Not all that long ago, Allentown Republican Scott Armstrong was embroiled in a bitter and very public dispute with local bluebloods like Charles Snelling. I'm not sure what the hell they were fighting about. Party purity or something. That's all forgotten now. His new credo is - STOP the Democrats. "America’s largest political party, the Democratic Party, has used its filibuster proof majorities to ramrod radical leftwing legislation through both houses of congress to the awaiting hands of our Marxist President. They have betrayed their conservative campaign pledges of 2008 and have in 2009 made a mockery of our representative government. Large demonstrations, public opinion polls, phones calls and e-mail protests to congressional offices have failed to stem to the Democrats’ wild legislative run to socialist solutions. Clearly the new imperative for those who believe in individual liberty must be to stop the Democrats here and now."
You can read and comment on Scott's blog here. This can't be good news for local Dems.
27 comments:
First "Marxist President", really? Gee, I wonder why people don't take Scott and his ilk seriously.
The good thing is dispite the obvious self inflicted wounds of the normally fumbling Democratic Party the Republicans will come back with their long suit of extremeist commentary and intolerant rage to snatch defeat from the Jaws of victory.
Scott, thank you for starting the ball of self-destruction rolling. You are a credit to your Party.
The All Seeing Eye!
I just saw on the news how the REpublicans since 2006 have used the filibuster something like three times more often than has been used for the last forty years. THey always change the game once they're in trouble with the public. Like after FDR and they limited terms and then when Reagan came along they wanted to allow extended terms again. It doesn't work that way. Physician, heal thyself. If you're out of step with your constituents, the public, the country, and the world, don't blame and try to sabotage the party that your constituents, the public, your country, and the world prefers.
The Republican Party, where innovation, ideals and compassion go to die!
The All Seeing Eye
Rs are about to retake the House. Best to stay the course and not screw it up. And our Congressman will have lots of seniority.
The Dems better be worried by the likes of Armstrong? You are kidding, right? Actually, we Dems need more R's like him.
Hey, he finally got the spelling of DEMOCRATIC correct. Kudos!
Marxist. Funny stuff.
I love the "radical" part. Yes, the healthcare is SO radical the left wing of the party wants to kill the bill. There is no public option yet it is still being sold as a government takeover by these clowns.
Scott thinks God is going to intervene in local elections and that will determine who wins. Move along everybody: God doesn't care about Scott Armstrongs political agenda.
More of the same…so predictable…boring.
Scott Armstrong
I'm pretty sure this can only be good for local Democrats. Whenever the right uses this kind of insane hyperbole to talk about politics, independents everywhere barf a little in their mouths. There are three basic types of voters. Liberal Democratic voters who really like Obama and really want his policies to work. Independent voters who may have voted for Obama, are skeptical that his initiatives will work, but are rooting for him for the good of the country. That's where the universe of persuadable voters ends. They can have a dialogue about policy, basically want the same ends, but can civilly disagree on the means.
Then you have the much smaller core of conservative voters who don't like Obama and are rooting for his initiatives to fail because that is the only way the country will consider changing leadership - about 18-20% of the electorate. These people have succeeded in sowing doubts about whether Obama's plans will work, but critically, they haven't been able to raise their own favorability or trustworthy numbers all year. Congressional Republicans' favorable numbers haven't broken 20% all year, and the GOP leadership has been languishing around 13-17%. For all the attempts to tie Pelosi's name to legislation they don't like, John Boehner would eat roadkill to trade popularity numbers with her. It's not hard to see why. While skeptical, independents are still in the universe of voters who could be persuaded to vote for Democrats again if their programs work. The Birchy ravings that make up the right's apocalyptic sales pitch simply aren't changing minds, and I don't see why any intelligent person would think they would. Nobody beyond that tiny hard core of retards actually thinks we're hurling headlong into SOCIALIST ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
God does not exist.
More of the same…so predictable…boring.
Funny that you would post this after your ravings about a President in his first year. After 911, everyone was on board FOR THE COUNTRY. Yet when Obama is given a major crisis to deal with, the Reubs bail like whiney cowards.
The problem has also been Big Government Republicans.
The answer isn't a sports team mentality - those with an R on their jersey must beat those with a D.
We must run principled Republicans, not "pragmatic" politicians.
The reality is that there already is a third party and it is the GOP. An NBC/Wall Street poll places the Tea Party at 41%, Dems at something like 35% and GOP at 28%. People are not turning to the same ol' GOP as an alternative.
Unless the leadership of the GOP (at all levels) FULLY EMBRACES limited government principles, the GOP will go the way of the Whigs. It will be a sad day, but I have been warning about this for several years now.
The object CANNOT be to only win elections. The question MUST BE win an election to DO WHAT? If the Republican Party can answer that question they can begin to build a true, long term majority. As long as the "establishment" continues to call the shots and other leaders are motivated by simple fear of the letter "D", the GOP will fade into history.
I pray not, but historical trends are coming into play. The GOP leadership (real and 'backroom') have next year to decide. Fully embrace Tea Party principles of limited government, which are the declared principles of the GOP, AND GOVERN like that, or fade into history wrapped in a flag of pragmatism.
What does fully embrace mean? Eliminate all entitlement programs? What a wonderful country this would be with even more poor and hungry. The small government principles will not solve the problem of the nation's wealth being concentrated in a couple of percent of the wealthiest people. It's humorous to see conservatives who believe they have anything in common at all with those who truly benefit from the free market.
The Republican Party is in charge now, you get called a radical when you have the crazy idea that when the private sector fails to provide an adequate solution to a problem the government should step in and provide the solution at a reasonable cost to the citizenry and that handing tax payer dollars to people who have created a mess to clean it up is an insane idea.
I think the republican party Scott is referring to is an odd mix of Libertarian Randians and Dominionist Christians with a few people who ideologically would be democrats right now but just can't bear the idea of moving over to their ideology.
Joe,
The real threat to the country is not Charlie Dent or even Olympia Snow. As maddening as I find their positions and voting from time to time neither has attempted or participated in the full scale hijacking of the American economy that we see underway under Democrat Leadership in Washington.
Prioritize the threats, deal with them in order or lose the war.
Scott Armstrong
Wow what dribble. Still boring
Scott Armstrong
Anon 2:44 -
What does "fully embrace" mean? Stop spending more than we have and stop borrowing to make up the difference. But 50 years of entitlements has not moved the percentage in poverty AT ALL. Sure, if you want to advocate "helping the poor" fine. But let's limit what we spend to what we have. I think government should have other priorities.
Scott -
Dent and Snowe ARE part of the problem. They have supported the growth of government. Spending more than we have. Borrowing money to pay for that which we cannot afford. Sure, they want to do it at a slower pace than the socialist Left, but more and more American voters are asking, is that much of a difference? I fear Big Government Republicans MORE than Big Government Democrats because I expect such things from Leftists. I ASSUMED that most R's were fighting for my values and principles when, in reality, they have been working against them. That is the entire basis of the Tea Party movement and why we oppose most politicians of both parties. And, frankly, that is why the Tea Party is now polling more favorably than either major party. 2010 will be a year of unbeleivable changes. Once again, I hope the GOP leadership "gets it" and stops shortsighted petty politics (beat the D's at all costs) and embraces our declared limited government principles. I fear they won't. Then the GOP will not be the third party in the back of the pack anymore, they will evaporate. A sad day. It can still be averted. But it will take strong leadership to fix the GOP over the next year. 2011 will be too late....
Jacob,
Name ANYTHING that the government provides a "solution at a reasonable cost"?
Nothing. Social Security will go bankrupt in the very near future. If the government had to use corporate accounting standards and laws they would have been bankrupt years ago and many would be in jail.
The same goes for Medicare & Medicaid.
Bush and a Republican Congress doubled the national debt in 8 years. Obama and the Dems will do it in 4 years.
The Deputy Governor of China's national bank mentioned the other day that the USA is asking the world to 'double down' on US debt. His response? "There is not enough money in the world" to do that.
When the credit cards are cut up, what then? That is why this is not a party issue. Government is the problem. Politicians are the problem. What do we do when we can borrow no more?
Joe,
I have a problem with taking tax payer dollars and handing them to a corporate entity carte blanche and having that same entity flush your campaign coffers with money and give you speaking gigs, jobs to your staff, and perks when you leave office.
Ronald Reagan did it, George H.W. Bush did it, Bill Clinton did it, and George W. Bush did it as well. I am pretty sure based on what is going on with Health Care reform the Obama gang has got some pretty lucrative gigs lined up for them as well. Mandating people to buy a product from the private sector is the coup de gras of politicians over people.
There are certain things the government used to do better than the private sector, schools, building roads and bridges, providing low cost health clinics, a military that beat the Nazis. 60 years ago our government did good things. That is when we actually had public servants. Now we have a bunch of sociopaths who are trying to make a buck off of everyone elses work and the Private Sector functioned better when government was a regulating force on its worst excesses instead of a partner.
Honestly Joe and Scott, if the three of us could get our own heads out of our asses we could probably agree on a few things, but we are all still divided into our teams.
It really is us vs not just the Politicians but the people that are funding them as well.
Make them public servants again, you'd be amazed at how happy all 3 of us are.
Essentially Joe, if you are willing to make concessions on Military spending, Free Trade, and campaign Finance Reform, you could probably win the left who are just as pissed off as you are.
If you are not, than your movement is destined to be co-opted by the GOP, 1 or 2 principles kept and the status quo will rule the day and 2 years into the next GOP administration you will be scratching your head what the heck happened.
Joe,
In light of current developments if you fear big government Republicans more than Democrats then you are part of the problem and are quite likely an enabler of big government tyranny. Good luck with that effort.
Anyone of us may put forward their own personal litmus test of what is a tried and true Republican but in all seriousness what Republicans are or aren’t right now isn’t the issue. I am reminded of Wagner’s version of the Flying Dutchman. A man cursed to forever search the seas for a wife who will be true to him. Joe, keep searching for that purity, but in the meantime the rest of us have a job to do.
Scott Armstrong
Ahh Joe - a man after my own heart. It's about time we tore down DC and declared anarchy. Then the Christian gun nuts can run everything just like they're supposed to.
You know, my friend, without government, you'd have to scratch your screeds onto clay tablets and leave them by the side of what used to be a road... just so someone might read... wait, no schools, no reading.
G'night... and good luck!
I wonder if Mr. Hilliard and Mr. Armstrong speak of the "socialists" and "leftists" to their parents or relatives who are very likely enjoying the benefits of Social Security and Medicare. Like it or not, these two programs are the very foundation of your hate and the two very programs most beloved by Americans both young and old.
Name ANYTHING that the government provides a "solution at a reasonable cost"?
The interstate highway system. Shall we continue?
These guys are so out there that they will destroy the Republican Party. The Democrats have a Death Wish, always have. They can screw up a wet dream. I am a Dem and am amazed at how often Dem's finally get the power and then scramble trying to figure out how to blow it. Obama won with a promise to reform healthcare. His first mistake was thinking the Republican Party was sincere in a bi-Partisan approach. Republicans are at their strongest when they are out of power. They sit tight and waith for the inevitible problems and then point.
Problem now is the Teabaggers are going to cut exactly what? Which defense contract in which state? Which military base? Which entitlement gets cut? Please not the we can make them more efficient bullshit. The only real way to cut governemnt spending is to stop spending. So far for the past 60 years they have done the opposite. Even Ronaldus Reganus cut taxes but enjoyed spending same as GWB.
Trying to get Democrats together is like herding cats. Republicans are very good at closing ranks in opposition but now that you have the Limbaugh-Beck litmus test you will becime the greater of two evils to the independents.
Enjoy that 23% of voters you will always have. I say reform and call yourselves the Whigs.
What a hoot. Armstrong and Hilliard fighting it out over idiology.
You have to have more seats in the legislature to run the show. Neither the far right nor far left can get 51%. The wimmer is who gts the big middle group of voters.
So far the Ds have won the middle.
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