Republican disaffection seeping into Bush's solid GOP Texas

[sabra]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8KQIJ800.html

Republican disaffection seeping into Bush's solid GOP Texas

The economy is strong and Rickye Lennon's excavation business is thriving.

Yet his son may soon go to war, government scandals are in the news, and Lennon, a Republican deep in the heart of Bush country, doesn't think his party should remain in charge of Congress.

"I think we need a wake-up call," said Lennon, 50, of Dripping Springs. "They need to be paying attention to the issues the people are concerned about and I think we need to become more moderate in our views."

...

To Lennon, the handling of the Foley scandal and ethical problems involving other congressmen are examples of Republican hypocrisy.

"It's cronyism," he said. "There are a lot of people out there that will do anything they can to protect their party. That's wrong. We have to do what's right. We have laws that everyone has to follow and they are not above that law."

He expects to vote for his Democratic congressman, Lloyd Doggett of Austin.

[rodeodance]

1. whow!!

[cosmik debris]

2. More evidence of the same nature

A poll in the Waco paper has "stay the course" trailing 54% to 42%!

Even in the heart of Bush country, he doesn't get support!

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/homepage/home_poll.html

[Xipe Totec]

3. The downside of Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering the electoral map helps magnify slight voter majorities into large actual majorities of elected representatives for one party or another. But it also makes those majorities extremely fragile. Once you lose the slight majority, the entire map flips at the same time, and you're pretty much screwed.

The 'pugs are going to be singing the Texas Blues shortly.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. I once voted Republican in Texas for the same reason

That was long ago (and it did seem to be in a galaxy far away!).

I lived in Houston for 150 years from 1967-1971. In those days, the Democratic Party utterly controlled the state and was deeply corrupt, despite having the occasional good liberal, or sometimes populist, candidate. In one gubernatorial contest, I voted for the Republican, not because I thought highly of him or thought the Southern Republicans were better than the Southern Democrats, but because I thought it would be a good thing for the Democratic Party to lose its grip on power. The Democratic candidate won in a landslide, anyway, as they always did in the South in those days.

Of course, I didn't foresee that the change would eventually come about in the South, but because the existing power structure would simply change its party affiliation, meaning that nothing would really change.

[aquart]

5. That's how Republicans took power in NYC.

This was a one-party city and deeply corrupt. So Dems got to wander in the wilderness for a time. We sinned and we sinned big. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and it will corrupt ANYONE.

Right now, we're clean because we haven't been allowed near the temptations.....but let's have no illusions about what we could become if we took advantage of all the nasty things the Republicans have put in place in the shortsighted belief they would be the only ones wielding power forever. We need to cancel their legislation. Start from scratch. Every single fucking bill these greedy fuckers put thru Congress. There isn't a trustworthy line in one of them.

[Straight Shooter]

6. "let's have no illusions about what we could become ..."

Wise words, indeed. :thumbsup:

[calimary]

7. Indeed. I hope Nancy Pelosi sits on them all - HARD - to make sure

they keep their own noses clean. It could just as easily happen to us. To a less grievous extent, it already did (1994).

[Alexander]

10. You've lived in Houston for 150 years?

Does that mean you voted for Abraham Lincoln? ;-)

[DavidDvorkin]

11. No, it just felt like 150 years

And I probably would have voted for Lincoln.

[twaddler01]

8. Crazy stuff....

has the chimp completely lost his mind?

[jazzjunkysue]

9. Rickye Lennon's gonna love his new cot in Gitmo.

Why does Rickeye hate america?

Remember, you're either with us, or you're AWAKE!