John Tabin has a nice little article on American Spectator regarding CPAC and the dearth of reasonable foreign policy discussion. It is a short and sweet read. So do it.
Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll. You heard me. I know it doesn’t mean anything. Except that it means even the C-packers are sick of the neocon crap.
yet again. Birch Evans “Evan” Bayh, the supposedly moderate Democratic Senator from Indiana, just announced his plan to not seek reelection, one day before his party has to collect enough signatures to put up another candidate. My speculation is that, coupled with recent speculation here and elsewhere that Hillary Clinton is going to resign over national security issues, Clinton (who announced today that Iran is “moving toward a military dictatorship”) is going to resign as SecState and run as a “national security,” “moderate” alternative to the left’s candidate (or force Obama to retire) and the “right’s” candidate, whoever that may turn out to be, thus shoring up the “centrist,” independent bloc. Bayh, one should remember, was a strong supporter of Clinton’s candidacy. He has clearly stuck a knife in the Left’s back and solidified his alignment with the Triangulatress. Mark my words, Clinton-Bayh in ’12, and they will likely win.
Reporting to you from the heart of SNOWMAGEDDON!!!, the snowfall in DC is just now tapering off, leaving a heavy blanket of upwards of up to 20+ inches in its wake.
It’s customary to make fun of Washington for shutting down completely at the slightest dusting of snow, but I think by the time you hit two feet of accumulation, it’s pretty understandable that stuff just isn’t going to happen here. Plus, it’s Saturday.
Unfortunately for anti-government activists, the DC shutdown will probably only last through Monday and thereafter the wheels of the State will continue to turn in their depressing fashion.
Those looking for salvation from the RNC are likely to be disappointed. I can’t agree with my colleague Karl’s optimism about the recent noise being made from the bowels of RNC officialdom about withdrawing support from candidates who don’t hew closely to the 2008 Republican platform.
Of course, the Republican party has been an unmitigated disaster to conservatism in America.
Just take a look at that platform that’s supposed to be the basis for ideological cleansing. Section One: “Defending Our Nation, Supporting Our Heroes, Securing the Peace.” Translation: maintaining the aggressive, expansionist foreign policy that has been at the heart of exploding government spending, the curtailment of civil liberties under a bipartisan national security state, and the unprecedented expansion of the military-industrial complex.
Meanwhile, vague platitudes about “reducing spending” and “reforming the budget process” serve as promises to tinker with, not demolish, the corrupt fusion of the State with corporate interests that has resulted in the wholesale robbery of trillions of taxpayers’ dollars by corporate elites — under the watch of Democrats and Republicans alike.
What would the consequence be of a successful purge of non-GOP-approved candidates? For one thing, the promising candidacies of such genuine anti-government figures as Rand Paul and Peter Schiff would have been strangled in their cribs.
Unifying behind “GOP values” would spell the end of reform, not the beginning, and would represent a betrayal of the grass-roots Tea Party phenomenon, constitutionalism, and traditionalist conservatism. It comes down to this: You can’t be anti-government and pro-Empire. The cause of liberty won’t be furthered by strengthening the RNC leadership — instead, it must be overthrown.
for everyone!
The particulars are starting to appear less thrilling than Uncle Barry’s promises at first appeared at the SOTU.
For example: the second stimulus proposal appears to be simply another TARP for smaller banks, most of which only carry around 80% debt (as compared to the Big Boys, who carry around 92%). The small banks don’t want it, and they will sit on it rather than loan it, just like the Big Boys did. Anyone out there building a new high-rise because you got a loan in the past six months? Didn’t think so. Neither will anyone be financing all new office furniture, office equipment, tools, raw materials like wire or PVC with any new loans from the new “stimulus.” Example 2: the hinted at nuclear power plant boom is apparently contingent on Republicans playing ball and voting for crap-and-tax, er, cap-and-trade. Sure, the two “could” be separated. And Uncle Barry might sprout a third arm and use it to reach across the aisle, too. Example 3: targeted tax cuts (which won’t work) attached to the dangling carrot of capital gains rate reductions. Along with those few select rate cuts are other rate hikes and permanent extensions of further entitlements for the dependent class in the form of “tax cuts” for people who never pay them to begin with (i.e., more spending under the moniker “tax cut.”) Aren’t words wonderful things, Humpty-Dumpty?
A long-time reader forwarded the following email this evening and one hopes that this is a sign that the Republicans finally get it (emphasis below is mine).
Republican and Conservative Leaders and Activists:
At its Winter Meeting last week, the Republican National Committee adopted an important and historic resolution “concerning party support for candidates.” Sponsored by Bill Crocker of Texas, the unanimously-adopted resolution calls on all Republican Party leaders “to carefully screen” all candidates and to “determine that they wholeheartedly support the core principles and positions of the Republican Party as expressed in the Platform” and urges that “no support, financial or otherwise, be given to candidates who clearly do not support the core principles and positions of the Republican Party as expressed in the Platform.” The text of the resolution can be found here:
RNC resolution concerning party support of candidates – - POLITICO.com
This is the first time that the RNC has taken steps to ensure that Republican candidates are faithful to the Republican Platform. It empowers the RNC Chairman to consider the positions of candidates on issues and to deny funding to those candidates who are clearly out of the mainstream of our Party. As Mr Crocker said after the resolution’s adoption: “No more Scozzafavas, please. No more Specters, please. No more Chafees, please.”
State and local Republican parties, the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee are independent organizations and the resolution is not binding on them. The RNC, however, is calling all Republican leaders to follow the RNC lead. After all, what each of us does effects everyone.
With the adoption of the Platform Fidelity Resolution, I withdrew from consideration the Reagan Resolution and the Accountability Resolution, since the Platform Fidelity Resolution accomplish[es] our goal of demonstrating that this party is serious about standing for our principles, so that disaffected conservatives, such as tea party members, will be comfortable working with us in defense of freedom, and gained widespread support. See RNC Passes Compromise On ‘Purity’ Resolutions | TPMDC For additional accounts of this historic action by the RNC see the Washington Times
GOP leaders adopt litmus test of values for candidates – Washington Times and the AP
As one of the disaffected former Republicans, I hope this ushers in a new commitment to the values of limited government and traditional social values. Now let us hope that the NRCC and NRSC will follow suit and those who are subsequently elected govern according to those traditional principles. I give kudos to the RNC leadership for this resolution.
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