Michael Kinsley
Eugene Robinson
There wasn't a unanimous Republican block vote against taxing the A.I.G. bonuses. No longer are they the solid party of just say no, with Eric Cantor viciously breaking ranks. It may signal that the leadership is taking different positions to give you a choice later on, or they might have legitimate difference of opinions, party strategy be damned...
From Politico: "But for Cantor and Boehner, the vote was something more — the clearest sign yet that the men are taking different paths in the GOP leadership.
Boehner remains firmly entrenched atop his party, but he’s keeping his perch by playing a mostly inside game. He has taken an active role in the party’s campaign committee, installing one of his top political advisers in a leadership role there and making frequent fundraising trips on behalf of members and candidates.
Cantor is playing the outside game. Since becoming whip in the wake of a second straight anti-GOP wave election in 2008, the Virginian has quickly become the public face of House Republicans — in part because he’s willed it so, in part because the Democrats seem happy to elevate him as the GOP’s scary new “Mr. No.”
Colorado Republicans are in the national news again, as Politico reports on the anemic plans to go after the new Democratic Senator Bennet: “With so many Republican losses over the years, the obvious people that would make up the bench have been defeated,” said Colorado-based Republican consultant Katy Atkinson. “The bench right now is very young, which may bode well for the future, but there’s a question whether they’re ready for these top-of-ticket races yet.”
Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams said three candidates are seriously considering jumping into the Senate race: former Rep. Bob Beauprez, Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier and Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck.
The most notable name among the trio is Beauprez, who won the first of two terms in a competitive suburban Denver district in 2002. But he suffered a crushing 17-point loss to Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter in 2006, a considerable setback to his political career.
Beauprez said that he is “pretty darn serious” about running and that he will make a final decision in the next few months. He said he would run against what he views as “increasing socialism” from the Obama administration’s economic proposals. " Of course, it may be difficult to run a campaign from a jail cell if Beauprez is convicted from the Federal investigation against him right now. Besides, anyone who still accuses Obama of socialism is proving how brain dead he is or taking refuge as a scoundrel.
Boehner remains firmly entrenched atop his party, but he’s keeping his perch by playing a mostly inside game. He has taken an active role in the party’s campaign committee, installing one of his top political advisers in a leadership role there and making frequent fundraising trips on behalf of members and candidates.
Cantor is playing the outside game. Since becoming whip in the wake of a second straight anti-GOP wave election in 2008, the Virginian has quickly become the public face of House Republicans — in part because he’s willed it so, in part because the Democrats seem happy to elevate him as the GOP’s scary new “Mr. No.”
Colorado Republicans are in the national news again, as Politico reports on the anemic plans to go after the new Democratic Senator Bennet: “With so many Republican losses over the years, the obvious people that would make up the bench have been defeated,” said Colorado-based Republican consultant Katy Atkinson. “The bench right now is very young, which may bode well for the future, but there’s a question whether they’re ready for these top-of-ticket races yet.”
Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams said three candidates are seriously considering jumping into the Senate race: former Rep. Bob Beauprez, Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier and Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck.
The most notable name among the trio is Beauprez, who won the first of two terms in a competitive suburban Denver district in 2002. But he suffered a crushing 17-point loss to Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter in 2006, a considerable setback to his political career.
Beauprez said that he is “pretty darn serious” about running and that he will make a final decision in the next few months. He said he would run against what he views as “increasing socialism” from the Obama administration’s economic proposals. " Of course, it may be difficult to run a campaign from a jail cell if Beauprez is convicted from the Federal investigation against him right now. Besides, anyone who still accuses Obama of socialism is proving how brain dead he is or taking refuge as a scoundrel.
OK, I don't like Bob Beauprez, he is too far right wing for me, and he always spouts the predigested talking points dreamed up by Grover Nordquist and other strategists without seeming to have an original thought of his own, which might explain why he lost to Bill Ritter by so much. And he still goes on in a mental vacuum ignorant of how times have passed him by... Or, to paraphrase Bob Dylan:
And you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is,
Do you, Mr. Beauprez...
Its too bad that politicians get addicted to the adrenaline ego rush of being in a powerful position, they can't let go and spend many years dreaming of what might have happened to their careers. Leaving them around for us to kick each election cycle. At least former Governor Bill Owens knows how to have fun and sets a good example.
Vintage late night Republican jokes:
"William Bennett, the man they call the moral voice of America, lost almost $8 million playing slot machines. And here is the amazing part: He still has a better economic plan than President Bush." —Jay Leno
"The Democrats love to bring up this whole Bill Bennett thing because they said it makes up for Clinton's indiscretions. See the difference is, though, when Bennett hits on 17 it's not someone's daughter." —Jay Leno
"Did you hear what Bennett's lawyers said today? They said it wasn't gambling, but part of his Indian outreach program." —Jay Leno
"Sen. Rick Santorum is causing a lot of controversy this week with remarks he made about gays. He said, 'I have no problem with homosexuals, I have a problem with homosexual acts.' Well maybe he's doing it wrong." —Jay Leno
"Gay rights groups are calling for Santorum's resignation because he compared homosexuality to bigamy, polygamy, adultery and incest. It's not just the gay groups who are insulted. The Mormons are insulted because he included polygamy, Congress was insulted because he included adultery, and Arkansas was insulted because he included incest." —Jay Leno
"What Santorum said was he is not against homosexuals, he is against homosexual acts. He said the only thing you should put in your mouth is your foot." —Jay Leno
"The number two Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell underwent heart surgery last week. He's doing fine. Nothing was actually wrong with his heart, it's just that whenever a Republican is elected to a leadership position, they have to have their heart bypassed." —Jay Leno
"The government has now cancelled all pay raises for all federal employees. So let's see, President Bush's party has taken control of Congress, last week they gave themselves a pay raise, and cancelled pay raises for all other employees. I think that's called the 'Republican Trifecta.'" —Jay Leno
"Congressman Bob Barr was at a rally last night when someone gave him a .38 caliber gun as a gift. Well, the gun went off. You know, the politicians hit the floor. The Republicans thought maybe it was an angry voter, someone with money in the stock market. And the Democrats thought maybe it was an angry husband. So, between the two of them, they didn't know where to go." —Jay Leno
"As you know, a judge here in California has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. A reporter asked Attorney General John Ashcroft how he felt about the ruling, but Ashcroft said he couldn't answer, because, you know, he hasn't read the Constitution yet." —Jay Leno
"Today is the anniversary of the Watergate break-in. That's the day the Republicans tried to steal the Democrat's plans. That's also the last time the Democrats had any plans worth stealing. It's also the last time a Republican president had a plan and actually carried it out." —Jay Leno
"Speaking at the National Press Club, former Vice President Dan Quayle said that if you take out the profanity, the TV show The Osbournes is a show about good family values. If you take out the profanity, The Osbournes is about thirty seconds long...Quayle also said that when teenagers see Ozzy Osbourne, it sends them the right message about drugs. Think about it, Dan Quayle never did drugs, he's middle-aged and unemployed. Ozzy did drugs for thirty years, lives in a $10 million dollar house, has his own TV show and a $3 million dollar book deal. What's the message?" —Jay Leno
"NBC announced this week that they will be producing a three-hour TV movie based on the life of Rudy Giuliani. To keep the movie true to life, the Giuliani character is really unlikable until the last fifteen minutes when everyone loves him." —Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update"
"Big controversy at the University of Northern Colorado. It seems that an intramural basketball team made up of mostly Native Americans ... decided to protest all the mascots that offend them by naming their team 'The Fighting Whities.' ... Isn't that the name of the Republican Party?" —Jay Leno
"Governor Jeb Bush of Florida announced he was running for re-election. Not only did he announce he was running for re-election, he also announced what his final vote count would be." —Jay Leno
"Actually, he especially denied having an affair with Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. I believe him, I don't think he did. An affair with Katherine Harris? How much makeup would that leave on your collar? ... He said as a Republican, the only people he's been in bed with are the tobacco industry and the gun lobby." —Jay Leno
"Actually they said they don't really know how many women (Jeb Bush) has been with because since it is Florida, they're still counting. ... Boy talk about switches. During the last administration the president was accused of infidelity and his brother was an idiot. Now it is the other way around." —Jay Leno
"Florida Secretary of State Katherine "Cruella DeVil" Harris is now running for Congress. She is running for Congress but she is now being investigated for budgeting three and half million dollars for overseas travel. It seems she went to Argentina, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela, Barbados, and Mexico all on tax payers' money. She said it was part of a program to see how third world countries fix their elections." —Jay Leno
"New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is once again expressing outrage at an art exhibit, this time at a painting in which Jesus is depicted as a naked woman. Said the mayor, 'This trash is not the sort of thing that I want to look at when I go to the museum with my mistress.'" —Tina Fey, on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update"
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