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Republican Civil War

Civil war is breaking out between the more moderate, responsible Republicans and the “Tea Party” Republicans over the debt ceiling debate.

Today, John McCain stood up on the Senate floor and accused conservatives of “deceiving” (i.e., lying) to their constituents and called their position “bizarro”.

Even worse, House Republicans today called for the firing of Republican Study Committee (RSC) staffers after they were caught sending emails to conservative groups urging them to pressure GOP lawmakers to vote against Speaker John Boehner’s debt proposal. At the closed-door meeting of Republicans, members started chanting “Fire him, fire him!” to the face of the executive director of the RSC.

One GOP insider said “It was an unbelievable moment. I’ve never seen anything like it.”


© Pat Oliphant

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12 Comments

  1. Morrius wrote:

    Why doesn’t Boehner open negotiations with moderate Republicans instead? I hear they’re calling themselves Democrats nowadays.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 3:44 am | Permalink
  2. Arthanyel wrote:

    It’s not the start of a civil war. The Tea Party had already begun that war. They are just opening a second front.

    Hopefully that will work as well for them as it did for the Germans.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 7:19 am | Permalink
  3. Wayne Irwin wrote:

    “A PLEDGE TO AMERICA”

    (Sponsored by the “Saddle Up It’s You And Me,” Movement)

    Ex and present military people, and their dependents, or Americans who’s first obligation’s are to God and Country, their freedoms, Family, Flag, and America’s Fighting Men and Women.

    We still have time to unite with all the support we can draw from organizations like the “Tea Party,” movement, ex and present military and true Americans, all over our once proud land. All people who are fed up with the trampling of the Constitution and socialistic direction we are taking, to the final destruction of the Constitution, and the USA, as we know it.

    Since politicians are so inclined to do just opposite of what they say they will do, after they get your vote. What’s needed is a list of item that they will support, no matter what the situation is. Like the the Constitution, Bill of Rights, limits on all taxation, a balanced budget, right’s to life, and legal immigration. In addition, anything else, people, much smarter than me can come up with.

    After the final decision is made concerning what should be included in this Pledge To America, a top attorney could work out a contract that each candidate who is seeking our support, would have to place their hand on the Bible, as done in a Court of Law, or prior to entering the U.S. Military, take an Oath Of Allegiance prior to signing the “Pledge to America.” If at anytime if they break that oath by voting against any of the articles covered in this agreement, they would be committing a fraudulent act against America, and automatically be forced to step down.

    I’m only a simple man, and do not know if something this simple would work for the public. However, Newt Gingrich did something like this with his “Contract With America;” although it was a voluntary on his part, it worked, for a while.

    Wayne Irwin

    (My Poem to AMERICA)

    “SADDLE UP, IT’S YOU AND ME!”

    We’ve seen our better days, in days gone by.
    Young soldiers proud to serve, like you and I.

    Many went off to fight to keep America free.
    Both young ladies and men, like you and me,

    Some came back wounded, dead or maimed.
    Others with horrible memories, that still remain.

    But what ever the cost, we kept America free.
    Over 200 years, these brave souls were the key.

    Today, with a Commander and Chief as President. Who knows little of America’s history,which is evident.

    He tramples on the Constitution, which made us great.
    And we are quickly becoming a Socialistic State.

    Something we have fought against, in days gone by.
    People, who’ve served the U.S.A., like you and I.

    An American President, who was born on foreign soil.
    When the proof comes out, America’s blood will boil!

    America’s military couldn’t be conquered, they were too great.
    So it’s happening from within, I hope it’s not too late.

    There’s only one thing left to save America, that we can do.
    This election, vote his support out of office, it takes me and you.

    If we can get this done, he’s stopped dead in his tracks!
    Then in two more years, start getting our freedom back!

    Now we must use an old term, used in the military.
    “Saddle up,” it’s time to get out and vote, “it’s you and me.”

    By: Wayne Irwin
    A simple man, who’s a member of the “Silent Majority,” who feels we’ve been silent far too long!

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 9:08 am | Permalink
  4. ThatGuy wrote:

    That’s a bit alarmist. Also the “silent majority” concept has been silly since Nixon appropriated it from its original meaning of dead people.

    Kudos on rhyming “made us great” with “socialistic state”. Litterary brilliance if I’ve ever seen it.

    Also you really don’t want to be BEHIND Donald Trump in letting the birther thing go do you?

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 9:49 am | Permalink
  5. Arthanyel wrote:

    Wayne Irwin – Conservative propaganda, and not much more to say about it than that.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 10:06 am | Permalink
  6. starluna wrote:

    Re: Wayne Irwin’s post

    More evidence of the us vs them perspective. It’s almost becoming an ideology. Quite sad.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 10:12 am | Permalink
  7. starluna wrote:

    Apparently, Republicans showed a clip from the movie “The Town” as part of the effort to get wayward Tea Partiers to rally together. Apparently it was successful. The Tea Partiers seem to be coming around to the Boehner plan.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/boehner-presses-debt-plan-opposed-by-democrats-imf-urges-raise-in-debt-limit/2011/07/26/gIQA0s3taI_story_1.html

    Except that the message in the particular scene chosen is that what they are rallying around will in fact hurt other people and is really part of a violent revenge attack. Ironic, don’t you think? And kind of scary.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 10:39 am | Permalink
  8. Don wrote:

    Jon Carroll is a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Today’s column is right on in describing how many of us feel about the inability of Congress to act responsibly.

    “Well, I see that the men are through playing grown-up, sitting around highly polished tables and talking about debt and budgets. They have reached an agreement, so the entire nation can breathe a sigh of relief. To hear the rhetoric, you might have thought that the two sides were incompatible but, just like that, self-interest finally saved the day.

    So now we have professional football again. And football players are supposed to be stupid! Ha! Compared with the hopeless humans spending this fabulously hot summer in our nation’s capital, football players are particle physicists.”

    http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/

    Check out Jon’s column today.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 11:35 am | Permalink
  9. David Freeman wrote:

    This false-equivalence damning everyone in Congress is driving me nuts. Democrats have compromised to the point of becoming virtual Republicans and the Republicans have responded by moving further right. The “grownups” are starting to look like fools for trying to bargain with economic terrorists (i.e. Tea Party Republicans and Grover Nitwit) and cowards (i.e. traditional Republicans cowered by T.P. and Nitwit).

    Sorry Irwin, but your sincerity is misplaced since you have been deceived by chickenhawks like Gingrich and cynical opportunists like Palin, Limbaugh and Beck. The world is not a “simple” place with simple contrasts of good and evil. Evil usually disguises itself as good. Your trust is sorely misplaced.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:02 pm | Permalink
  10. Falkelord wrote:

    Wayne Irwin’s gonna be really pissed off when I turn that into my feel-good country song of the summer.

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 4:53 pm | Permalink
  11. Don wrote:

    @ Falkelord: Be sure to post it on the web when you have it done so we can all enjoy it. ‘>D

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 4:59 pm | Permalink
  12. Iron Knee wrote:

    Yeah, I need some feel-good here! Bring it on!

    Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 5:39 pm | Permalink