Oh, I laugh at it almost daily when I walk by. It's the National Republican Victory Monument which centers (well, it's kinda off-center but you get the idea) on the Ronald Reagan Eternal Flame of Freedom.

Technically, it's a private monument and closed to the public. It's housed behind the Ronald Reagan Republican Center on the corner of 2nd Street NE and E Street NE. I don't know if they'll let just anyone go visit it, but I doubt it. You can see it very clearly through the fence though. It's got a wall of all the party leaders and donors who were around for the 1994 congressional victory.

Yeah, they built a monument for winning congress in 1994, granted it was a big win for it, but building a monument for it seems a bit silly.

I've walked by it a good many times in the last two months and I have never seen a single person visiting.

[Edited on September 30, 2009 at 6:14 PM. Reason : /]

9/30/2009 6:13:44 PM

oh, man, i had no idea

9/30/2009 6:38:14 PM

i would say a substantial portion of these swings are from media knob slobbering/bashing, bandwagoning, and the 'very surprising' intolerance of many democrats towards republicans.

merely telling someone that you are a republican now a-days gets you scorned and dismissed more often than not before they even really know you. not everyone is so political it affects the way they interact with the world.

both sides are some intolerant fucks

10/1/2009 3:37:29 PM

nuh uh. you are.

10/1/2009 4:36:14 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/opinion/02brooks.html?_r=3&em

Quote :

" Over the years, I have asked many politicians what happens when Limbaugh and his colleagues attack. The story is always the same. Hundreds of calls come in. The receptionists are miserable. But the numbers back home do not move. There is no effect on the favorability rating or the re-election prospects. In the media world, he is a giant. In the real world, he’s not. But this is not merely a story of weakness. It is a story of resilience. For no matter how often their hollowness is exposed, the jocks still reweave the myth of their own power. They still ride the airwaves claiming to speak for millions. They still confuse listeners with voters. And they are aided in this endeavor by their enablers. They are enabled by cynical Democrats, who love to claim that Rush Limbaugh controls the G.O.P. They are enabled by lazy pundits who find it easier to argue with showmen than with people whose opinions are based on knowledge. They are enabled by the slightly educated snobs who believe that Glenn Beck really is the voice of Middle America. So the myth returns. Just months after the election and the humiliation, everyone is again convinced that Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and the rest possess real power. And the saddest thing is that even Republican politicians come to believe it. They mistake media for reality. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don’t exist. They pay more attention to Rush’s imaginary millions than to the real voters down the street. The Republican Party is unpopular because it’s more interested in pleasing Rush’s ghosts than actual people. The party is leaderless right now because nobody has the guts to step outside the rigid parameters enforced by the radio jocks and create a new party identity. The party is losing because it has adopted a radio entertainer’s niche-building strategy, while abandoning the politician’s coalition-building strategy. The rise of Beck, Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest has correlated almost perfectly with the decline of the G.O.P. But it’s not because the talk jocks have real power. It’s because they have illusory power, because Republicans hear the media mythology and fall for it every time. "

10/2/2009 12:16:02 PM

10/6/2009 1:51:42 PM

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/6/790294/-Shep-Smith-destroys-GOP-senator-on-public-option

Man, even the Fox News interviewers aren't cutting the GOP Senators any slack anymore.

*insert "it's just Shep Smith" griping below*

10/6/2009 5:19:43 PM

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/06/bachmann-beck-limbaugh/

A video clip of Michelle Bachmann on Larry King Life professing her support for Limbaugh and Beck being the mouthpieces of the GOP.

On the one hand, she is a Republican Congresswoman, but on the other hand it's Michelle freaking Bachmann and it's really hard to hold her particular brand of wingnuttism against the GOP as a whole.

10/7/2009 7:42:20 AM

it's nice to see at least one anchor who is not automatically discounted as a liberal hack (Olbermann, Maddow, etc) not allow his guest to automatically revert to GOP talking points.
Smith: "What's wrong with a public option"
Guest: "The public option, or as I call it, a government take over of healthcare"
Smith: "Get out of here with that shit! That's not what I'm asking!"

10/7/2009 9:52:10 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/13/republican.brand/index.html

Quote :

"GOP needs power player to end 'warlord status,' expert says In the year since the last election, the Grand Old Party has made a handful of attempts to give itself a makeover, but all have stagnated. Now, the fractured party finds itself trying to regroup as the 2010 election cycle nears. "The party is sort of in warlord status -- where different people are leading different fiefdoms, different warring armies that are frequently at war with each other," said John Avlon, author of books on independent and extremist politics. In one corner, conservatives are accusing moderates of abandoning party principles. In the other, moderates are blasting conservatives for drawing partisan lines. And then there's the Tea Party fringe that's attacking both sides -- moderates because they are moderate and conservatives because they are not conservative enough. The various factions have different ideas for the direction of the party, and they turn to different people to represent the voice of the GOP. "Where the Republicans are having the biggest problem now is sort of a vacuum of leadership," said Republican strategist Chris Wilson. Catch phrases, slogans and tag lines can change, Wilson said, "but what it gets down to is leadership, and it is all about who is seen as the leader of the party." "It's not like you can just change one day the Republican brand from 'a to b' the way that Kentucky Fried Chicken tried to go from 'Finger lickin' good' to 'We do chicken right.' It just doesn't work like that," said Wilson, who has conducted thousands of public opinion surveys for candidates, companies and political groups. Attempts to revive the Republican brand -- from Rep. Eric Cantor's "National Council for a New America" to Republican Party head Michael Steele's vow to launch an "off the hook," hip-hop infused PR campaign -- all failed to gain much momentum."

10/13/2009 2:43:00 PM

Quote :

"A man stabbed and bludgeoned his sister and her husband to death in El Cerrito in 2006 because he thought the couple were too liberal Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/13/BAL81A4SU0.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0TramAOKu"

10/13/2009 7:55:28 PM

that isn't exactly the "GOP"


As much as I despise the GOP, that is about an asinine comparison as you can come up with.

10/13/2009 8:11:08 PM

^ why are you defending a murderer?

10/14/2009 12:34:00 AM

The GOP's new site is kinda funny if you look around.

http://www.gop.com/

For example, you can find Jackie Robinson listed under "republican heroes."

http://gop.com/index.php//learn/heroes/jackie_robinson-1/

The Iraq war is listed as a republican accomplishment:

http://www.gop.com/index.php/learn/accomplishment/

And mysteriously, the accomplishments end after 2004...

10/14/2009 1:32:06 AM

^x5

Yeah, speaking of a "vacuum of leadership," these two weak leaders of the Democrats in Congress, Pelosi and Reid, look very close in this video, too[/sarcasm]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VE2VdmceZc

Not to mention that the Blue Dogs are undoubtedly being threatened with God knows what if they don't toe the party line on health care.

[Edited on October 14, 2009 at 4:35 AM. Reason : .]

10/14/2009 4:35:06 AM

^^ At least it seems to be working now.

And Jackie Robinson is interesting as a Republican hero. Nowadays they'd call him a RINO.

http://gawker.com/5380714/gop-tries-to-claim-the-ghost-of-jackie-robinson
(yeah, I know it's gawker, who cares)

Quote :

"But Sargent points out that he was a registered independent, and dug up these telling quotes from his autobiography, recounting his experience at the 1964 Republican National Convention: That convention was one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life. The hatred I saw was unique to me because it was hatred directed against a white man. It embodied a revulsion for all he stood for, including his enlightened attitude towards black people. A new breed of Republicans had taken over the GOP. As I watched this steamroller operation in San Francisco, I had a better understanding of how it must have felt to be a Jew in Hitler's Germany."

10/14/2009 7:24:59 AM

^ Today, Jews have to be concerned about liberals tripping over themselves to condemn Israel's every action in defense of itself and its people.

And for straight-up fascism, the 1968 Democratic Convention was great.





[Edited on October 14, 2009 at 7:40 AM. Reason : .]

10/14/2009 7:29:19 AM

No question. The conventions have been fine examples of "make sure nobody's allowed to speak the wrong message" mentalities for years now. One only has to look at "free speech zones" (although they certainly aren't exclusive to conventions) to see that more recently.

As for the Jews, they don't have to worry about a thing. Just accept that Israel's status as our "special little buddy" doesn't give them the right to be douches. No biggie. And that's a nice topic derailment btw, picking out one word and then making followup about it.

10/14/2009 7:44:57 AM

The "Republican Accomplishments" become pretty darned dubious after the 1960's.

10/14/2009 8:26:39 AM

^^ what more do you really expect from a troll?

10/14/2009 9:03:29 AM

^ You're trolling now, aren't you?

10/14/2009 9:26:16 AM

10/14/2009 11:39:37 AM

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/13/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5381671.shtml

John Boehner: "Sexuality is a choice. Religion is not."

Fuck you, John.

10/14/2009 2:55:16 PM

Internal Republican party conflicts boiling to the top?

an email from Ron Paul

Quote :

"Dear Friend of Liberty, For far too long, the Republican Party has been controlled by the "neoconservatives," those who readily abandon the free market at the drop of a hat if it means expanding government power and who think the United States should be the policeman of the world. They want us to support those who throw substance and principle to the wind in favor of political expediency. Last Monday night, Senator Lindsey Graham reiterated his disdain for Ron Paul and limited government conservatives at a town hall when he said that he was not going to allow the Republican Party to be "hijacked by Ron Paul." Instead, he thinks we should get behind those who he tells us "can win," even if it means abandoning every belief we hold dear in the process. In addition to his afternoon appearance on Judge Napolitano's Freedom Watch, Congressman Paul will be responding to the neoconservatives on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer tonight at 6 pm eastern and also on MSNBC's The Ed Show at 6:30 pm eastern. "

10/14/2009 3:41:36 PM

Haha, an email from Ron Paul about how the other 'pubs are being mean to him is not, at all, anything "boiling to the top."

10/14/2009 4:09:03 PM

yah, but him actually being invited to respond on a MSM outlet makes it seem more than the usual "complaining"

Also important to note is Lindsey Graham, a pretty significant republican voice, turning on those that support limited government which has always been a major cornerstone of the GOP's platform (supposedly). Its no wonder people are confused about this party

10/14/2009 4:17:20 PM

^ Ron Paul got plenty of media coverage during the last election. He's fairly well known.

Considering how the polling of republicans has been going, I think people want to move towards Ron Paul in terms of fiscal policy (but not all the way, because Paul is a but nutty), but there is definitely a balance between fundamental policy shifts and winning elections.

If democrats ran with Clinton's torch of a balanced budget and paying down the debt, it would keep Republicans shut out for a long time though. I think Obama is on the right track pursuing "deficit neutral" policies, but it's not enough. The bigger our debt, the bigger our military has to be, and that's not the right path.

10/14/2009 4:35:03 PM

yes, I realize he has been on TV before.

Quote :

"but there is definitely a balance between fundamental policy shifts and winning elections. "

The point being that fiscal conservatism shouldn't be a "fundamental policy shift" for republicans, it is a major part of their platform and got them elected for many years. Now Lindsey Graham has turned on the few in the party that still vote on that platform so that they can allegedly win future elections.

I agree that any politician that makes a commitment to keeping taxes low and not raising the national debt would do fairly well in elections.

10/14/2009 5:33:15 PM

^ I don't even think "keeping taxes low" is a requirement. It's almost ludicrous to think that we can simultaneously cut taxes, and reduce the debt. It can't happen.

Fiscal conservatism is too nebulous a concept to create policy around too.

When you look at how difficult it is to pass ANY major bill in congress, then try to think about what it would take to implement a tax and spending policy that would definitely eliminate the existing debt (which at 12 trillion is 90% of the GDP ) and the impending debts from social security, it is definitely a major policy shift. Clinton was the only president to try to do something about it since a bit after WWII, and even his plans wouldn't have cleared the social security debt, and unexpected things like wars and economic recessions.

10/14/2009 5:43:42 PM

In countries like Canada, it doesn't matter what side you're on politically - you run on balancing the budget. That should be a priority for any party, and any president. Yet, in this country, both parties have essentially said "fuck it, we'll just print some more" and haven't addressed the problem. Taxes have to go up, or inflation has to happen. The deficit isn't going to get rid of itself. Very few people in Washington seem to care about this.

It's not politically viable to run on balancing the budget, raising taxes to cover revenue requirements, and cutting programs. What is politically viable is promising as much shit as possible to the voters, while simply ignoring the fact that we don't have the money, and aren't getting the money anytime soon. Democrats have been doing this for years, and probably won't stop. It's basically the foundation of their platform. Republicans, on the other hand, don't usually promise entitlements, but have been all about "national security" - a.k.a., preemptive wars of aggression.

This is a big problem I have with Democracy...at least the American brand of it. There's no political incentive for being principled, and saying, "Well, I'll go to Washington, but I won't promise you a bunch of free stuff. In fact, I'm going to vote against free stuff, and attempt to restrain government where appropriate." There is an incentive to say, "Well, I'll go to Washington, and I'll load up every bill with the maximum amount of pork that they'll allow! Who cares where the money comes from - it's all free!"

That's why I support term limits. Not just because I think politicians stay in office too long, though that is part of it. The real problem is that they're running for re-election from day one.

10/14/2009 6:04:07 PM

Quote :

"This is a big problem I have with Democracy...at least the American brand of it. There's no political incentive for being principled, and saying, "Well, I'll go to Washington, but I won't promise you a bunch of free stuff. In fact, I'm going to vote against free stuff, and attempt to restrain government where appropriate." There is an incentive to say, "Well, I'll go to Washington, and I'll load up every bill with the maximum amount of pork that they'll allow! Who cares where the money comes from - it's all free!" "

This is close to the platform McCain ran on in 2000, and the republicans smacked him down good. I think it might have been his 2008 platform if he didn’t have to suckle at the RNC’s teat for funding (although his advisors weren’t the brightest bulbs either).

10/14/2009 7:04:02 PM

Several forces threaten Democrats in 2010
10/17/2009

Quote :

"WASHINGTON — Three forces threaten Democrats in the 2010 elections: populist anger on the right, disaffection in the middle and potential disillusionment on the left."

Quote :

"Today, Republicans expect gains across the board. As Republican pollster Neil Newhouse put it, 'In the last two election cycles, our candidates have been campaigning into the wind. Assessing the political environment right now, it sure looks like we're going to have a nice little breeze at our back.'"

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_13586179

And I happened to hear Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling speaking on the radio this morning and he confirmed much of this. In addition, based on polling, he said--if I heard him correctly--it's very possible that the Republicans could win control of the North Carolina House of Representatives.

10/18/2009 6:46:26 PM

I think (hope) that it is a misread to think that the Democrats alone are in trouble. Republicans aren't fairing much better and what popularity they do have is based largely on not being Democrats.

10/18/2009 7:00:07 PM

^ Yes, but the trend is tending to help Republicans.

Quote :

"WASHINGTON — Three forces threaten Democrats in the 2010 elections: populist anger on the right, disaffection in the middle and potential disillusionment on the left."

In addition, Jensen made these important points:

Republicans leading generic ballots
October 13, 2009

Quote :

"Raleigh, N.C. – North Carolina voters are leaning toward the GOP for both Legislative and Congressional elections next year, Public Policy Polling's newest survey finds. Voters say by a 46-39 margin that they plan to vote Republican in state legislative races and have a 48-38 spread when it comes to federal contests. There are two key reasons in the numbers for their advantages. The first is that independents are leaning in their direction. The GOP leads 34-23 on the generic legislative ballot with them and 37 21 on the Congressional ballot. The second is that Republicans are experiencing a greater degree of party unity right now. 89% of them say they'll vote for their party in legislative contests while only 77% of Democrats do. At the Congressional level 90% of Republicans but just 76% of Democrats say they’ll support their party next year."

Independents more conservative

Quote :

"Our most recent national poll showed that among independents 37% describe themselves as conservatives with just 11% defining themselves as liberals. An average of our last eight state polls finds 33% conservatives and 7% liberals. Nationally 52% are moderates and our state level average is 60%. There have always been more conservatives than liberals within the independent ranks, but recent drops in Republican identification have likely widened the gap. That means the independent ranks as currently constituted are more inclined to support GOP positions and candidates, although they obviously have some differences with the party line or they would probably still be in the party. This doesn't mean there's been no decline for Obama with moderate independents, but it does help to explain the weaker numbers for him with that group and why there's more of a propensity for his numbers to drop with them."

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2009/07/independents-more-conservative.html

10/19/2009 4:49:25 AM

Quote :

"Independents more conservative"

"Conservative" versus "liberal" could refer to a lot of different things, though. Are they fiscally conservative? I think a lot of people, even democrats, are fiscally conservative. Not everyone thinks they we can just endlessly create money to fund our ridiculous spending. More and more people have to be realizing that, regardless of party affiliation.

I have a hard time believing that more independents are socially conservative than socially liberal, though. I think this poll is indicative of a growing number of people wanting generally limited government with balanced budgets, but can't find a home in the party due to its support for aggressive wars, limiting civil rights, and religiously-motivated social "conservatism." Like I've probably said many times before on TWW, if the GOP wants to become a real political force again, they need to start letting go of the whole "traditional values" thing. It's time to appeal to all Americans, not just bible belt denizens that think being gay is a choice and that Israel is "God's chosen people." I don't know how likely that is, but it's pretty much going to be a requirement for party success in the future.

[Edited on October 19, 2009 at 10:38 AM. Reason : ]

10/19/2009 10:38:24 AM

there's a Rep for that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_IAN081P8I

10/20/2009 9:38:59 PM

Quote :

"According to the Center for Responsive Politics, between 1996 and 2006, the finance/credit industry never gave less than 57 percent to the Republican Party. However, during the 2008 election cycle, 58 percent of the industry's political donations went to Democrats."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-chastises-financial-industry-executives-benefits-donations/Story?id=8875715&page=2

FYI.

10/21/2009 6:20:06 AM

Not surprising, the finance industry's entire purpose is to attempt to predict the future.

They saw which way the wind was blowing in 2008 and attempted to blow accordingly.

10/21/2009 7:41:14 AM

"blow" being the integral word of choice here....

10/21/2009 8:53:22 AM

My word choice was not accidental.

Just for shits and giggles. http://dccc.org/blog/archives/hypocrisy_alert_67_house_republicans_take_credit_for_the_economic_bills_the/

They need to make that 68, Richard Burr was up at a Bethlehem, NC firefighter department claiming credit for the extra money they're going to receive.
http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2009/oct/16/2-million-fight-fires/news-local/

Extra money provided from Obama's stimulus package, a package Burr voted against.

[Edited on October 21, 2009 at 12:07 PM. Reason : It's kinda funny that the first comment calls him out on it, but they use that stupid RINO term.]

10/21/2009 12:04:15 PM

of course both sides take any advantage to claim credit when credit is not usually due.

not surprising at all, which is why the vast majority of politicians are piles of shit.

10/21/2009 12:07:06 PM

Ah ah now, get it right.

They're, "hypocritial pieces of shit" or perhaps simply, "lying pieces of shit."

You wouldn't want to go insulting normal pieces of shit, those actually do a lot of good in the world.

10/21/2009 12:08:29 PM

lullz

10/21/2009 1:03:05 PM

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/backfire-nc-gop-er-delivers-anti-republican-survey-comments-to-dem-gov.php?ref=fpb

http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/berger_rolls_a_barrow_full_of_opinions

I'm not sure if it belongs in this thread, or if a specific NC-GOP thread should be made.

I'll go ahead and quote the TPM post, hooksaw style.

Quote :

" When North Carolina state senator Phil Berger (R) trucked a wheelbarrow stacked with Republican surveys into the governor's office, he thought he was delivering a neat blow to Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue. According to The News & Observer, the 3,000 or so surveys, filled out by prospective Republican voters, included questions such as "Do you think death panels made up of government bureaucrats should decide if your loved ones live or die?" But it seems Berger didn't actually read the surveys before wheeling them in during a press conference in which he attacked Perdue's tax policies, among other things. When Perdue's staff skimmed 1,000 or so of the surveys, they found comments that may have given Berger second thoughts. "I am embarrassed to be associated with this organization. Your tactics are disgusting and you're going to lose a generation of voters," was one, Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson told the News. "Stop wording questions so geared up to get the answers you want and start wording them to actually find out the people's opinion, not just confirm your own," read another. Pearson also said she found a $50 check among the surveys, a campaign contribution made out to Berger. The governor's office will forward the check to him, she said. Other questions on the survey included: "Do you oppose Bev Perdue and the Democrats' plan to pass a job-killing $1.6 billion dollar [sic] tax increase in the middle of a recession?" "Do you support sending the North Carolina National Guard to help secure our southern border?""

Personally, I fully support efforts to use National Guard troops in our defense against those pesky South Carolinians. TOO LONG have we just stood by and let their tacky roadside attractions bombard our land with firework after firework.

[Edited on October 22, 2009 at 7:39 PM. Reason : .]

10/22/2009 7:38:02 PM

lolz politics

10/22/2009 7:39:20 PM

Mr Sanford tear down this these wall South of the Border signs.

10/22/2009 9:29:55 PM

^^^ wow those can't even be considered leading questions - those are way beyond leading

10/22/2009 9:49:05 PM

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/23/cnn-poll-gop-favorable-rating-lowest-in-25-years/

Quote :

"Thirty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, with 54 percent viewing the GOP negatively."

10/23/2009 2:38:44 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/25/sarah-palin-dede-scozzafava-republicans

It looks like the republican leadership still doesn’t grasp the difference between fiscal conservatives and social conservatives.

This is what happens though when you let Fox News and sarah Palin run your party.

10/25/2009 3:55:09 PM

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2009/73_of_gop_voters_say_congressional_republicans_have_lost_touch_with_their_base

Quote :

"73% of GOP Voters Say Congressional Republicans Have Lost Touch With Their Base"

However:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/trust_on_issues

Quote :

"For the first time in recent years, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. The GOP holds double-digit advantages on five of them."

10/25/2009 5:23:48 PM