This Party Is A Disaster

Just what the Republican Party needs - a chairman you have to wake up when he's scheduled to appear on Fox News. Get ready for eight-years in the wilderness conservatives.

Fred Thompson seems to be seriously considering a run for the leadership of the national Republican Party, as the GOP prepares to rebuild from the rubble of the 2008 election.

Supporters of Thompson, a onetime presidential candidate and former Tennessee senator, are hopeful that he might run for chairman of the Republican National Committee, a position that would make the former actor public face of the GOP.

Thompson is nothing new. He's part of the same Republican establishment that ran this party off the road over the years. And the lethargy he showed in his ridiculous presidential campaign isn't exactly a recipe for dynamism and change.

And Steele? Forget about it. The guy comes across as just weird. I don't think he is. He's probably a pretty solid guy. But something about his personae just doesn't play on the air.

For now it looks as if the Republicans are going to stumble around a bit before getting themselves together, hopefully by 2016. Maybe it's time to forget about the party as a national brand and start focusing on state, local, House and Senate races where conservatives have a chance while this dinosaur of a national party goes through its death throes waiting for the climate to change.

Comments

[mark l.]

one of the things that really makes me laugh is that the pet name for bush from the lefty blogs was 'chimp'.

I can compare their new guy to a monkey, because he truly does possess simian features and they have lefitmized it as a form of criticism/caricature. I always found it strange that the left saw simian qualites in bush vocally, but remained mum about david gregory.

I'd pay a hundred bucks to get a picture of bush, gregory, and obama doing the 'see no evil' schtick, but I'd settle for one of them eating bananas together.

[scarshapedstar]

"You think everyone is as dumb as you. THERE'S VOTER FRAUD GOING ON and YOU know it."

I'm going to assume that the proof of your accusations is so overwhelming that you're withholding it out of mercy because we would all break our knees dropping to the floor to beg forgiveness.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[LOL]

i find it weird, this repeated right wing smear about obama's community organizing job.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

If you read his biography, you'll see that he did community organizing work as his first job after finishing college (undergrad). He's worked many jobs since then. Including double time as a lawyer in a private firm and a teacher at one of the most prestigious universities in the US (Chicago). But yes, keep rapping on his first job out of college. idiots.

[Philip McDaniel]

This would be a good position for one of our Republican women. It would send a message, and there are a number of qualified women who would fit the job. Whether they would want it or not is another question.

On another subject, it amuses me to listen to those who delight in bashing the Governor of the State of Alaska. I presume they are all much more capable of running the largest state in the union, overseeing such diverse issues as oil and gas and the protection of the Native American tribes in the state as well as the environment.

[seekeronos]

"--- Maybe it is time for a new party. ---"

My feelings exactly.

The term "conservative" has been mired with the likes of ex-Trotskyite "neo"-conservatives.

We need to get the GOP, or its successor party (hopefully the Constitution Party) on the path trod by such great men as Robert A. Taft (the early 20th century OH senator) and Ron Paul - whose old time conservatism made our nation great.

We need to encourage the ancient values of thrift and frugality and minimized government annoyance with maximal efficiency, and liberty for all (yes, including the gays and whoever else rides on the fringes of normal society).

We need to uphold, and strengthen the core culture of America - the one we have inherited from our Anglo/Celtic/Saxon European forefathers as the dominant and unifying culture of the land, in order to mould our identity as Americans first, laying aside the hyphenated divisiveness that has wracked our national politics over the past forty years.

And to the degree that we can borrow the best attributes of other cultures emerging to claim a greater stake of the American identity, such as the Latino cultures, let us absorb them willingly - such as loyalty to family and community, and honouring the bond of our words.

Let us lay aside that which has damaged us - excessive debts, foreign wars with little value to our national security or our economy (to say nothing of imperiously imposing our currently failing systems upon other sovereign nations, making ourselves a laughingstock and a byword in the process --- let's just mind our own business first)!

Let us mind the campaign promise of Mr. Bush back in 1999 when he said that we would pursue a "humble foreign policy", letting our deeds rightfully speak the same; let us pull our military back out of other nations that tire and complain of our long-standing presence on their soil. Let that military be resolved to the same cause as the Japanese Self Defence Forces, to operate only in a defensive/counter-offensive capacity.

Let us secure our borders - ensure that hard working people who will come here to add value to this nation as well as improve their own lot as most of our fathers once did when they were new to this land, but also to keep out those who would seek to destroy our republic, or at least parasitically feed upon the labours of her citizens.

Let us drill now to secure our energy future as we transition to petroleum-free or reduced petroleum energy technologies, to keep the Red Chinese from slant-drilling what is our rightful national resource.

Let us rebuild our manufacturing base and put to Americans back to work producing consumer goods that the world will want to buy... let us stop offering our increasingly worthless IOUs (known as the dollar, or "federal reserve notes") and stop relying upon the good graces of nations that may not necessarily have our best interest in mind - because if Red China has a notion to dump her stockpile of dollars, one of the first things to get bought will likely be our undeveloped oil resources and our food supply.

Remember where God tells us in his word, that the "borrower is slave to the lender", and let us free ourselves from having the Moscow/Beijing/Caracas/Tehran axis dictate terms of our surrender in Washington.

Let us rebuild the party - the GOP - as a party of liberty, sensibility, frugality, and prudence... or replace it with a party that shall observe these qualities.

[Mark]

I have heard Michael Steele on the radio filling in several times and I was quite impressed. I heard the position Fred wants is the same one he had during the Reagan years. I think Steele would be a good choice so that we could have him coming on after they guy I didn't vote for to refute his policies and the press would have a harder time crying "Racist".

[Philip McDaniel]

Good point, Mark. I too think Steele would be a good choice.

[templar knight]

Before we completely panic fellow conservatives, let's backtrack a little bit. We got 46% of the vote in bad economic times, against a candidate who was given billions of dollars in free media hype, and who raised and spent $700,000,000 on his campaign. Think about it. That's pretty damn good.

Before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we should slow down and rethink our position. Conservatives need to stay in the Republican Party. The conservatives in the Democratic Party(the Blue Dogs) will not be effective in fighting off the loonatics on the Left, so we should be able to gain House seats in the next election. I'm willing to bet we will, and many Democrats will be exposed for the nuts they truly are. So hold tight, it will be quite a ride for the next year or so, but help is on the way. Courtesy of the very liberal Democrats.

[Philip McDaniel]

“So hold tight, it will be quite a ride for the next year or so…” You are so right, Templar, on the other hand just looking at the performance of the stock market since the election leads me to believe that there is cause for alarm – especially when one sees that the Democrats are laboring under the delusion that it’s their country now and they are going to press ahead with their “unique” plans and ideas.

[hail to the chimp]

defining yourself by what you are 'not' isn't really a definition-
see 3,5,8,9,10...

In no particular order:
10-can you name a victim of this injustice?
9-so even rendition(torture outsourcing) will fall by the wayside?
8-everything pollutes. any particular environmental law that bush violated?
3-obama is escalating Afghanistan, its his war once he increases troop levels.
5-nice. its in the constitution, though. got a bush violation of this? isn't obama a believer in faith based initiatives? he did show up to vote with farakhan...this would have been the equivalent of bush showing up with falwell.

the substantive beliefs?
1-obama believes that marriage is between a man and a woman, consistent not only with christian beliefs, but black liberation theology as well.(I beleive in the right of states to determine by popular vote)
2-warren buffet creates jobs. he doesn't merely invest, he buys franchises and creates employment opportunity at a far more efficient level than the govt. Is the govt more qualified to spend his money than the wizard himself? not even close. love to see where the 46 million dollar income has been reported...
4-please force people to change their existing coverage...nothing could recreate the 94 climate like the same issue that led to the collapse of the democratic party.
6-pro-choice for 3rd trimester? see 'born alive act'. (even I am pro-choice to a small degree, but having seen a premature infant at six months survive, I can hardly consider late term abortion a 'choice'.)
7-wow. that's gotta be worth 30 votes nationally...probably within the top 500 concerns of americans.

[mark l.]

"Yet Buffett starts by making the extraordinary claim that he and his receptionist currently both pay the same 30% of their very different incomes to the federal government. This is pretty much impossible unless receptionists in Omaha are paid more than the CEO's of the companies they work for. Buffett takes a salary of $100,000 from Berkshire Hathaway (according to the company's most recent proxy statement) -- and assuming that his receptionist makes the same amount, then her average federal tax rate would be something like 16%, according to the IRS's online calculator. Adding the 6.2% payroll tax paid by her employer, we get to about 22%. Her salary would have to be about $250,000 to get up to the 30% Buffett claims. Can I have her job?"

http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=2813

how does the secretary pay 30% on 60k a year?
do you even understand the tax code?

[jharp]

Try this and there is plenty more.

"Mr Buffett said that he was taxed at 17.7 per cent on the $46 million he made last year, without trying to avoid paying higher taxes, while his secretary, who earned $60,000, was taxed at 30 per cent."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/tax/article1996735.ece

[jharp]

Well, let’s start with the ultra-rich. Bajillionaire Warren Buffett has argued that he isn’t being asked to pay his share. He went around his office, asking people what share of their income they pay in income taxes. Buffett’s 17.7 percent tax rate(on $46 million) compared a bit too favorably with the 30 percent tax rate(on $60,000) paid by his secretary.

So it appears that the tax system favors the super-rich over working stiffs.

And Buffett went a step further, putting his money where his mouth is. Last November he issued a challenge to his fellow billionaires:

I’ll bet a million dollars against any member of the Forbes 400 who challenges me that the average (federal tax rate including income and payroll taxes) for the Forbes 400 will be less than the average of their receptionists.

So far, no-one has taken him up on this bet.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/taxes-warren-buffett-and-paying-my-fair-share/

Here you go mark l. Why don't you take up Mr. Buffett on his bet?

[jharp]

And yes, I understand the tax code. I have an accounting degree from The Ohio State University.

You obviously don't.

And you did so well will your polling analyss. NOT!

Don't you ever feel even a little embarrassed over your stupidity?

[mark l.]

"60,000, was taxed at 30 per cent."

I am in the rare circumstance of providing a correction for Buffett.

http://www.hrblock.com/taxes/tax_calculators/index.html

simply punch in 60000 for income, take standard deductions, and the amount owed is 9236.

the actually taxes owed on 60k income is 15.5%.

buffet either lied, or doesn't know what he is talking about.

30% of 60k, is actually 18,000 dollars. Buffet doubled the rate at which she was taxed.

[Philip McDaniel]

"And yes, I understand the tax code. I have an accounting degree from The Ohio State University.

You obviously don't.

And you did so well will your polling analyss. NOT!

Don't you ever feel even a little embarrassed over your stupidity?"

Jharp, you come across as a narcissistic bully. Apparently, you think that smart-mouthed replies and denigrating other people is the correct way to discuss issues. I’m just glad I don’t have you as a neighbor…or a relative. I’m surprised someone hasn’t smacked you a good one. Then again, maybe they have. I will say that now and then you come out with something intelligent. No one is 100% one way or the other. Unfortunately, you have a preponderance of unenlightened opinion delivered in a most disgraceful manner.

[mark l.]

"And yes, I understand the tax code. I have an accounting degree from The Ohio State University."
but you didn't realize that the 30% on 60k is wrong?

[mark l.]

I love warren buffet...

the two features that characterize him, good/bad are characterized in two simple anecdotes.

before he was the 'sage of omaha', he was called the 'dove'. The reason for this, is that his ability to go into a savaged market and pick specific stocks that were undervalued. His prowess was not in finding companies that grew, but companies that were 'fixable'. Warren did not like the nickname, the dove. still, a sound strategy.

the other anecdote: this kid walks into his office after dropping out of harvard. he tells him that computers are the future and he needs start up money. buffett turned bill gates down.

the two points of these anecdotes are- buffett is very good at a very specific task-he can recognize value based upon historical numbers. the other point is- that he doesn't have a larger grasp of future events that exist outside a historical concept. he is the master of a closed system, but would never invest in anything out saide his system.

one of his more famous quotes is that 'he only buys things he understands'. Judging by what he doesn't have in his portfolio, there is a lot out there...

[jharp]

but you didn't realize that the 30% on 60k is wrong?

Posted by: mark l. | Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 03:00 PM

No. It is not wrong. Jackass. Add em up.

[jharp]

mark l'

You truly are a moron. That is the federal income tax only.

[mark l.]

do you know what a tax table is?
show me 30% on 60k income...

[mark l.]

nebraska state rate on income above 27k...
6.9%

15.5+6.9=22.4%

"Jackass. Add em up."

[jharp]

Social Security = 7.6%. Douchebag.

Buffet was quite clear. He said taxes. Not just federal. Not just State. Not just local.

Taxes!

[jharp]

I forgot this.

25% federal income tax on income from $32,550 - $78,850

[WBestPresidentEver]

Do you think anyone really cares what you think ? I want even give you the benefit of mentioning your name.
After this I will just ignore anything with your posting name attached to it.
Everyone else should do the same and maybe you will catch that plane to China. LOL

[scarshapedstar]

"Social Security = 7.6%. Douchebag.

Buffet was quite clear. He said taxes. Not just federal. Not just State. Not just local.

Taxes!"

A surprising number of conservatives believe that FICA is the only tax in America. Hence their frequent assertions that "the poor pay no taxes".

[seekeronos]

Dunno about the rest of y'all, but when you start tossing around federal income tax brackets, on begins to look at the _federal_ income tax rates.

State and local (municipal) income taxes vary significantly from state and locality.

Social Security and Medicare deductions could right be considered taxes, but as far as I knew, these are not collected at the same rates as the federal income taxes, no?

Because otherwise, something isn't adding up when I look at my overall tax picture. :P

As for Warren Buffet paying 15% on his $47M income, he is still paying far more each year in taxes than his secretary will ever have to pay in her lifetime.

While I will agree that seeing 30% to 35% of your income each month get eaten by Uncle Sam's intervention machine... I'd like to see taxes reduced all the way around, and not go for some crazy socialist Robin Hood scheme where the rich are soaked so that the lower classes can live completely tax free.

[Todd]

"We may be on to something ...just read the 'advice' from the left on here....and we all know that they have the right's best interests at heart...as in they'd be interested in ripping out the right's hearts and eat them if their messiah said so.
Posted by: Marie LeVeau | Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 08:48 PM"
--------------------------
Why should it be any different for the Democrats after being mauled for 8 years? Karl Rove's tactics showed that the right took delight in ripping out the left's hearts and eating them. Show me some evidence of the benevolence of GOP politics this decade, or even on this blog.

[Ken Mitchell, Citrus Heights, CA]

As a Libertarian who re-registered as Republican to vote for Thompson in the CA primary, and who wasted\\\\\\spent 40 bucks on "Fred08" signs during his 90-minute Presidential run (and still has the sticker on my car; I've never seen another!) I'm sad to say that Thompson would be a disaster as GOP Chairman. Even while on the campaign trail, he seemed distant and uninterested in the job.

In the end, of course, all he did was to fragment the Conservative base, allowing McCain to get the nomination, with predictably terrible results.

[Ken Mitchell, Citrus Heights, CA]

Re: Buffet the Hypocrite.

Warren Buffet complains about the tax code, protesting that the inheritance tax is too low. So what does he do? He gives all his money to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, guaranteeing that NO tax will be paid on Buffet's money.