Andy Warren quits Repuke party, switches to Democratic

[Proud2BAmurkin]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-06022005-497208.html

Calling Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick a "DeLay Disciple" and decrying the Republican Party's move to the right, former Republican Bucks County commissioner Andy Warren on Wednesday announced he has become a Democrat and is not ruling out a run for office.

Warren, the longest-serving commissioner in county history and now head of the regional state transportation office, said he switched his party registration over the weekend.

The change comes, Warren said, after years of watching the national Republican Party move further and further to the right.

"When one finds that his philosophy is so out of step with the organization, you either sit silently by, hypocritically, or you do something about it," he said. "It was time to move on. So I did."

[Democracy White]

1. Welcome to the Democratic Party Mr. Warren!

[dogday]

2. Better late than never.... Some people just can't drink the koolaid

good for him. Sees things for what they really are....

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Welcome, Mr. Warren!

There's always room for ideas and debate on this side of the aisle. We even cut each other's throats and eat our own on occasion. But when it comes down to basics, we're united!

[Justitia]

4. Welcome Aboard! Now get to work!

Doncha love how the GOPers slammed him, saying he did it because he was passed over for a promotion?

That or $$$ is the motive they ascribe to everyone that jumps off their sinking ship.

[fooj]

5. No more kool-aid for Mr. Warren!

:applause: :applause: Welcome to the "bright" side of the moon...


peace.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

6. A trend here in Pennsylvania???

Seriously, besides myself and Mr. Warren, I know of 4 Republicans who have left the GOP in the past 3 months. Don't know who Mr. Warren voted for in November, but the 'Republicans for Kerry' crowd in PA seems to be taking the final step of changing registration now. Congrats Mr Warren!

I really wonder if this isn't a growing trend in Pennsylvania (and maybe other states)?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. I suspect yuou are correct

in some ways we are seeign a realigment,

[redqueen]

8. We can hope!

:hi:

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Let's hope Virginia is next!

I hear that's where Rove has put the bullseye for the next round of election fraud.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

17. I agree. Virginia never seemed that "red" to me...

although Ricky Santorum does call it "home".:grr:

[maxrandb]

10. Great News n/t

[Just Me]

11. Welcome to the light, Warren!!!

:bounce:

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. We welcome you with open arms!

I hope many, many, many more wake up and move on.

[Bouncy Ball]

13. A very hearty welcome to Commissioner Warren! And congrats!

:toast:

[benburch]

14. Welcome to the Big Tent!

Please pull up a chair and grab a coffee!

[KharmaTrain]

15. Suburban Conversion

This is happening in our area. As the Repugnican party moves further right it leaves behind a lot of suburban moderates (also known as "Soccer Moms" and Raygun Democrats) who had been trending GOOP in most elections in the past 25 years. This was especially the case with House and Senate races.

Demographics have begun to shift...now a lot of us "city kids", Hipanics and Blacks are moving into the former Repugnican burgs and the dynamic is starting to change.

Also, with the growth of the suburbs also are the growth of unions. Methinks Mr. Warren was as much influenced by that as by "conviction". Being a Democrat means he'll get union funds to keep his job rather than fight against it.

But I sense we're seeing that we've reached beyond the far right swing of the pendullum. Many moderate Repugnicans are now re-evaluating where they stand within their own party and who really does represent them. If Dr. Dean and the Democrats are smart, they will latch on to this slow, but steady change in momentum and move it along a little faster.

The tipping point is when Democrats regain control of the House and/or Senate (definitely the House). That's when you'll see parties shifting as moderate Repugnicans will cut deals to save their seniority and play parties off against one another.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

16. The GOP is losing the upper-middle class suburbanites

What has the GOP done for the not-wealthy, non-zealot brand of moderate/liberal Republican...some tax cuts that are a distant and long ago spent memory. That's it!

Since the GOP wants to value only its "values voters" (aka Rapturist Right zealots) then they can now kiss the Democratic ass we now ride upon!!!!:dem:

[KharmaTrain]

18. We've Campaigned Very Effectively On That...

Last year I met a lot of "Conservative Repugnicans" who were voting for our Democratic House candidate. They made a big difference.

Many didn't really see any benefit from this regime and specifically from the tax cuts. For those who earned 40k-60k a year, they got back virtually nothing...and that was quickly sucked up by soaring gas prices.

There's also a lot of grumbling about the defecits and market corruption and manipulation. A lot of these people held Enron and Worldcom stock and still haven't recovered. They also haven't gotten answers to what's happened or seen anyone pay for this obvious fraud. Why the Democrats don't play this up more, is beyond me.

Lastly, and the biggest seller, was the rise in local taxes and the problems many communities were having. It was easy to show these people how Bunnypant's tax cuts reduced the amount of money coming into the state that created a budget mess there that trickles down to our local schools, roads, police and so on. In fact, taking local and state tax hikes into account, these people are paying MORE in taxes, not less.

And the biggest blow is still ahead. While many live in dream that their home equity will be their true savings and nest egg...and think so more than ever as property values continue to rise. They fail to think this is purely on paper...and will come how to clobber them the next time the tax assesor rates their property. It'll be worth more on paper, but no cash to pay those extra taxes as well.

Cheers!

[chaska]

19. Was that the first domino that just fell?

[damntexdem]

20. Welcome ...

bring some friends with you.