Olympia Snow: I'm Not Happy Either
The Arlen Specter news is an extremely bitter pill for the GOP senate caucus, but this quote from Maine senator Olympia Snowe in the Politico is likely to inspire stark terror:
But Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a fellow moderate, didn't seem surprised. On the national level, she says, "you haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words of how [the GOP] views moderates. Either you are with us or against us."
"Ultimately we're heading to having the smallest political tent in history they way things are unfolding," Snowe said. "We should have learned from the 2006 election, which I was a party of. I happened to win with 74 percent of the vote in a blue-collar state, but no one asked me, 'How did you do it?' Seems to me that would have been the first question that would have come from the Republican Party to find out so we could avoid further losses."
Does this sound like a happy member of the GOP senate? No it does not. You really have to wonder what Mitch McConnell is up to. It's all fun and games to be the Rush Limbaugh party of torture and greed, but it's obviously a disastrous electoral/governing strategy - one that's now driving away critical members of the party. Snowe is openly saying that she's being ignored by party leaders, and implying she's on the "them" end of the Republicans us vs. them mindset. Ideological purity might be comfortable for McConnell and John Kyl, but it's likely to shrink their minority even further. It'll be interesting to see if Snowe stays onboard for the GOP march to irrelevance.
But Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a fellow moderate, didn't seem surprised. On the national level, she says, "you haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words of how [the GOP] views moderates. Either you are with us or against us."
"Ultimately we're heading to having the smallest political tent in history they way things are unfolding," Snowe said. "We should have learned from the 2006 election, which I was a party of. I happened to win with 74 percent of the vote in a blue-collar state, but no one asked me, 'How did you do it?' Seems to me that would have been the first question that would have come from the Republican Party to find out so we could avoid further losses."
Does this sound like a happy member of the GOP senate? No it does not. You really have to wonder what Mitch McConnell is up to. It's all fun and games to be the Rush Limbaugh party of torture and greed, but it's obviously a disastrous electoral/governing strategy - one that's now driving away critical members of the party. Snowe is openly saying that she's being ignored by party leaders, and implying she's on the "them" end of the Republicans us vs. them mindset. Ideological purity might be comfortable for McConnell and John Kyl, but it's likely to shrink their minority even further. It'll be interesting to see if Snowe stays onboard for the GOP march to irrelevance.
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Looks like Karl Rove might actually live to see his dream of one party rule fulfilled.
April 28, 2009 3:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
To quote Dickday - Hahahahahahahahaha!
Coffee up the nose hahahahahahahahaha!
Party of one - hahahahahahahahahahaha!
Thank you!
April 28, 2009 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good one.
April 28, 2009 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
She mentioned the repub tenets she holds and that they are "who she is" - but the party no longer hold those values.
Dear Senator Snowe:
If neither party now holds the values that you have viewed as Republican, then consider switching to the Dems! You can still hold your same values. But at least you won't feel betrayed by a part that "left you".
P.S. As a sometime visitor to the State of Maine, I hope you switch!
April 28, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
She should go Independent if she's thinking of leaving the Repos in the dust. With 74% of the vote, she's very popular or the opposition in the last election was very unpopular. She wouldn't need Big Machine backing to run again and if her positions aren't that close to the core of the Repos, there's no good reason for her to caucus with them.
April 28, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I accept your alternative. She can pick between them!
April 28, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
My thoughts exactly.
April 28, 2009 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. Think about all of the "Yankees" who aren't in a big party. Leiberman is sort of a party of one, then you have the 'socialist' in Vermont, and maybe Sue Collins will abandon the GOP.It's ironic that the Yankees are evidently the most 'mavericky' electorate -
April 28, 2009 6:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good Sentiments Pinson. I do not recall reading your material before. It is very nice to meet you.
Orlando just made a comment on my blog about Lady Snow.
Yeah, I want two parties.
How about a party that calls for a one payer health system.
And the other party simply calls for universal coverage but debates implementation.
I do not mind a discussion. But why waste time discussing something with people who wish for the same corporate oligarchy we have had for more than a century?
April 28, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least one party seems to be moving away from that paradigm. I share your desire for two parties, arguing over who has the best tactics to implement a progressive national strategy.
April 28, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
BTW: How happy is Susan Collins today to have the swine flu story somewhat overshadowed?
Hi dickday - nice to meet you too. I usually just leave comments. Decided to step up the plate more. What the heck.
April 28, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently Steele is on it ... with this cracker-jack response:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/28/steele-swine-flu-couldnt_n_192457.html
April 28, 2009 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really hope Steele channels energizer bunny for as long as possible and just keeps going and going and going.
April 28, 2009 5:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Snow and Collins are the last of the repubs in New England. You would think they would try to use these 2 succesful senators as a model for the northest. There are just too many moderates in the northeast they dont have a prayer.
Excellent Post John, I would like to see more activity. Twice a week and a nice sunday morning read, the internet is so boring on the weekends
April 28, 2009 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
The main problem for the Repukes is that they encouraged conservatism to become a secular religion. Faith and passion are everything. When moderates pop up, conservative mullahs like Rush Limbaugh and Mitch McConnell slap them down. Sue Collins and Olympia Snowe live in a rational world, hence they are outcasts. Now ideology is biting the Repukes in the ass. Arlen Specter understood that there was no sense trying to reason with zealots so he did the only thing he could.
April 28, 2009 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Conservatism" has become dogma, and "heretics" are now being purged. As it increasingly becomes a sham and pantomime (like the deification of Ronald Reagan), it becomes to harden into a fossil and rejects all new ideas and innovation.
What is really striking is how fiercely anti-intellectual they've become. And increasingly vulgar and crude. Pretty soon they will just be grunting at their rallies. Grunting with an angry scowl and clenched teeth might be their new platform someday.
I wonder if there any educated folks still in the GOP, and are they feeling out of place with the glorification of ignorance of late, like Joe the Plumber or Sarah Palin.
April 28, 2009 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think GOP is going through a giant split right now. The social conservatives are trying to purge all other conservatives, especiall the old school fiscal conservative/social liberals. If they succeed, then the "party of no" is a name they deserve to have.
April 28, 2009 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well there are only 2 moderates left Lalo...not much purging left to do. We will gladly accept those 2 possible exiles like we did Specter.
April 28, 2009 11:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, no. You're talking about prominent elected officials. I'm talking about rank and file.
April 29, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
astute point - it's all too easy to discuss the Republican Party as though it's only constituted by its elected officials.
what's happening in terms of millions of voters who have greater or lesser party affiliation is a different matter - less monolithic, more complex, and worthier (ultimately) of analysis than the purity-testers at the top.
April 29, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rats off a sinking ship...gotta love it!
So many new people...welcome all!
April 28, 2009 9:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would assume that the "Ladies from Maine" are a package deal, meaning that if one bolts the party they both do.
April 29, 2009 1:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to me that rather than patting ourselves on the back we should be taking a lesson from the Repug grass roots.
What we need is some down-and-dirty Democratic primaries to get these middle-of-the-road Wall Street enabling so-called liberal politicos gone, gone, gone. A little more ideology and a little less cheerleading is precisely what we do need.
April 29, 2009 7:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're "learning" the lesson exactly backwards:
The Democrats are succeeding by being pluralistic and less strident. "A little more ideology" is exactly what we don't need.
April 29, 2009 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink