He should have provided tits.

"I don't like this thing where people - and Powell is one them - who said, `Rush Limbaugh, shut up.' We believe, as Republicans in the marketplace of ideas. Let that marketplace decide," Rove said.

The marketplace DID decide. And gee, looks like your side lost. now STFU and GTFO karl.

Saborlas to GOP: You sure you have enough rope?

Limbaugh has called Powell "just another liberal," said he should become a Democrat and charged that Powell endorsed Obama based on race. Both Powell and Obama are black.

Insightful.

Of course, it's probably just good journalism to be sure that all drivel coming out of Rush's mouth is translated into coherent thought for the reader.

It's hilarious. If Ridge and Powell had said what they said and Cheney et al, not even Rush, said, "you know, these two have made a lot of good points and I think we should listen to some of their ideas," the left would be quaking in their boots.

But they didn't. Cheney put a hit job on Powell, Rove defended Rush, and the GOP's still looking for a way to dig themselves out of this hole they're in.

It's like 1996 without the 1994.

Man alive, it says something about the priorities Republican leaders when they exalt Rove and Limbaugh over Powell.

*of the*

What are the chances, down the line, that Ridge and Powell could lead the split and make a moderate republican party?

/I'd like to see that I think

Earth to republicans: Everytime a republicans 'comes out' (Yeah, sounds weird doesn't it?) as a moderate, you throw him to the dogs like a juicy steak.

Colin Powell and Arlen Specter are just two examples.

If you want to succeed in being elected, throwing everyone in your party out that isn't in line with your new insaneo-far-right ideology isn't going to help.

Just sayin.

/Keep on throwing them out and when you lose even worse in 2011, you'll know why.
//And I'll be cheering.

Wow, Rove and Cheney actually said they would vote for Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell? They would vote for a windbag radio show host over a decorated general and former secretary of state?

That's your problem, guys. Learn to like your moderates.

Powell 2012?

I watched that interview this morning. Powell is a class act and refuted inflammatory rhetoric with thoughtful, intellectual reasoning.

Wish he had run for president.

I love when the folks who scream "RINO!!!" at anyone who dares to work with Democrats claim they believe in the marketplace of ideas.

NotARocketScientist 2009-05-24 10:39:52 PM What are the chances, down the line, that Ridge and Powell could lead the split and make a moderate republican party? /I'd like to see that I think
===================================

The moderate democrats (which are about half the democratic party maybe more) and the moderate republicans (which are about... 10% of their party) should merge and form a new moderate party.

Then we could have liberals, the new democrat-republican moderates, and the neocon right.

Would be fun!

agoratrader: Powell 2012?

Yeah i may be slow on the draw with this story, but he's been in the news a little too much lately... Methinks you're right.

Farkers?

He has the best chance of winning, I'm calling it.

jake3988: NotARocketScientist 2009-05-24 10:39:52 PM What are the chances, down the line, that Ridge and Powell could lead the split and make a moderate republican party? /I'd like to see that I think
===================================

The moderate democrats (which are about half the democratic party maybe more) and the moderate republicans (which are about... 10% of their party) should merge and form a new moderate party.

Then we could have liberals, the new democrat-republican moderates, and the neocon right.

Would be fun!

This. If the GOP continues their headlong rush into irrelevance, I think that's what's going to happen sooner or later.

The Why Not Guy: I love when the folks who scream "RINO!!!" at anyone who dares to work with Democrats claim they believe in the marketplace of ideas.

didn't you know? with Obama in office, the [D] way of thinking is CLEARLY the black market of ideas and we can't be supporting THAT.

;)

Powell will be 75 in 2012. I doubt he'll run for office.

Luthiel: The moderate democrats (which are about half the democratic party maybe more) and the moderate republicans (which are about... 10% of their party) should merge and form a new moderate party.

What would be the motivation for a moderate Democrat to break away from the party that is currently:

a. fairly moderate to begin with
b. in power

brainiac-dumdum: Man alive, it says something about the priorities Republican leaders when they exalt Rove and Limbaugh over Powell.

I know, they should really be defending the guy who voted for Democratic Candidate Obama and claims "Americans want more Government in their lives, not less". I mean *THAT* is a true Republican right there.

/Like it or not but Rove is right on this one.

The Why Not Guy: Luthiel: The moderate democrats (which are about half the democratic party maybe more) and the moderate republicans (which are about... 10% of their party) should merge and form a new moderate party.

What would be the motivation for a moderate Democrat to break away from the party that is currently:

a. fairly moderate to begin with
b. in power

The fact that Pelosi and Reid are no where near "Moderate" and they only got into power by running Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who may on a case by case basis, be woo'd into opposition.

CanisNoir: I know, they should really be defending the guy who voted for Democratic Candidate Obama and claims "Americans want more Government in their lives, not less". I mean *THAT* is a true Republican right there.

No. What they should be doing is asking why a moderate Republican felt the Democrat candidate was a better choice to lead the country than the candidate his own party put up.

The Why Not Guy: Luthiel: The moderate democrats (which are about half the democratic party maybe more) and the moderate republicans (which are about... 10% of their party) should merge and form a new moderate party.

What would be the motivation for a moderate Democrat to break away from the party that is currently:

a. fairly moderate to begin with
b. in power

Right now, the party leadership tends to be fairly liberal, and I think that without any meaningful competition from the GOP, they'll start leaning even further to the left. At some point after that, the more moderate Democrats will get uncomfortable with the way the party's going - if I had to guess, it'll probably be some wedge issue like gun control that'll cause the moderates to split.

Sure, go right ahead, I mean he's only one of the most popular political figures in the country.

The Why Not Guy: CanisNoir: I know, they should really be defending the guy who voted for Democratic Candidate Obama and claims "Americans want more Government in their lives, not less". I mean *THAT* is a true Republican right there.

No. What they should be doing is asking why a moderate Republican felt the Democrat candidate was a better choice to lead the country than the candidate his own party put up.

In what respect, Why Not Guy?

CanisNoir: The fact that Pelosi and Reid are no where near "Moderate" and they only got into power by running Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who may on a case by case basis, be woo'd into opposition.

Pick and choose to your heart's content. The party as a whole is pretty moderate at the moment. Heck, isn't Harry Reid pro-life?

jake3988: If you want to succeed in being elected, throwing everyone in your party out that isn't in line with your new insaneo-far-right ideology isn't going to help.

No, but it is indicative of an increasingly paranoid party experiencing its last, desperate throes of relevancy. With almost no trace of sarcasm, I expect loyalty oaths to become mandatory any month now. The self-destructive practice of questioning the legitimacy (or loyalty) of your own party members every time they fall out of exact lockstep does have historical precedent. And it almost always ends the same way.

blueyedevil: In what respect, Why Not Guy?

I read all of them!

CanisNoir: Gibberish redacted

Your meds are in the cabinet.

I was curious so I looked up Harry Reid's position on abortion. According to wikipedia, he states: "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered."

The Why Not Guy: Pick and choose to your heart's content. The party as a whole is pretty moderate at the moment. Heck, isn't Harry Reid pro-life?

I wouldn't know about Reids stance on Abortion, he's not exactly a vocal outspoken opponent of it. You're high if you think Pelosi Reid and now Obama, domestically are "Moderates". They are far from it.

As to why Powell supported Obama over the very *very* moderate McCain I'll never know, I'm guess it had something to do with the historic nature of Obama's candidacy but I could be wrong. Either way, it makes him less valid as a Republican. As Rove said, start finding "Republican" candidates that fit your view and support them if you want to be a Republican, not a Democratic candidate.

/I know it's tough to swallow, but Rove *was* right on this.

jake3988: Earth to republicans: Everytime a republicans 'comes out' (Yeah, sounds weird doesn't it?) as a moderate, you throw him to the dogs like a juicy steak.

Colin Powell and Arlen Specter are just two examples.

If you want to succeed in being elected, throwing everyone in your party out that isn't in line with your new insaneo-far-right ideology isn't going to help.

Just sayin.

Again, I say show me a party that conforms to all your beliefs, and I'll show you a party of one.

Fellow GOP moderate Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and homeland security secretary under George W. Bush,

farkkk you Associated press you lying sons of biatches. there is no way that "GOP moderate" and "DHS Security secretary" occupy the same domain.

There is simply no way. And any reasonable, moderate person should feel very sad that American news agencies would try to pass such a claim. There should be zero-tolerance for this kind of Orwellian rhetoric.

CanisNoir: You're high if you think Pelosi Reid and now Obama, domestically are "Moderates". They are far from it.

Again, according to wikipedia:

Harry Reid states "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered" which seems consistent with the Conservative view on abortion. He's also against same-sex marriage and for the death penalty. On the Liberal side he supports stem cell research and gun control.

These seem like fairly moderate stances to me.

Politicians have to be given motivation to switch. If you obviously can't beat them at the polls, then you have to offer them power. If you cannot give them power, then your pretty much out of legal options.

The Why Not Guy: I was curious so I looked up Harry Reid's position on abortion. According to wikipedia, he states: "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered."

Pinko Liberal Jew, that one is.

The Why Not Guy: These seem like fairly moderate stances to me.

Paying empty lip service to the Pro-Life movement while casting votes against their legislation does not make one a Moderate. Reid is better than Pelosi I'll agree, but his frothing Anti-War stance and his joy at claiming innocent Marines murdered Iraqi's in cold blood leads me to believe he's not exactly the type of "moderate" I'm hoping for.

agoratrader: Powell 2012?

it would be the most poetic of all poetic justices if he won

The Why Not Guy: I was curious so I looked up Harry Reid's position on abortion. According to wikipedia, he states: "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered."

Which was exactly President Bush's position.

"Scott McClellan, the principal spokesman for U.S. President George W. Bush said in a press conference yesterday that the President supports abortion in three cases - rape, incest, and the life of the mother."

The GOP is headed in an interesting direction:

CanisNoir: he's not exactly the type of "moderate" I'm hoping for.

Unless you live in Nevada, nobody cares if Harry Reid is worthy of your approval. I'm just pointing out that the man you cherry-picked as an example of how Liberal the Democratic Party is has Conservative positions on several important issues.

CanisNoir 2009-05-24 10:59:35 PM

/I know it's tough to swallow, but Rove *was* right on this

Speak for yourself about swallowing, doofus.

\hides under armored pie tin for the inevitable blowtorching

\\heh, I said "blow"

CanisNoir: As to why Powell supported Obama over the very *very* moderate McCain I'll never know, I'm guess it had something to do with the historic nature of Obama's candidacy but I could be wrong.

you would be completely and entirely incorrect in that conclusion.

McCain isn't a 'moderate'. In fact, he had the wrong solution to just about every issue you can think of: foreign policy, the economy, homeland security...he was on the bad side of every issue raised during the campaign. McCain was a weak candidate, an acceptable compromise among party insiders who are desperately afraid that Republicans will ditch their wacko fundie ideals in favor of more moderate social policies and stronger fiscal policies.

the Republican party needs to repudiate the Limbaugh and Cheney wing of the party if they want to survive. otherwise they'll lose votes and become a regional party with little power and relevance to the rest of the country. have fun losing election after election to the Libertarians!

Alien Robot: The Why Not Guy: I was curious so I looked up Harry Reid's position on abortion. According to wikipedia, he states: "abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered."

Which was exactly President Bush's position.

"Scott McClellan, the principal spokesman for U.S. President George W. Bush said in a press conference yesterday that the President supports abortion in three cases - rape, incest, and the life of the mother."

Funny how these anti-abortionist politicians always have a but after there "life is precious in all cases". I mean go whole hog, life is just as precious another right?

Alien Robot: Which was exactly President Bush's position.

That kind of blows the claim that Harry Reid is a raging Liberal out of the water, wouldn't you say? Unless you're one of those "Bush was really a Liberal" sorts.

CanisNoir: brainiac-dumdum: Man alive, it says something about the priorities Republican leaders when they exalt Rove and Limbaugh over Powell.

I know, they should really be defending the guy who voted for Democratic Candidate Obama and claims "Americans want more Government in their lives, not less". I mean *THAT* is a true Republican right there.

/Like it or not but Rove is right on this one.

Remember descent the highest form of patriotic.

Oh, and I do like that many conservatives think Rove is right because it further alienates moderates.

CanisNoir: The fact that Pelosi and Reid are no where near "Moderate" and they only got into power by running Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats who may on a case by case basis, be woo'd into opposition.

Reid may be a slimy douchebag, but he's not nearly as liberal as Pelosi. He's a fiscal liberal, but less of a social liberal.

He's a fiscal liberal for sure, but he's rated 29% by pro-choice NARAL, 50% by pro-life NRLC, 40% by the ACLU, 67% by the HRC (a pro-gay rights group), 96% by the NAACP, 35% by the USCOC (a pro-business group), 50% by CURE (a pro-prison reform group), 91% by the NEA (pro-public schools group), 100% by CAF (a liberal energy independence group), 84% by the LCV (a pro-environment group), 16% by the Christian Coalition, 17% by CATO (a libertarian free-trade group), B by the NRA, 88% by APHA (a pro-public health care group), 100% by SANE (an anti-nuclear weapon group), 0% by USBC (an pro-tighter-border security group), 100% by the AFL-CIO, 100% by the AU (Americans United for Separation of Church and State), 90% by the ARA (retired American advocacy group), 17% by the NTU (anti-big spending group), 89% by the CTJ (pro-progressive taxation group)

Pelosi, on the other hand, is anti-gun rights, rated 100% by NARAL and 0% by NRLC, 87% by the ACLU, 100% by HRC, 100% by the NAACP, 34% by the USCOC, 88% by CURE, 91% by the NEA, 100% by CAF, 90% by the LCV, 8% by the Christian Coalition, 29% by CATO, F by the NRA, 100% by APHA, 100% by SANE, 0% by USBC, 87% by the AFL-CIO, 100% by the AU, 100% by the ARA, 21% by the NTU, 100% by the CTJ