Former Bush official: GOP ‘beyond redemption’

[babsbunny]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/bush-official-gop-beyond-redemption/

By Daniel Tencer
Saturday, November 27th, 2010 -- 6:29 pm

A former US senator and ambassador to the UN under President George W. Bush says the increasingly radical and uncompromising tone of the GOP is a sign the party is now "beyond redemption."

John C. Danforth made the comment while discussing a possible tea party challenge to Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a long-serving moderate whose stances against some major GOP positions have reportedly made him the target of Republican ideologues.

[rhett o rick]

1. This is not good news. We need two strong parties to balance out.

One strong party isnt the answer. The Democratic Party, w/o strong Republican challenge, will most likely move right. Not good.

[Poboy]

2. lmao. With or without Rep' challenge, the (new) Dems/DLC

will move right regardless. Dems have, and will continue to serve the corporations/right. It really doesn't matter.

[rhett o rick]

5. It may not matter. But if is doesnt, then no need for discussion. I have to assume that it may

matter. A strong Republican Party would force the Democratic Party to woe the left.

I dont disagree that it is futile, but I must fight on anywayz

[unblock]

3. not to fear, we will have two parties, one way or another. but then, that's exactly the problem.

the two parties historically have done a dance around each other, dropping some factions and picking up others as they shift coalitions to circle around each other. as one party gets too big, some faction within it is bound to become disenchanted, and they find that by switching parties they become big fish in a small pond and eventually wield considerable power.

witness the "southern strategy" as the bigots couldn't abide by the civil rights changes the democrats ushered in in the 1960s and switched to the republican party. and witness the result, the republican party is practically synonymous with bigotry, and has been tremendously powerful until they overreached with shrub.

i'm not convinced that we're really in any great danger of being a one-party system with the democrats being that one party, but on the off chance that this should become true, it would only be temporary.

[gratuitous]

4. Don't worry; the Democrats are a self-opposing party

One need look no further than DU for proof of that.

Interesting that Danforth made these comments, as he was one of the aiders and abettors for the GOP to turn so heavily right that they can hardly expect support from about three-quarters of the population.

[NuclearDem]

6. The only way Dick Lugar is going to lose his seat

Is if he resigns, or he dies.

Hoosiers love Lugar too much to let the Teabaggers oust him. No matter how much they hate moderates.

[BzaDem]

7. Even the small subset of right wing Hoosiers that make up the Republican primary electorate? n/t

[charlie]

8. Oh, pleeeze

Danforth is more responsible than anyone for installing that reactionary pinhead Thomas on the Supreme Court. So, we've been stuck with a glowering freak wrecking the US with his anger and resentment issues, and openly palling around with the lunatic fringe of the Theo-Republican Right. Danforth's flunkie stole the 2000 election, a brazen travesty that should've gotten him banished to the Arctic Circle.

But NOW, now that the kind of crazy Danforth helped validate is endangering the job of his good buddy Lugar... well, THAT'S JUST GOING TOO FAR.

Fuck him. Fuck him and his "moderate" pretensions.