The Politics Thread

[marceline]

That is magnificent.

[DRW50]

The days of "the big tent" seem to be long gone. The true believers are now openly saying their party needs to stop listening to those Republicans who are not in red states, and a ton of them voted against Sandy relief today.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2013/01/the-gops-blue-state-contagion-153243.html?ml=bp

http://www.politico.com/blogs/charlie-mahtesian/2013/01/the-sandy-aid-vote-northeast-vs-south-153378.html?hp=l5

[Money]

Christie is looking very sympathetic here - and he has effectively turned down his blustering rhetoric. From the moment he "switched sides" and praised Obama during Sandy people started looking at him differently. By withholding relief money (which he will eventually get)he's coming off as someone who cares for the people and endorses bipartisanship which will no doubt make him a major contender in 2016. He's playing all his cards right.

[juppiter]

Agreed, he has become much more likable to me ever since Sandy and has played everything perfectly. He has risen above where the current Republican party stands and realized what he has do to position himself for 2016 when the political rhetoric will be completely different. He is the type of Republican I could vote for if the Democrats ever nominated a Joe Lieberman type.

[marceline]

I'm wary of Christie. I commend him for his recent actions but I still remember his previous behavior. Not his comments about Obama because that's just par for the course but I remember the video of him berating people who asked him questions he didn't like at a town hall meeting. Not reporters but just ordinary citizens. I can't respect or trust a politician who bullies and disrespects his constituents.

[DRW50]

He also came out of that Karl Rove factory, I think. And he's socially conservative. He's a good huckster, as Huckabee was before he moved out of politics, but that scares me.

[marceline]

Exactly. I've simply gotten to the point where I don't trust Republicans no matter how moderate they seem because I think that in the end they will revert back to GOP orthodoxy. I'd love to believe that Christie has evolved into the type of Republican who will put country over party and reach across the aisle but I don't think that he has. Right now, the only Republican I truly believe has a mind of his own is Jon Huntsman and I think it's just a matter of time before he's forced to switch parties.

I have to admit to being fascinated by the blue state/red state rift that the Sandy relief issue has created, or more accurately exacerbated. It's just another example of how the GOP is tearing itself apart. Every little crack is a good thing because IMO the only way the party will truly evolve is to completely implode first.

[DRW50]

Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/01/palazzo-sandy-katrina-fema.php?ref=fpnewsfeed

What gets me is that people who are extremely conservative are now called "moderate" because they don't want the country to go up in flames and they don't think disaster relief is some sort of entitlement program.

I'm amazed at how brazen the far right is, even the media darlings, who once upon a time used to pretend to be less extreme. You have Ted Cruz, one of those who is pushed by the media to show us how much the GOP loves minorities, pushing NRA talking points.

http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2013/01/weeks-after-newtown-ted-cruz-blasts-politicians-who-try-to-exploit-this-tragedy/

[JaneAusten]

http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/la-na-hagel-20130107/10

So the consensus is that the Chuck Hagel nomination is anti American now? That's what I heard one commentator say. Next up, the republicans accuse Huntsman of treason.

[Ann_SS]

The Hagel and Brennan nominations is why I cannot stand Obama most of the time. Hagel is anti-diversity. Brennan is a war criminal. Sickening. Also, nice that he is willing to fight for these horrible people and not Susan Rice.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Ann_SS

[DRW50]

The idea is that he can hide behind Hagel when the big defense cuts come. I don't think it will work though.

Between Hagel and the "conscience clause" recently passed I wonder if DADT might be back in some form that the public won't know about (since the media won't care).

I don't think he's an anti-Semite but the "Jewish lobby" comment startled me a little when I heard about it.

[JaneAusten]

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2013/01/03/chairman-of-illinois-gop-endorses-gay-marriage/

Head of GOP in Illinois supports gay marriage.

And this is why I can't totally discount the republican party because the state of Illinois overall has prospered under republican leadership(barring our last GOP governor who's in prison). Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson were both GOP moderates with fairly progressive social viewpoints who both did the state a service while there are a long list of democratic leadership from our state in prison. The cronyism of the Illinois democratic party in the state legislature especially is despicable.

Now as a catholic who thinks the legalizing of gay marriage in the state is not a decision that should be influenced by religious factions, I need the church and Cardinal George in Chicago to back off, along with all the other churches and ministers who see this as some sort of morality barometer.

[alphanguy74]

Oh wow.... here we go. Crazy is all over the place now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyKofFih8Y

He thinks people without guns are defenseless? Hasn't he ever heard of a molotov cocktail?

Edited January 8, 2013 by alphanguy74

[DRW50]

Again with this.

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/01/09/1422021/inaugural-benediction-to-be-delivered-by-anti-gay-pastor/?mobile=nc

[AdelaideCate007]

That's absolutely insane. I mean just WTF. There are just no words.

Why are people so paranoid about them taking the guns (I'm asking honestly)? I'm under the impression- correct me if I'm wrong- that they were just trying to get rid of the assault weapons but I see people acting like they're going to take all of them. I see absolutely no reason for anyone to own some of the guns I hear are legal in America.

America's obsession with guns just baffles me.