23 Comments

1. Typewriter King:

The way I see it, the Conservatives (not necessarily Republicans) in the house has one option; forge any coalition necessary to oust Pelosi from her leadership position. As leverage, they must through all means enlighten the public to the fact that she’s been the House Speaker since January, 2007. I recall a Rasmussen poll indicating that over a third of the public believed the Republicans had the house majority in June, 2008. Putting out the simple fact that she’s been in charge weakens her politically.

There’s going to have to be an alternate caucusing, and it’s going to have to give practically all the concessions to bolting Democrats in hammering out the deal. I would suggest as a start giving Jane Harmon Pelosi’s title, and subsequently whipping Republican votes in line to vote in Harmon’s agenda.

It would mean Republican congressmen having to answer some uneasy questions to their constituents in the next primaries for why they’re carrying water for the DLC, Blue Dogs, and New Democrat Coalition, as well as Democrats having to face judgment in their primaries for undercutting their party leadership, but they must know Open Left and other netroots groups are going to kill them in 2010 primaries, anyway. They’re already “Bush Dogs” and “Little Liebermans” in the eyes of the keyboard warriors.

There’s got to be enough leverage to overturn Pelosi.

Jan 23, 2009 - 2:38 am 2. Craig:

“So what’s the minority Republican caucus to do?”

The GOP made their bed, now they have to lie in it. Why don’t you know?….for them, liberalism is the new conservatism.

If Obama turns into Jimmy Carter, they have a chance. Otherwise, get use to it. The birth of the Nanny state has just taken place: Born on the evening of 11/4/08 and baptized around mid-day on 1/20/09.

Jan 23, 2009 - 4:13 am 3. Chris in Toronto:

Every conservative must have some “liberal” friends. Use your own personal networks. Drive home Pelosi-Starkist-Samoa. And drive it home mercilessly. Drive it home every time you can. Get the Pelosi-is-ethically-challenged meme started. Take them out one at a time, starting with Pelosi. Then Rangel. Then Dodd. Pick them off one by one. That’s a start.

Jan 23, 2009 - 4:53 am 4. SaraforAmerica:

This woman actually promised that a fillibuster proof Democratic majority would be more bi-partisan. That is the most insane statement I have ever heard.

Of course, now that she has her Obama and her majorities, her claws are out, and she no longer cares about appearances. She has no intention of doing anything but advancing her ultra-leftist agenda.

Any GOP member who would work with her must be castigated. Mercilessly. Period.

Jan 23, 2009 - 6:05 am 5. deguello:

To stand up you need a backbone;the P in GOP stands for poltroon.Expecting a republican to show backbone is like asking a prostitute to show love. We need a third party!

Jan 23, 2009 - 8:18 am 6. Chris in Toronto:

Right on, Sara!

Jan 23, 2009 - 8:26 am 7. Sue:

Not only a backbone, deguello, but cajones too!
They don’t have any and that has been the problem for this party for a very long time. I personally have become an Independent and hope many more become independents too. I have no hope for the Demos that are now controlled by the Uberleft in this country.

Jan 23, 2009 - 8:39 am 8. Razorhog:

Martha, you view here is well thought out. I found it instructive when asked about Republican input on Sunday Nancy’s response was __ We won the election__ we don’t need their permission. I believe that to be her position.

I believe that the economic package being proposed now (including the several billion in ear marks) will only postpone and elongate the downturn in the economy. We should remember when Regan came to office interest rates were as high as 21% and GOOD mortgages were in the 14% range, inflation was double digit (at times up to 15%) and unemployment was 12.5%. All of those numbers are worse than today. That new administration did not panic. Granted they had the cover of Iran Hostages that consumed press coverage during that time. Regan began what became the longest period of prosperity in real terms that this country has ever known. We should not panic.

Conservatives can and should continue to champion the markets as the place for unbiased settlement of all economic arguments. Schumpeter called it creative destruction__ the inefficient are consumed by the new and efficient which frees capital and expansion. The market is calling automakers, banks and at risk mortgage holders Zombie borrowers who, because their pain is being prolonged are bleeding money from the economy.

In the end, with what we see today and the threat of a $4 trillion total package, our best hope is that it will be no worse than the Japanese “lost decade” and at worst we will become France__ a socialist republic.

LOL
Razorhog

Jan 23, 2009 - 9:04 am 9. Kathryn (sign: Reagan Conservative Petition):

Demand with me that Republicans FIGHT for this country and stop quietly letting Democrats do whatever they want. No more harmful compromises!

Jan 23, 2009 - 9:19 am 10. Marc Malone:

As I said in another thread, become the party of “No.” Always vote no. Block everything you can. whatever the Dems get through, they get through, but then they absolutely own it. When the economy fails to respond, when the debt is out of control, when foreigners quit buying our debt because they’re broke too, then the American public will finally be able to see it. Give them no chance to point the finger at us. Do not help Obama succeed like we did Clinton. One must allow the Dems to demonstrate how bad their policies are. That’ll cure the cancer of liberalism.

Jan 23, 2009 - 1:06 pm 11. markrite:

ok, how we got to where we now are:
The U.S. was caught up in a perfect storm, or confluence, of: a)-an economy ‘in extremis’ crisis,
b)-an opponent consisting of a totally corrupted Democratic Party to whom no strategy or tactic to win was low enough
c)-an electorate so befuddled, besotten, confused and clueless (think culture dominated by hip hop & rap among the young, and by jobs, sports and sexuality, though not necessarily in that order, among most of the others)that the choice of Obama or McCain was pretty much ‘ok’ with it, and, finally, a media that was swooning every time the obamababble opened his super oily-slick facial orifice & voila!! we’re (57 million of us) in the collectivist radical egalitarian soup!! (did I forget to mention the extremely stong possibility that the 5th column slicksters of the Democratic (socialist) party thru ‘Acorn’ and other equally fraudulent org’s, miight’ve actually stolen the election?—nah! notachance, the sheeple were too vigilant for that to happen—-oyeah, right. S0……..whatta we do now? Can anyone spell “new political part”, like………the “CONSERVATIVE COALITION PARTY”—-CCP—-
AN IDEA WHOSE TIME MIGHT HAVE COME?–well, lets start it here & now & immediately begin to start PUSHING the obamamoron back—-MARKRITE

Jan 23, 2009 - 1:24 pm 12. e:

Yup, the Republicans have backed themselves into a corner. They’re going to have to use every chance they can get to make statements directly to the people (no MSM filter). A smooth talker like Huckabee is going to have to explain time and again how so many Liberal policies will lead to failure and what the Conservative alternative is.

The truth is the Republican minority is going to have to fight, filibuster and propose alternate legislation on almost everything until the next election. Good luck, they’re going to need it.

Jan 23, 2009 - 2:30 pm 13. DaveinPhoenix:

Republicans seem to be more interested in getting along with their Democratic friends at the cocktail parties than fighting for their ideals against the likes of Pelosi and President Puberty….

Jan 23, 2009 - 5:16 pm 14. glenn:

First you have to have some Republicans who will stand up to the Democrats. Don’t see any.

Jan 23, 2009 - 5:49 pm 15. Toral:

I expect things to work like this:

1) Obama invites GOP input and listens politely;

2) Obama proceeds with what he intended to do originally, offering 3 or 4 small-to-medium compromises (per major policy package) to the GOP if they give the package substantial support;

3) Pelosi removes all but 1 small compromise from Obama’s proposed package and rams the bill through the House; Reid does the same in the Senate;

4) Obama expresses disappointment in the removal of his compromises and says that he wishes that the process in Congress could have been more bipartisan and incorporated some good Republican ideas so that it might have gotten more Republican support. Then he signs the bill as Pelosi has redesigned it.

Jan 23, 2009 - 6:15 pm 16. Cynthia:

Frankly, you have to blame the rest of the Democrats in the House who actually re-elected this harridan as speaker of the House. I can’t believe there is not at least one other person in the House who has better leadership abilities than Pelosi (especially when she doesn’t have true leadership abilities at all – being a power-hungry maven who always has to have their own way is more like a recalcitrant child having a temper-tantrum – not who I want making decisions).

So, you House Democrats, take back your cajones from Nancy P. and run the House in a more civilized, respectful manner. Then give the others back to the Republicans and perhaps your group can actually start worrying about the United States instead of your respective parties!

Jan 23, 2009 - 6:19 pm 17. Bruce:

eek = The sound a monkey makes.

eke = To make something last by practicing strict economy.

Jan 23, 2009 - 11:37 pm 18. Mary Grabar:

Pelosi holding up the gavel in a power display after she was sworn in showed us what she was about. The woman is scary. But this is typical leftist behavior: they never play fair. I think Toral has it right.

Jan 24, 2009 - 6:38 am 19. murphyranch:

Republicans have to return to the core! The Democrats certainly did not try to go along with what the Republicans brought forth. The Republicans are a bunch of wimps when it comes to vetting the cabinet members…Geithner is a tax evader and he’s going to be making the policy and telling the rest of us how we have to pay OUR taxes? I think we need to have a tax revolt. With TRILLIONS

Jan 24, 2009 - 6:27 pm 20. murphyranch:

(CONTINUED) WITH TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS just being nilly-willy turned over to the same people who have caused this mess: Congress, Wall Street and the Banks is insane! I don’t want the FEDERAL government to have control of how the money is spent for the stimulus…the STATES must decide what is best. The feds should take care of the country and the states should take care of the individual stimulus packages the feds provide. Otherwise it is ATLAS SHRUGGED…By the way, have you ALL read it? It’s happening right now.

Jan 24, 2009 - 6:31 pm 21. the scholar:

If the Republicans are to stay politically relevant over the course of the next two or four years and want to avoid the same trap democrats fell into after Bush was elected, they must do more than simply act as obstructionists to the Liberal agenda. They must provide substantive, innovative and principled alternatives, which are rooted in free market and individualistic principles – like this one (”The Greening of Social Security” – http://thescholarsforum.org/)

The Scholar
http://www.thescholarsforum.org
“Ex Scientia Lux”
“From Knowledge Light”

Jan 25, 2009 - 1:19 pm 22. Delia:

Totally OT but that stampeding elephant picture is freaking awesome.

Nancy P. gives me the willies.

Annie getchyer gun!

Jan 26, 2009 - 1:15 pm 23. Jim:

We ALL need to call Pelosi and demand that she turn in her private jet!!!

Feb 13, 2009 - 11:08 am