The American Spectator

Eric Dondero| 8.15.09 @ 8:13AM

And it's rather unfortunate Bandow, that Left-Libertarians like yourself assisted in the election of Obama over McCain, by your continuous bashing of Bush and the Republicans over the War, and supposedly "big spending" habits.

I'd love to blame the Left for the current Fascist-like environment we're increasingly finding ourselves in, but I think the Left Libertarians (Lew Rockwell, Dave Boaz, Raimondo, Garris, Anthony Gregory, Alex Jones, Ron Paulists et.al) with their idiotic temporary alliance with these scum, are even more to blame.

They were the edge. If they had stuck with the GOP, Obama would never have been elected.

Eric Dondero, Publisher
Libertarian Republican

JIMMY| 8.15.09 @ 9:24AM

READ THE OBAMA STYLE HR 3200 ABOUT THE BILLIONS FOR START UP, MORE BILLIONS FOR REIMBURSEMENTS, EXCISE TAX HERE, MORE EXCISE TAX. NOBODY SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT THE 500K GOVT EMPLOYEES AND ACCOUNTANTS TO BE ADDED TO FEDERAL PAYROLL TO ADMIN THIS THING. THE ILLEGALS WILL BE EASILY DOCUMENTED AND GET THEIR BENEFITS. BO AND CONGRESS NEED TO GET REAL AND SHOOT THIS THING DOWN. THANKS.

Sean| 8.15.09 @ 9:24AM

Supposedly "big spending" habits? There was no supposedly about it. Bush and Republican legislatures were awful on spending. To blame Bush's and McCain's problems on people that are actually conservative is pretty funny. Next time the Republicans nominate someone that is clueless about the economy, pro big government, and pro illegal alien don't blame actual conservatives for their failure to garner support.

KansasGirl| 8.15.09 @ 9:44AM

Sean, you are spot on.

David Adams| 8.15.09 @ 10:29AM

This is an old story - even down to the number of attendees. Why repeat it now when the SEIU is busy trying to control Town Meetings?

Mia| 8.15.09 @ 10:57AM

Mr. Dondero called it. The conservative faction of the Republican party waged all out war on a loyal patriot and American hero, McCain, convincing many conservatives to vote against McCain or to not vote at all, at the same time convincing Independents and other third parties to vote for Obama. The self-appointed "true" conservatives hijacked the Republican party and did everything they could to ensure McCain lost. And, therefore, that Obama won. This societal chaos and constitutional mayhem is exactly what they wanted, convincing themselves they could then take back Congress in 2010. And We The People are the sacrificial lambs in their perverted power struggle.

Eric Dondero| 8.15.09 @ 11:18AM

Yupper, Bush was such a big spender that Baltimore Mayor O'Malley, now Governor of Maryland, said in 2004:

"George Bush is like a 9/11 Terrorist, cutting spending to local and state governments..."

JP| 8.15.09 @ 11:26AM

Mia and Dondero,

Let's go on a trip down memory lane and look that the leadership of the GOP and the initiatives they backed the last decade.

No Child Left Behind, expanded health care benefits for children, the Perscription Drug Benefit, the 2005 Transportation Bill ($250 billion); the 2004 Energy Bill (ethanhol subsidies, and mandates); the steel tarrifs of 2003; McCain-Feingold - just to name the famous. Each of these initiatives grew government and increased domestic spending at a time when taxes were being cut and 2 wars were waged. These LBJesque moves were not the result of the conservative wing of the GOP. As a matter of fact, the conservative wing of the GOP was marginalized under Bush. In the Senate, lawmakers such as Trent Lott, Charles Grassely, Susan Collins, Richard Lugar, William Frist, and Arlene Specter ran the agenda. The House constantly had to alter bills in reconcillation in order to satisfy both the Bush White House and the Senate. Dennis Hastert, who never met a spending bill he didn't like was anything but conservative. He gave up any pretence of spending restraint once 9/11 occured.

As a result, a mish-mash of RINOs, career GOP represenatives, and key liberal Democrats opened the floodgates and Kady Bar the Door. In 2006, Rahm Emmanual saw an obvious strategic weakness in the House GOP, and recruited conservative people to run in the 2006 elections. An anti-incumbent, anti-Bush/GOP mood was rife. The same occured in the Senate races from 2006-2008. As a result liberal to moderate GOP lawmakers fell like bowling pins. This was especially true in the Senate, where career GOP politicians like Elizibeth Dole from conservative states were defeated. Yes, some conservatives like House lawmaker Chris Chicola lost. Hegel, Lincoln Chaffee, Ben Gordon either retired or lost. Norm Coleman, a very mainstream moderate lost in a close race to a comedy buffoon. Mel Martinze and Judd Gregg (a man who became more liberal overtime), as well as moderate Kay Hutchenson are retiring.

You are correct in one thing. About 2-3 million conservatives stayed home in 2008 when compared to 2004. In 2004 conservatives came out in droves to vote in Bush; ditto in 2000, as it was conservative turn out that put Bush over the top. And it was defence of marriage in Ohio that brought out conservatives in 2004 (it was a state referendum). And what did conservatives get for thier efforts?

Conservatives haven't controlled the agenda, nor have they decent representation in the party since 1995, and that was very short lived. McCain went out of his way to distance himself from the grassroots conservatives and he lost as a result.

Ronald Chambers| 8.15.09 @ 11:27AM

He's just another black lying son of a bitch, ant he? Sincerely, Ronald Chambers

Charles| 8.15.09 @ 11:27AM

The trouble for Obama is that he made promises that he would change the way things worked in Washington. He then signed the stimulis package, with all the usual pork hidden and not so well hidden in it. Government as usual. He could have , and should have, sent it back insisting that it be cleaned up. He did not. He signed it. And it did cause a big change, not in government but in the way the American people thought of Obama. Many went from hopeful and trusting, or at least willing to hope for reason to trust, to being untrusting and resentful. Add the auto takeover, the failure of the bailouts, and the not so well concieved cash for clunkers, and you have a president who is no longer seen as trustworthy. Then to make his troubles worse, he laughs and jokes like he is trying to be a funny man and not a serious, and sincere, leader of the most powerful country in the world. In the mean time he puts his nose in where is should not be and causes a minor local event to become a racially charged national media event, and damaging the hard fought progress this country has made in race relations.
Now he wants the American people to trust him on health care, an issue that will change our lives, for better or worse, for generations. An issue that if not handled correctly could bankrupt, if not completely distroy the country. Why would we trust him? What has he shown to deserve that level of trust? So far it seems we should not trust him because he has not shown reason to be trusted. Obama has made his bed, now he must lie in it. And lie he will, one way or another, to get what he wants.

HuckFynn| 8.15.09 @ 11:43AM

Obama and demcorats claim there are 45 million without healthcare, and illegals make up about half of theat number. So, we're told that triallinons of $ and government takeover and rationing of healthcare is required so that about 23 million get healthcare??!!

That's socialism for you.

ConservativeWanderer| 8.15.09 @ 12:25PM

Look, I take a back seat to no one when it comes to Reaganite conservatism--even though I am sure some of the wishy-washy pseudo-conservatives here will try to attack me on that basis in a few minutes, after they read this.

Some folks (you know who you are) need to get off this War Hero = Great President kick. There is quite simply no--I say again, NO--correlation between the two.

Ulysses S. Grant was undoubtedly the greatest war hero of his age. But his presidency is almost universally--by historians all over the political spectrum--considered to be one of the worst. He made both errors of omission and commission, and there were numerous scandals.

On the other hand, I think most here would consider Ronald Reagan to have been one of our best presidents, despite the fact that his WWII military service was completely behind the lines, and that he never even saw the combat that Lyndon Johnson did (look it up).

There are other examples, but these two serve to illustrate the point. Just because someone is a war hero does not mean that he will be a great president. Period.

Okay, all you wishy-washy wanna-be-Democrats claiming to be conservatives, feel free to attack me now.

Nobama| 8.15.09 @ 12:57PM

McCain lost because he's a RINO! It's ridiculous to blame his deficiencies on conservatives. No one wanted democrat lite when Obama offered the real thing.

When we offer a real alternative, a 'real' conservative, we win. No more RINO mavericks!

Warrior| 8.15.09 @ 2:01PM

Wanderer, very well said. I couldn't even hold my nose and vote for McCain. I respect his military service and him as a person. However, he should be primaried as a senator and let a real conservative represent Arizona.

Jim| 8.15.09 @ 2:23PM

The correct analogy is not the Post Office.
Instead, it is the DMV Driver's License office.
Long lines, house of waiting, Byzantine regulations, and a staff that could not care less about the people they are 'servicing'.

"If you like going to the DMV, you are going to LOVE Obamacare!"

terri hanner| 8.15.09 @ 7:47PM

Obama has made a lot of noise about reforming health for americans care because the cost of health care has skyrocketed, therefore I assumed reforms would be initiated to control the cost ie: tort reform. What he is now proposing to do will do nothing to control the cost for the people who have worked hard and paid for health insurance all of their lives, instead it is a move to provide health insurance for everyone..just another entitlement program even so far as to include non-citizens. So under his plan I guess if I need health care (which I'll be paying even more for than my current health insurance) I'll get in line behind all of the people who don't work, don't pay taxes, don't take care of themselves, abuse drugs and alcohol and have high risk behavior. I am really tired of being expected to provide for others who do nothing for themselves.

Sam| 8.16.09 @ 4:02AM

Well said Charles. Well said!

Maggie| 8.16.09 @ 11:04AM

I believe Obama, rather than to offer true health reform by enforcing restrictions on unethical insurance and medical practices, is only offering a tease of this if we also approve trillions of dollars so his supporters that are poor and unable to pay for insurance are ensured a check in the mail to do so. Extortion at best. Help me level out the social playing field and I might bless you with some provision that will help you with my buddies in the insurance business.

If he were a real president for all of Americans and not just the disinfranchised, he would first and foremost offer a health bill to ALL Americans to put restrictions on the insurance companies, investigate the medical system for positive changes.

Jack| 8.16.09 @ 11:08AM

Anyone afraid of government run healthcare
need only read the stories in the British press
on how 'well' it works to be reassured. Several linked here:
www.neoperspectives.com/britishhealthcare.htm