A double standard? *IOKIYAR!
Two years ago:
Transcript: Reps. Hoyer and Boehner on ‘FNS’
Sunday, November 23, 2008
….WALLACE: Congressman Boehner, finally, House Republicans – and I don’t mean to be unkind on a Sunday – have lost more than 50 seats in the last two elections with you as a leader, and now the leader.
Why are you the man to bring them back from the political wilderness?
BOEHNER: Well, if I thought that I was to blame for those losses, I wouldn’t have run for this job. And I can tell you my colleagues would not have re-elected me.
We’ve got a long way to go. The American people have issues. They’ve got concerns. We need solutions, solutions to the issues that the American people care about that are built on our principles.
And I believe that re-energizing our party, re-energizing the idea machine that we used to be, is a step in the right direction.
I think our fight last year on energy that lasted three or four months was a very good fight and showed us how to win, how we could grab an issue, grab the attention of the American people and succeed.
And so you’ll see a lot of effort on our part to be the party of new ideas. I don’t think we can be the party of no. There are going to be times when we do have disagreements and we do have to say no and be the loyal opposition.
But at the end of the day, I think that we have to be the party of new ideas, new solutions, and attract more Americans to our party….
[emphasis added]
“…I don’t think we can be the party of no….”
Well, that didn’t last very long, did it? Funny, I don’t recall an editorial in the local paper on this subject at the time.
An editorial in today’s Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal, High Broderism writ large:
11/10/2010 1:29:00 PM
Stepping aside best move for Rep. Pelosi
EDITORIAL
Jack Miles
Editor….A Blue Dog Democrat, budget hawk Steny Hoyer, Maryland, would be a good replacement for Pelosi, his party and the House. Being a fiscal conservative is always a benefit to the public, especially in these times. Apparently, however, the best Hoyer can hope for is to take the minority whip spot, and even that is not a certainty with the party liberals casting ballots.
Oddly, liberals appear even stronger among House Democrats following the party’s November nightmare. The reason is as simple as the numbers: In districts held by conservative Democrats, such as U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, voters cast their ballots for Republicans, and with so many conservative Democrats ousted, what is left to dominate the party are liberals, mostly from the East and West coasts.
Democrats seem intent on going with who brought them to the party – even at the risk of political date rape – meaning where Pelosi’s agenda has taken them is bad, but could get worse in 2012….
Yep, that’s what someone wrote.
“…In districts held by conservative Democrats, such as U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, voters cast their ballots for Republicans…”
Uh, republicans cast their votes for republicans. You think maybe a few Democrats didn’t turn out in an off year election?
Two years ago:
Official Election Returns
State of Missouri General Election – 2008 General Election
Tuesday, November 04, 2008U.S. Representative – District 4 – Summary
Precincts Reporting 419 of 419Parnell, Jeff REP 103,446 34.1%
Skelton, Ike DEM 200,009 65.9%Total Votes 303,455
Last week:
Unofficial Election Returns
State of Missouri General Election – November 2, 2010 General Election
Tuesday, November 02, 2010U.S. Representative – District 4 – Summary
Precincts Reporting 415 of 415Skelton, Ike DEM 101,512 45.1%
Hartzler, Vicky REP 113,530 50.4%
Braun, Jason Michael LIB 6,122 2.7%
Cowan, Greg CST 3,912 1.7%Total Votes 225,076
So, ten thousand more voters cast ballots for Vicky Hartzler in 2010 compared with the number who voted for a post turtle in 2008. And the republicans were more motivated this year? Yeah, and Democrats stayed home.
Four years ago:
Official Election Returns
State of Missouri General Election – November 2006 – General Election
Tuesday, November 07, 2006U.S. Representative – District 4 – Summary
Precincts Reporting 437 of 437Noland, James A. (Jim) REP 69,254 29.4%
Skelton, Ike DEM 159,303 67.6%
Holthouse, Bryce A. LIB 4,479 1.9%
Ivey, Melinda (Mel) PRG 2,459 1.0%
Palmer, Jerry L. WI 30 .0%Total Votes 235,525
“…and with so many conservative Democrats ousted, what is left to dominate the party are liberals, mostly from the East and West coasts…”
And what are Lacy Clay (D), Emanuel Cleaver (D) and Russ Carnahan (D) in Missouri? Chopped liver?
Raul Grijalva (D) and Gabrielle Giffords (D) in Arizona? Tammy Baldwin (D) in Wisconsin?
You think maybe that Democratic voters didn’t bother to vote for Democratic Party candidates who were running away from the accomplishments of their party?
“…even at the risk of political date rape…”
That was a very poor choice of words.
What is missing in the editorial is any mention of the two years of the rhetoric on the right and their agenda of complete obstruction. How about the big bucks spent on campaign ads paid for by right wing front organizations?
There are important lessons in life. Never eat at a diner called “Mom’s”, never buy into an investment scheme promoted by a guy named “Slick”, and never ever take any political advice from a “moderate” journalist.
Besides, no one representing Missouri’s 4th Congressional District in January 2011 has a vote in that matter.
* it’s okay of you’re a republican
