin would represent... |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 17:55:47 [Permalink]
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| Token? |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 17:58:57 [Permalink]
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| Hmm....may see some of the hardcore Repubs splinter-off and form the Bubbative Party. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 17:59:40 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by pleco
Token?
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Good question. If Steele ends up fighting to renew his Party by making it Right-Center again, I'd say it wasn't tokenism. If they just use him as a handy Magic Negro figurehead, that would be another story. We'll just have to wait and see which way it goes.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 18:01:21 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Randy
Hmm....may see some of the hardcore Repubs splinter-off and form the Bubbative Party.
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Yup, a new NeoCon "third party" of some sort may be in the offing. Not that it will probably do much, aside from siphon off GOP votes.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 19:53:23 [Permalink]
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My gut feeling is... yeah, token. At least that's how/ why he was selected.
But then, I would not expect him to satisfy himself with that. He will probably try to leverage his position into driving the GOP in what he thinks is the right direction... back to more economic and less social conservationism...
But, the question is, will the rest of his party let him? I do not expect the neo-con to let him and there will be a struggle for the heart and soul of the party... and it will not be pretty. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 20:22:10 [Permalink]
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I'm hardly impressed with the pick. I was in Baltimore when he was running for Lt. Governor along with Bob Ehrlich for Governor of MD a few years ago. They used some pretty underhanded tactics, and overall Steele never stuck me as a particularly smart or inspiring guy. And the sleaze tactics they used in that election doesn't suggest a man of integrity, either. Not even close.
So I'm expecting more of the same from this crowd. |
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2009 : 20:31:20 [Permalink]
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| Well; his profile seems more moderate than that of most of the neo-cons, that's a start. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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pleco
SFN Addict
USA
2998 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2009 : 08:21:16 [Permalink]
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| If Obama was not relevant, this man would not have been picked. |
by Filthy
The neo-con methane machine will soon be running at full fart. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2009 : 13:07:31 [Permalink]
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Waitafreakin'minute! They are saying that this is probably legal, but it doesn't seem right to me. A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
When the newly elected RNC Chair, Michael Steele, ran for Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2002, he was paid a salary -- "consulting fees" -- by the Republican Party to do so.
BuzzFlash first reported this back in 2002. (Steele served as Lt. Governor of Maryland from 2003-2007. He lost a 2006 U.S. Senate bid.)
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I dunno about this, but I do know that "legal" and "ethical" are not necessarily synonyms.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2009 : 16:19:59 [Permalink]
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Now there's this article, "Rebuilding the GOP with Steele," by Mark Preston on Steele and the GOP. Note this part: Some social conservatives were concerned Steele would not champion social issues as the RNC chair, but those fears might have been eased by Ken Blackwell's decision to endorse the former Maryland lieutenant governor.
Blackwell was considered the favorite of many social conservatives in his own bid for the RNC chair. But he told me that he decided to withdraw after several rounds of balloting and back Steele because "Michael looked at me in the eye" and committed to stay true to the party's political platform of "primacy of life, limited government and the rule of law." |
Steele is walking a tightrope between the Center/Right moderates of the "PaleoCon" faction, and the discredited NeoCons.
"Primacy of life, limited government and the rule of law," as defined in the topsy-turvy manner of the Bushies, will not allow the GOP to survive as a major party. If Steele keeps his promise to Blackwell, the GOP is doomed, doomed, says I.
The big fights over specifics have probably only been postponed for the moment. They will later rock the Party.
I suspect that the GOP banter on renewal is so much whistling past the graveyard of Neoconservatism. They instead should consider themselves in defensive mode. They need to find their Party's very survival before they can even think about some future date when they might win majorities in Congress.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 02/01/2009 16:22:43 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 02/02/2009 : 08:17:17 [Permalink]
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In a slightly related matter, Mr. Steel's nomination seems to have put a knot of near Gordian tension in David Duke's fussy, little panties.
"GOP traitors appoint Obama Junior as Chairman of the Republican Party
I am glad these traitorous leaders of the Republican Party appointed this Black racist, affirmative action advocate to the head of the Republican party because this will lead to a huge revolt among the Republican base. As a former Republican official, I can tell you that millions of rank-and-file Republicans are mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore! We will either take the Republican Party back over the next four years or we will say, "To Hell With the Republican Party!" And we will take 90 percent of Republicans with us into a New Party that will take its current place!
I think the insanity of nominating "Mr. Amnesty" John McCain and now this Black racist - will lead to insurgency in the Republican ranks, and a lot of dissidents getting elected in Republican Party primaries around the country. This will result over the next four years a real move by millions of Republicans to take the party back to the populist issues that are not only right but can win for the Republican Party. We must end affirmative action, protect our gun rights and all our constitutional rights, have a moratorium on immigration, we must have protectionism, yes I said protect American businesses and their workers from NAFTA and GATT and the lie of free trade, and we must have America First, not foreign interventionism. Our boys should be home protecting the American borders a not being murdered on the borders of Iraq or Afghanistan. The time as come for Republican Party to stand up to Obama and defend American heritage, rights, and freedom!
...Let's make this abomination in the Republican Party, the last major party of White redoubt, as a rallying cry of resistance!"
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2009 : 09:01:25 [Permalink]
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Good; good.
Let the bigots and extremists reveal themselves and purge themselves from the political areas. Let them form their own party and let this party linger in the fringes where it can no longer pollute the Democratic debate! |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2009 : 16:43:36 [Permalink]
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Well, if the GOP is going to split off a faction to the Right, it may as well have an outright KKK-Stormfront fascist like David Duke in it. Though I doubt that perennial loser would lead any very significant exodus. Even the NeoCons are going to look askance at Duke.
The KKK/Neo-Nazi types are very excited these days, thinking that with an African American President, their great opportunity is at hand. The simple fact that America voted in that President in a landslide doesn't phase them. Instead of seeing the present as being the worst of times in all US history for racists, their own internal fury makes them delusional about their prospects.
I would expect to see a surge of ill-conceived adventurist action from the white supremacist Right in the months to come. It's likely to get a bit dangerous.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 02/02/2009 16:49:34 |
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Hittman
Skeptic Friend
134 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2009 : 08:17:20 [Permalink]
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The GOP came a long way on the backs of the far right, anti-abortion, God God God, fundy masses, but maybe, just maybe, Sarah Palin taught them a lesson. McCain was doing OK until her tapped her. As soon as she opened her mouth his numbers tanked.
They can keep catering to the far right, or they can go back to being Goldwater conservatives. The far right fundy wing is played out – everyone who isn't a far right fundy is sick and tired of their nonsense. You're right, it will be a nasty battle, with Rush and Coulter and Hannity at the forefront of the stupid wing of the party, but unless they grow a brain and move toward a more moderate position they're going to be more and more marginalized.
Regardless of what happens, it will be entertaining.
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When a vampire Jehovah's Witness knocks on your door, don't invite him in. Blood Witness: http://bloodwitness.com
Get Smartenized® with the Quick Hitts blog: http://www.davehitt.com/blog2/index.phpBlog |
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GOP picks a moderate, and black, chairman
