"If you want to complain and moan and groan about everything going on," Steele said, "there's the door."
I guess nobody told him that complaining is any party's favorite activity. It beats actually coming up with solutions.

Figures. He's a dead ringer for a Muppet.

The GOP needs to quit with the affirmative action when choosing party leadership and put up some pragmatic genuine and intelligent people.

Chances are they're next choice will be a pregnant Chinese Jewish nun.

One look at freerepublic is evidence enough of just how nutball the Republican party has become. Freeper remarks about obama's plan to curb/control/regulate CEO pay is a good example. half the freepers love the idea, the other half think all CEOs walk on water and should be left alone.

fun stuff.

strangeguitar: "If you want to complain and moan and groan about everything going on," Steele said, "there's the door."
I guess nobody told him that complaining is any party's favorite activity. It beats actually coming up with solutions.

This is the core of the problem with all political parties.

Steele realizes Republicans need to embrace change. HA! Good luck with that. They're called conservatives for a reason.

Steele and Colbert rap battle (new window)

Hey, someone over there figured that out. Too bad Steele didn't say that before he got himself completely discredited.

strangeguitar: "If you want to complain and moan and groan about everything going on," Steele said, "there's the door."
I guess nobody told him that complaining is any party's favorite activity. It beats actually coming up with solutions.

Can you blame him? There's a fly in his soup, y'know

/Goddamn that Grover..

"I'm tired of seeing the same old, same old," RNC Chairman Michael Steele told about 750 Republicans at a party dinner in suburban Denver. "I'm tired of hearing the same old arguments."

Um... if he's tired of hearing the same old arguments and seeing the same old ideas... then why on Earth is he in the conservative party?

If the folks he was talking to wanted new ideas, and new arguments, or... change... then they wouldn't be Republicans then, would they?

His second mistake, of course, is that he keeps using the word "WE" when talking to a bunch of Republicans. I mean, when was the last time he *wasn't* the only black man in the room at these Republican gatherings?

GAT_00: Hey, someone over there figured that out. Too bad Steele didn't say that before he got himself completely discredited.

indeed. after he tucked tail and apologized to Limbugh he lost whatever crediblity he might have had.

Will someone fire this Steelbama guy already?

Republicans already tried being compassionate spendthrift Democrats. It was an epic fail.

Donald_McRonald: Figures. He's a dead ringer for a Muppet.

Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic, not here though.

Go back to your bridge, troll.

It's true enough.

The thing is, about this whole mess, is that the rhetoric has turned me from thinking of myself as Conservative, because the term has lost meaning at this point. Between the radical RINOs--the Neocons, "Social Conservatives" and Corporatists--and the Rah Rah Boyz who wouldn't know good Conservative thought if it bit them on the ass, and who think that Reagan was some sort of sainted "fiscal Conservative" it's not that we've lost our way, it's that we've lost our own definition.

The push to let only one piece of the party drive policy, and to continue to call them "Conservative" when they have been anything but, it has made me realize that we need to end the bickering and the name calling from within.

I still think of myself as a Conservative. Responsible government, responsible and well thought out policy and regulation, thinking of long term consequence, and looking at enforcement of existing laws before trying to draw up new laws that only spur folks on to new and interesting ways to try to circumvent them. But that also goes with a love of the Constitution, and not just the 2nd Amendment, but the whole thing, from free speech, freedom of religion, and power to the states in most matters. But that definition of "Conservative" is muddied when you put in the other "brands" like Neo, Social and the rest.

Which is why Conservative is perhaps no longer a useful term for us right now. Because the GOP has muddied the waters so much with the multi-faceted and confusing branding of what exactly is a "Conservative", we might want to let that one lie.

And perhaps get back to being Republicans. And look to the preservation of the republic. Long term strategies for the health of that republic. Preservation of the ideals of the republic. And perhaps an ousting of those who really don't like the republic in general--those who hate the Constitution and its ideals, and who feel hampered by our freedoms and duties as citizens.

Republicans have gotten put into niches--in part because of a blind sort of partisanship to a leadership that got tired of getting their butts handed to them, and decided on a bold new approach to elections, that has cost us a great deal now that we've realized the promises made to those who got us those victories--and maybe it's time to break out of them.

We are a party, that historically has been about support of the Constitution. That means our Progressives and Moderates have been a moderating force in the nation, when radicals and liberals have charged up hills--and sometimes with an admirable quality of fervor, but sometimes with less thought about the consequence to their actions. And Republicans have long been about thought to those actions.

Or at least, we used to be. Not so much anymore, and I blame that squarely on the shoulders of those who re-branded radicals as "Conservatives" and put them in the center of the party, because they had cash and a manipulatable base that could deliver elections.

But it's time to maybe put that aside. And get back something that we've lost. Be Republicans again. Not Conservatives. Not Moderates. Not Progressives. But back to the roots of the party, and then we can disagree on how to advance.

And for those who really don't like the basis of this nation, those who really don't like the idea of our republic, then they can go elsewhere. They can wander to the Libertarians. They can form their own corporatist party, or Religious Fervor Union, and we can get back to the preservation of the republic, and her long term survival and maybe even try to get her to prosper, as opposed to just those who are in the halls of power.

oh_noes111: Will someone fire this Steelbama guy already?

Republicans already tried being compassionate spendthrift Democrats. It was an epic fail.

How hard did they really try?

If I thought this was anything more than a ploy to lure back the folks bush scared away, I'd be in support of it. This party will have to put its actions where its mouth is before I believe what they say.

Conservatives who have hated your party for 8 or more years: this is probably just another lie.

>> Steele, who took the helm of the GOP at the beginning of the year, said Republicans must stop complaining about ruling Democrats if they are to recover with voters.

Man his days are numbered.

Talkin sense to whack job republicans is only gonna piss them off.

And attacking their national pastime (whining and complaining) is like attacking tax cuts. There would be no Limbaugh or Hannity if the had to give up whining.

I Said: Donald_McRonald: Figures. He's a dead ringer for a Muppet.

Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic, not here though.

Go back to your bridge, troll.



I would not be surprised to learn that Michael Steele is a half Muppet, just like Alice Cooper and Dennis Kucinich.

I Said: Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic,

Calling someone a muppet is hate speech now?

I can't keep up,

Donald_McRonald: I would not be surprised to learn that Michael Steele is a half Muppet, just like Alice Cooper and Dennis Kucinich.

Muppets are sort of people too, you dick!

I Said: Muppets are sort of people too, you dick!

So is Michael. He's three fifths of a person.

/Oh, yes I did.
//Hell please.

Glasgowsfinest: I Said: Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic,

Calling someone a muppet is hate speech now?

I can't keep up,

Only if they are black. You can say a white person looks or sounds like any non-sentient being and its fine.

/has personally gotten black coworkers to admit a guy at the bar looked like a farking monkey. They weren't happy with it, but they had to admit it.

The GOP has painted itself into a corner. They can't realistically pin the blame for the financial meltdown on the Democrats (try as they might, and it is now a given in Republican circles that the fault lies with the Dems, an argument made more on faith than on any evidence). Their only hope is that Obama can't solve the financial crisis that the Republicans created; then they can swoop in in 2012 and pick up the pieces.

So the Republicans now are in a position where they can't make constructive suggestions for fear that the Democrats will implement and take credit for them. Republican governors are turning down large chunks of the stimulus package, virtually ensuring continued and even increased suffering in their states, in hopes that delaying a recovery in their own states will adversely affect the nation as a whole, again for purely political gain. They can't even stay decently silent; it's to their political advantage to foment fear and panic. If they succeed the country suffers, if they fail the GOP becomes irrelevant to national politics. I think we may be seeing the beginning of the end of the Republican Party.

Smackledorfer: Glasgowsfinest: I Said: Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic,

Calling someone a muppet is hate speech now?

I can't keep up,

Only if they are black. You can say a white person looks or sounds like any non-sentient being and its fine.

/has personally gotten black coworkers to admit a guy at the bar looked like a farking monkey. They weren't happy with it, but they had to admit it.

Yeah us poor white people have been so oppressed by blacks. All those jobs i never got hired onto. The black boss wouldn't hire me cause I'm white.

I'll have whatever your drinking.

Smackledorfer: Glasgowsfinest: I Said: Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic,

Calling someone a muppet is hate speech now?

I can't keep up,

Only if they are black. You can say a white person looks or sounds like any non-sentient being and its fine.

/has personally gotten black coworkers to admit a guy at the bar looked like a farking monkey. They weren't happy with it, but they had to admit it.

"Muppet" is a very genial, gentle term of abuse here. Does it have racial connotations over there or is someone being a tad sensitive?

Incidentally, most people I've seen that actually looked like monkeys were white. And lived in Glasgow. Something to do with the diet maybe.

Glasgowsfinest: "Muppet" is a very genial, gentle term of abuse here

Muppets are an abomination. I hate the goddamn Muppets.

This man is a partisain hack and a coward as well.

He's tired of the complaining despite sounding like GW Bush when he took office? This guy will only get a grip-of the door handle on his way out.

Glasgowsfinest: I Said: Wow. I expect that kind of hate speech on Freerepublic,

Calling someone a muppet is hate speech now?

I can't keep up,

They prefer fabricated-Americans.

/Not obscure, right?

Wow congratulations for a complete threadjack from talking about the RNC chairman to a thread completely about Muppets.

Well, this is one step closer to recovery for the GOP.

After reading that article, I don't know what bothers me more, A) That the GOP have made such mistakes in handling this whole debacle, or B) that they needed an entire other page for just for additional lines of text.

Threadjack from the second post on....
Wow!

Philip J. Fry: Chances are they're next choice will be a pregnant Chinese Jewish nun.

Mchelle Malkin?

FTA: I'm tired of hearing the complaining.

Hmm, complaining about complaining...

FTFA: Steele was frank about why Republicans did so badly in elections nationwide last fall."They have every level of government," Steele said of the Democrats. "They control it all."

Uh, not the Supreme Court...you know, that Third branch of Government?

Philip J. Fry: The GOP needs to quit with the affirmative action when choosing party leadership and put up some pragmatic genuine and intelligent people.

Chances are they're next choice will be a pregnant Chinese Jewish nun.

Well, the other choices were a guy who just left a whites only club and a guy who passed out Barrack the Magic Negro CDs. Maybe Steele WAS the best choice?

There's just not that many people who seem to want the position. Basically, if the RNC chairman is successful, then Republicans win elections, but the people winning elections get most of the credit. But if people lose elections they will point at the chairman and blame him. It's not the best job.

Link (new window)

"I'm tired of seeing the same old, same old," RNC Chairman Michael Steele told about 750 Republicans at a party dinner in suburban Denver. "I'm tired of hearing the same old arguments.

Funny that he says this. In a recent GOP email he was talking about the "liberal media filter".

He may be tired of hearing them, but that doesn't stop him from using them.

/at least he didn't mention George Soros