Thursday, May 11, 2006

Snubbing the snubbers

There are unconfirmed reports that Topinka indicated earlier this spring she didn't need conservatives to win.

Whether or not that's true, we will likely find out, and this isn't just whiny saber-rattling by IL conservatives.

Nationally, conservatives are showing their displeasure with an aberrant president and legislature by walking and threatening to walk.

This week, in an unprecedented move, conservative leaders boycotted a Tuesday meeting at the White House with Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to discuss judicial nominees. These meetings are rare; this was the first in over a year. Typically, 60-70 attend. But this time WH and Senate staffers nearly outnumbered the 15-20 who showed.

(See my blog for posting of articles detailing this from The Hill and Congress Daily AM not available online.)

News watchers will not then wonder why the issue of judicial nominees suddenly rose in prominence the past few days on the GOP Senate and WH agenda.

Peggy Noonan addressed this issue on a larger scale in her piece, "Baseless confidence," in today's Wall Street Journal:

[T]he administration and the Congress are losing their base, and it isn't because of the media....

The Republicans talk about cutting spending, but they increase it--a lot. They stand for making government smaller, but they keep making it bigger. They say they're concerned about our borders, but they're not securing them. And they seem to think we're slobs for worrying. Republicans used to be sober and tough about foreign policy, but now they're sort of romantic and full of emotionalism. They talk about cutting taxes, and they have, but the cuts are provisional, temporary....

What's a voter to do? Maybe stay home, have the neighbors over for some barbecue....

Party leaders say they're aware they're in trouble, aware of a sense of stasis in the country. They are going to solve the problem, they say, by passing legislation. They're going to pass a budget. And they're going to pass an immigration bill, too. People will like that.

But no they won't. The American people are not going to say, "I am relieved and delighted our Congress passed a budget." They will be relieved and delighted if Congress cuts spending. They would be relieved and delighted if Congress finally took responsibility for the nation's borders. They won't be impressed if you just pass bills and call it progress.

Party leaders are showing a belief in process as opposed to a belief in, say, belief. But belief drives politics. It certainly drives each party's base.

One gets the impression party leaders, deep in their hearts, believe the base is... base. Unsophisticated. Primitive. Obsessed with its little issues. They're trying to educate the base. But if history is a guide, the base is about to teach them a lesson instead.


Certainly the ILGOP old guard goes so far as to taunt its base as base, unsophisticated, primitive, and obsessed with its little issues. How much more should it expect a boycott, at least in the governor's race.

The marriage amendment will bring conservatives out, but expect Judy to be snubbed, be it formally or organically driven. Social conservatives around the state tell me they physically will not be able to vote for her. Principles drive social conservatives to politics... and away.

13 comments:

Anonymous,  10:41 AM  

Social conservatives taking their ball and going home, eh? Good.

Anonymous,  10:41 AM  

I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU

I MUST DELETE

Anonymous,  10:51 AM  

Jill, can you comment on this please?

Bernie's Column:

Living arrangements

A spokeswoman who discussed the merits of the "protect marriage amendment" with reporters at the State Board of Elections this week has an interesting status for somebody pushing an issue identified with family values.

CATHY SANTOS lives with, but is not married to, DOUG IBENDAHL, a former lawyer for the state GOP who also represents the Family Taxpayers Network, a group led by conservative activist JACK ROESER. The FTN helped spearhead the petition drive to get the anti-gay marriage advisory referendum on the state ballot.

Santos, a former contract worker for the state treasurer, is a volunteer spokeswoman for the FTN. She said she and Ibendahl have been a couple for 10 years and have lived together for five years.

However, she said she does not think that conflicts with their advocacy of a constitutional amendment to declare that the only legal marriage in Illinois should be between a man and a woman.

Anonymous,  11:05 AM  

What idiots don't understand is that... you can be impeached... but if you didn't commit a crime than it is meaningless. Clinton's impeachment, meaningless. Also, other local idiots remember, for there to be a speaker Pelosi, democrats actually have to win elections. This is May... a lot of things change in 6 months... If you remember in '94, in may, it looked like the dems would hold the house by a decent margin.... How'd that turn out for ya, Palmer? But... even if there is a Speaker Pelosi, that is fine. That just means the GOP will do that much better in '08.... The dems winning in '06, is a kiss of death in '08...

Anonymous,  11:23 AM  

Unconfirmed reports...but let's go ahead and run them like it's true.....classy Jill.

Pat Collins 12:14 PM  

Cathy and Doug PMI spokespersons

Actually, it's perfect. They can say that they are ok with gays not being able to marry, as not being married hasn't hurt them at all!

An election day without conservatives

Well, if Bush signs an amnesty for illegals, Speaker Pelosi will certainly lead the impeachment drive - and betrayed conservatives will have made it happen.

And I am one of them.

Anonymous,  12:17 PM  

Sometimes I don't understand pro-life conservative sentiment regarding abortion and other issues. If there are 2 candidates both in favor of abortion, however, one of the candidates wants it restricted more than the other, isn't it the best interest of the unborn child to elect the individual who will kill the least amount of children?

If each life is sacred is it morally right to sit out an election to prove a point?

Anonymous,  12:34 PM  

I'm pro-Life and also 100% pro-gay marriage. It's a shame the most vocal pro-lifers are fundamentalist idiots who make the rational pro-Lifers look like morons because of guilt by association.

I plan to work hard to make sure the marriage amendment fails.

If I were a betting man, I would bet that it will fail.

Anonymous,  12:39 PM  

I am a Democrat and I really don't want a Speaker Pelosi. I find her annoying and not too bright (exactly like Hastert - at least Gingrich had a brain in his head). Why can't we have Rahm be Speaker instead?

Anonymous,  1:42 PM  

No more supporting the 'lesser of two evils.'

Bush and the GOP richly deserve what happens. The 'base' is abandoning them faster than in '92.

Isn't it ironic, that just that brough us Bill Clinton in '92, but a historic turn-around in Congress in '94?

Maybe the house has to be burnt down, before you can save it?????

Anonymous,  3:39 PM  

I hope conservatives sit out this election, they did enough damage to this nation in 2000 and 2004.

Anonymous,  10:24 AM  

Prez palmer

You can say Bush lied as much as you want but if you would put your partisan anti-American hat away and look at the evidence you will find that there are many reports from the Military both American and other countries that Saddam was involved in terrorism. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/joelmowbray/2006/05/10/196845.html.
In June of 2004, one year after the invasion of Iraq, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a stunning announcement that got virtually no coverage here in the United States. Here is an excerpt from an Associated Press report “Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday his government warned Washington that Saddam Hussein’s regime was preparing attacks in the United States and its interests abroad -- an assertion that appears to bolster President Bush’s contention that Iraq was a threat. …‘After Sept. 11, 2001, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, the Russian special services . . . received information that officials from Saddam’s regime were preparing terrorist attacks in the United States and outside it against the U.S. military and other interests,’ Putin said.”
The war has been addressed. Now about the deficits.
"On July 13th, The Office Of Management And Budget Reported The FY2005 Budget Deficit Is Projected to Be $94 Billion Less Than Forecast Last February. At $333 billion, or 2.7 percent of GDP, it would be smaller than the deficits in 15 of the last 25 years as a percentage of GDP."
How about these numbers and all during a WAR.
"Under The President's Policies, The Budget Deficit Is Forecast To Continue Falling. Projections show the deficit will fall to $162 billion in 2009, or 1.1 percent of GDP, significantly surpassing President Bush's goal of cutting the deficit in half from its FY 2004 projected peak of $521 billion, or 4.5 percent of GDP. A deficit of 1.1 percent of GDP would be well below the 40-year average of 2.3 percent of GDP."
There is one reason the President is having trouble with his base Illegal Immigration! If the Congress passes ANY KIND of Ammnesty there will be hell to pay. The Democrats are no better on the issue but conservatives know that Democrats are doing this for more voters (we know that from the Al Gore memos in 1995-96) Nothing pisses people off as much as seeing people breaking the law demanding something that they don't deserve and having the authorities standing on the side doing nothing. If the Government starts enforcing the laws the numbers will go back up. Here in Illinois a "Blue state" the GOP will pick up 2 seats Beans and Evans if the congress does not pass ammnesty if they do the 6th could be lost.

Anonymous,  10:34 AM  

"There are unconfirmed reports that Topinka indicated earlier this spring she didn't need conservatives to win."

I bet you can also find unconfirmed reports that say Elvis is alive and dancing with Bigfoot somewhere in an alien spaceship.

Why are you allowed to post crap like this? If you hate Topinka, just say it.

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