MyDD :: Panic Building in the GOP?

Panic Building in the GOP?

by molly bloom, Wed Apr 05, 2006 at 11:05:29 PM EST

I was quite amused to read this in the Washington Post

How nervous are Republicans that the Iraq war could hurt them in November? Nervous enough that Rep. Christopher Shays visited the same senior center twice in one week to defend his stand.

For nearly 20 years, Shays has distinguished himself as a reliably moderate House Republican. His middle-of-the-road stands on the environment, abortion and gay rights have irked many in his conservative party while affording him job security in his affluent, Democratic-leaning district. Not so with Iraq, the "sentinel issue of our time," as Shays describes it. He has strayed deep into loyalist GOP territory, and that could cost him his job.

Distancing himself from Bush as much as possible buy unable to shake loose his support for the war in Iraq.

Here is a delicious quote:

In a move widely interpreted as an acknowledgment of his vulnerability, Shays recently endorsed the reelection of Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), a conservative Democrat whose position on Iraq is similar to Shays's. "That was to let Democrats know, here's a Democrat who voted for the war," said John Orman, a political scientist at Fairfield University, which is in Shays's district.

Embracing Lieberman? Yeah that will help!

Bottom line in Connecticut, at least, Iraq is likely to bring down a GOP moderate. Farrell needs to turn up the heat and don't be wishy washy about it.

Tags: Christopher Shays, GOP, Connecticut, congressional elections (all tags)

Permalink :: 7 Comments :: Post a Comment

Iraq will bring down America (none / 0)

Iraq is a

MISTAKE OF COLOSSAL PROPORTION

Lets define colossal: 200 billion dollars a year, thousands of wasted lives - no benefit to America, lost face in the international community

Lets define mistake: massive failure of leadership in the military strategy - failure to prepare for an insurgency, getting caught in a civil war, invading a country for weapons of mass destruction - then finding out they don't exist and never did, covering up a downing street memo and lying about going to war - and saying that the iraqis will throw flowers on our path in the street as we march down through bagdad -

So, just because Iraq sucks, you think the dems will win.

Why not post a big sign over your camp that says
"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" and take your picture next to it?

Go for it.

by turnerbroadcasting on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 08:21:46 AM EST

Re: Iraq will bring down America (3.00 / 2)

...So, just because Iraq sucks, you think the dems will win...

Oh no, let's just regurgitate saint ralph's old meme that "there is no difference" and start another cycle of disaster. Then, we'll all suffer even more - and dubya's war flogging propagandists and enablers will only have to change a 'q' to an 'n'.

543,895 votes

by Michael Bersin on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 08:45:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Democratic overconfidence (3.00 / 1)

priceless

Every race has to be run like we are 10 points down, even if we are 20 points up.

The super massive republican fuck-ups haven't been enough to turn around very many of the Republican voters here where I work. I suspect they have serious brain damage but barring that GOP fuckups aren't going to win it for us.
The Irag war has dragged on for three years and it hasn't brought them down yet and it is not a silver bullet that will grant us Democrats the majority. No it will take a sustained, multifacted, unrelently passion to get us the majority. An organized ground game, smart policy, messaging AND DELIVERY will win us the majority.

I fully agree with you, Iraq sucks but so does living in this nightmare where 51% voted Bush back it and a slim majority may vote the GOP back because they think us Democrats would make things worse! sigh

by gasperc on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 08:51:12 AM EST

Re: Panic Building in the GOP? (3.00 / 2)

So, just because Iraq sucks, you think the dems will win.

Why not post a big sign over your camp that says
"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" and take your picture next to it?

I am not sure how you managed to derive that from my post. Please re-read the post, think about it and then comment. I don't even come close to saying that because Iraq sucks Dems will automatically win.

What I said was Farrell need to turn up the heat and not be wishy washy about it. I thought that is was clear enough in the context that it meant taking a stand on opposing the war and calling out Shay for his support for it That alone implies I don't think mission is accomplished (cute of you to use that though)

What would you prefer:
a) Farrell continue to be wishy washy as the Post article implied?
b) That Farrell come out and support the war?
c)That Farrell take a strong stand opposing the war (my point).

You need not answer, I know where you stand on the war.

If I didn't KNOW better, I'd think you were a troll. But as it happens, I do know you are NOT a troll. What I do think is you need more coffee to improve your cognative skills this AM. I am disapponted in TBS, usually you write much more intelligent comments (I'm serious about that).

I am not going to comment on the rest of your diatribe, its clear you didn't read and you didn't think before you opened your mouth and inserted your foot.

"Once in a while you get shown the light In the strangest of places if you look at it right"

by molly bloom on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 09:02:14 AM EST

Bring down a GOP moderate (3.00 / 1)

"Bottom line in Connecticut, at least, Iraq is likely to bring down a GOP moderate."
Which one? Shays or Lieberman?

Rudy Giuliani hates firefighters. And puppies.

by Fran for Dean on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 11:41:49 AM EST

Re: Bring down a GOP moderate (none / 0)

Which one? Shays or Lieberman?

Ouch, that had to have hurt.

543,895 votes

by Michael Bersin on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 12:03:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Good One! (none / 0)

"Once in a while you get shown the light In the strangest of places if you look at it right"

by molly bloom on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 05:14:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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