GOP fears for credibility after scandals - THE POLITICO

[applegrove]

GOP fears for credibility after scandals
By: David Paul Kuhn and John F. Harris
THE POLITICO
Jul 11, 2007 06:10 AM EST


"Lust, predation, hypocrisy. These behaviors were observed in humans, including Washington politicians, even before Republicans roared to power on Capitol Hill in the 1990s.

But the agony of Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) -- a self-proclaimed social conservative exposed Monday night as a customer of an escort service -- is one more float in a long and flamboyant parade of sexual follies and scandals served up by his generation of congressional Republicans. Previous attractions include former House members Newt Gingrich, Henry Hyde, Bob Barr, Bob Livingston and Mark Foley.

Embarrassment for the GOP was entertainment for many others, as people in Washington and around the nation chortled over the latest stubbed toe for a crowd that took power, and held it, in large measure by decrying the decay of traditional values and by issuing censorious attacks on the personal failings of political rivals.

Beyond the chortling, however, the Vitter scandal is a small piece of a much more significant development: The demoralized state of the social conservative movement on the brink of the 2008 election.

........SNIP"

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/4873.html

[aquart]

1. Have they figured out they are NOT conservatives?

They are profligates, wastrels, spendthrifts, fearmongers, radicals, but not by the widest stretch of the term are they conservatives.

[applegrove]

2. The base seems to want to stick with Bush no matter what. Afterall

he tried to save Terri Shiavo. Bush seems stuck at 29%. I would bet most of these are the values people. Nothing seems to get through to them. But we can hope.

[Perry Logan]

3. Conservatives demoralized? And after they've been so nice...

[MichiganVote]

4. The GOP still has credibility? Where exactly is that found?

[applegrove]

5. In the 29% who still support him blindly. Polls have been stuck there for a while.

[MichiganVote]

6. I was referring only to the GOP> But the details of this 29% are never revealed/discussed