The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

OK, I Found The Moderate Part

Posted on | February 10, 2010 | 6 Comments

by Smitty

There is moderation, and I’ve emphasized it.  However, using the word ‘unprecedented’ in the same participle made my shizzle fizzle.  But this is just one post; we should look at a substantial sample space, and let the conclusions form themselves.  This is part of the effort to help these poor folks recall what ‘moderate‘ means:

Before a new blizzard brought Washington to a standstill, Barack Obama made another effort to dig out of the Republican snow job and verbal high winds that have disabled his efforts to govern.

After a two-hour meeting to clear the path for legislation, the President told White House reporters, “I won’t hesitate to embrace a good idea from my friends in the minority party, but I also won’t hesitate to condemn what I consider to be obstinacy that’s rooted not in substantive disagreements but in political expedience.”

“Expedience” is a polite word for what the GOP has been pursuing for the past year, voting uniformly against every Obama initiative from the stimulus to health care. In effect, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner have chosen not to practice traditional politics but act like a government-in-exile, retreating to the sidelines and sniping until they can return to power.

At yesterday’s meeting, the President’s patience worn thin, and he accused Boehner of just wanting to kill all his initiatives, setting off what was reportedly a “testy exchange.”

Even after conceding that the Obama White House has made many mistakes in strategy and tactics over a year of unprecedented challenges, it’s remarkable that GOP opposition has been so total and unyielding.

Where are the yes votes of “moderate” Republicans–Lugar, Voinovich, Snowe, Collins or the “maverick” McCain–on any single issue? Such a solid bloc of “no” precludes any conclusion that philosophical or ideological differences are involved. The GOP is in a full tantrum, holding its breath and refusing to budge until it can get its way next November.

Comments

6 Responses to “OK, I Found The Moderate Part”

  1. Roxeanne de Luca
    February 11th, 2010 @ 12:31 am

    The Moderate Voice is only looking at one political party. If it were to examine the voting records of both Republicans and Democrats over the past year, it would find one bloc made up almost exclusively of Democrats and one bloc made up of Republicans and many moderate Democrats.

    Obviously, the former bloc is the extreme one and the latter, the moderate one. One wonders what is so hard about this.

  2. Roxeanne de Luca
    February 10th, 2010 @ 7:31 pm

    The Moderate Voice is only looking at one political party. If it were to examine the voting records of both Republicans and Democrats over the past year, it would find one bloc made up almost exclusively of Democrats and one bloc made up of Republicans and many moderate Democrats.

    Obviously, the former bloc is the extreme one and the latter, the moderate one. One wonders what is so hard about this.

  3. Adobe Walls
    February 11th, 2010 @ 1:57 pm

    “Voting uniformly against every Obama initiative from the stimulus to health care.” Some, specifically myself, call that fighting against “communist subversion”. What is remarkable is that it’s taken so long for any “moderate” democrats to help arrest our country’s slide into the abyss of bolshevism. I take some small solace that a couple democratic senators voted against Craig Becker’s confirmation. It’s a start. What is remarkable is conservatives have allowed moderates to infiltrate republican ranks and thereby dilute the “brand”. The failure of moderate republicans, is only recognizing the danger the left poses after they’ve gained control of the government. The moderates of both parties must be voted out of office and this civility non-sense must stop. The “solid bloc of no” is the proof of the important philosophical and ideological differences between conservatives and the nefarious Bolshevik plotting of the majority of democrats in national office. The democrats are so far left, they think socialism is the centrist position. It is moderates whether republican, independent or democrat who are actually destroying this country. I used to believe that a moderate was someone awaiting one or two crucial pieces of information needed to choose between conservative or “progressive”. I’m leaning more and more towards the conclusion that believing one can avoid choosing one side or the other is some sort of delusional state if not civic/political cowardice.

  4. Adobe Walls
    February 11th, 2010 @ 8:57 am

    “Voting uniformly against every Obama initiative from the stimulus to health care.” Some, specifically myself, call that fighting against “communist subversion”. What is remarkable is that it’s taken so long for any “moderate” democrats to help arrest our country’s slide into the abyss of bolshevism. I take some small solace that a couple democratic senators voted against Craig Becker’s confirmation. It’s a start. What is remarkable is conservatives have allowed moderates to infiltrate republican ranks and thereby dilute the “brand”. The failure of moderate republicans, is only recognizing the danger the left poses after they’ve gained control of the government. The moderates of both parties must be voted out of office and this civility non-sense must stop. The “solid bloc of no” is the proof of the important philosophical and ideological differences between conservatives and the nefarious Bolshevik plotting of the majority of democrats in national office. The democrats are so far left, they think socialism is the centrist position. It is moderates whether republican, independent or democrat who are actually destroying this country. I used to believe that a moderate was someone awaiting one or two crucial pieces of information needed to choose between conservative or “progressive”. I’m leaning more and more towards the conclusion that believing one can avoid choosing one side or the other is some sort of delusional state if not civic/political cowardice.

  5. James
    March 3rd, 2010 @ 7:14 am

    %GREETINGS%, Thank you soo much for describing in such detail about political voting records. Its refreshing to see people actually can write articles that make sense and not computer generated. The Best way to contact me is by email. I check it everyday. thanks again!

  6. James
    March 3rd, 2010 @ 2:14 am

    %GREETINGS%, Thank you soo much for describing in such detail about political voting records. Its refreshing to see people actually can write articles that make sense and not computer generated. The Best way to contact me is by email. I check it everyday. thanks again!