Republicans VERY upset over loss in PA special election

[babylonsister]

Make my day! :D

House Republicans grumbling over loss in PA special election


Washington (CNN) - Two Republican sources at Wednesday’s House GOP Conference meeting tell CNN that there was a lot of grumbling about the party’s loss in a special election Tuesday for the vacant House seat in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district.

Democratic candidate Mark Critz topped Republican Tim Burns by double digits in the battle to succeed the late Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha.

“People should be rumbling – members sure were,” said one of the sources.

Both sources, one a Republican lawmaker and one a senior GOP staffer, said National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions took responsibility for the loss and promised to study the results and learn the lessons of the Burns’ defeat.

Both sources said they did not believe there would be an effort to replace Rep. Sessions as chairman of the NRCC, but said it was made clear there is deep dissatisfaction.

The accounts also exposed anew long festering tensions or rivalries among House Minority Leader John Boehner and some of his deputies in the leadership. The two sources, both from the more conservative factions of the House GOP caucus, noted it was the Ohio Republican who tapped Sessions for the NRCC’s top post and said most of the NRCC’s top staff have ties to Boehner.

“In baseball, general managers can only fire so many managers before their own neck is on the line – and Boehner knows that,” was the take of one of the sources, the senior GOP staffer who was at the meeting.

more...

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/20/house-republicans-grumbling-over-loss-in-pa-special-election/?fbid=BdXlf_P-z9p

[CatWoman]

1. proud to be your first rec

:hi:

[calimary]

16. Proud to be your 29th rec!

The more pouty and miserable and whiny they get, the happier they make me.

I hope they're miserable FOREVER.

[bigwillq]

26. Proud to be No. 71!!

:bounce:

[stlsaxman]

37. Prouder still to be Rec 101!!!

[rhett o rick]

64. Rec 175. So what's not to be proud of? nm

[roguevalley]

68. I hear they blew a million dollars on that election

[lpbk2713]

2. I love it.

WAAAH!! No fair!!

[rhett o rick]

63. Self delete. Sorry wrong place. nm

[onpatrol98]

79. Proof You Can't Please Republicans

Elect a pro-life, pro-gun, pro-God, anti health care bill, democrat that wants smaller government and they still complain. You really can't please some people. Good grief!

[David__77]

3. Why were they so cocky?

They aren't very smart to be so presumptuous. Newt Gingrich did it too - after the GOP won in 1994, he promised that there would be more huge gains in 1996. He promised this up through the next election. They are good at the echo chamber but reality wills strike hard. There IS a powerful non-right-wing coalition in place. People are not converting to the right in droves as, say, with the "Reagan Revolution," when you really did have a lot of conversion.

This is a question of political mobilization of existing political demographics, not a revolutionary transformed landscape.

The same basic forces working against Republicans are still in place - young are further to the left, white vote is shrinking, etc.

[zipplewrath]

4. It was all a mirage

The "take over" in '94 was more flash than substance. Yes, they won some elections. Yes, there was some backlash against the democrats. But a huge part of that take over was when the dixiecrats started leaving the party and switching to republican. That was a process that had been going on for the better part of 3 decades. '94 wasn't some huge shift right, it was a change of lables on what had been going on already.

What the conservatives still haven't admitted to themselves is that they "lost", 9 years ago. When Bush won their primary, and "lost" in the general election, they should have noticed that he was only giving lip service to conservatism. Karl wasn't a conservative. Cheney sure wasn't. They were Neocons. But THAT was the philosophy they were selling, not conservatism. The conservatives lost when it was Bush and McCain running in the lead in the GOP primary. This was repeated in '08 when McCain was the next candidate. Conservatives win here and there, especially in their gerrymandered districts. But the democrats have been winning for a couple of decades in the places where the people are. They trend well in the urban/suburban areas. They trend will with people with advanced degrees. Conservatism has now hitched its wagon to the Palin crowd, and they're gonna get beat again.

What conservatives never acknowledge is that NO ONE has ever actually governed this nation "conservatively". You can't, because it doesn't work. Reagan didn't, neither Bush did, Nixon didn't, Eisenhower didn't. It doesn't work, and it doesn't win elections. This is a progressive country that has occasional "fits" about the exact direction the country is moving. You'd think sooner or later the GOP would notice that. But their current leadership is about to lead them into insanity again. The "solution" to their problems is to do what they've done before. Leave behind the Birchers/Birthers/Baggers or whatever they're calling themselves this decade and return to the idea that if you're going to be IN government, you have to believe and act that government CAN be useful.

[socialist_n_TN]

13. Loved your last sentence...............

That sums it up IMO and I've said the same for years.

Another thing. Even when Republicans were "winning" elections in '00 and '04 the margins were razor thin and even they admitted that Gore won the popular vote in '00. Yet Bush II claimed it as a "mandate". The fact is that THERE IS NO CONSERVATIVE TSUNAMI AND HASN'T BEEN SINCE REAGAN! Or at least Bush I. That the country is far right is their own self serving myth. Yet they keep thinking that to win all they have to do is go FARTHER right and they'll win forever. It's stupid, but that's all right. It helps us.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. You should make this post into its own thread!

I am applauding!

I wish I could recommend this post; it's that good.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[zipplewrath]

22. Thanks, but

I'm really preaching to the choir here. I'd imagine an awful lot of people around here see the exact same thing.

The funny part is, I've posted just such comments in other forums. I can never really get a conservative to disagree with much, except the part about it "never working". But they'll tend to admit that no one has ever really governed at the federal level "conservatively". Even more fun, get them to name the conservatively governed states, and it won't be an impressive list. Bottom 10 of various lists like education, income, economic growth, etc.

[Lasher]

39. From one member of the choir, thanks for putting the sentiments into words.

And you're right, I see the exact same thing.

[callous taoboy]

82. No, it's a great synopsis and I've saved it to read again later because it is uplifting.

[JDPriestly]

38. Excellent post!

[leveymg]

81. I wish you were right. There's still an awful lot of TEA in the suburbs, and if they stay mobiliz

-ed and the Democratic Party base doesn't, we're cooked in all those swing districts that started going Blue again in '06. This is not as Progressive a country as we would like to think it is, even among better-educated, more affluent suburban groups. In fact, in many, many Districts, it's still Deep Purple to Deep-Red Reactionary.

The Democratic leadership has largely ignored the activist Progressive base, and take it for granted that we'll all turn out the vote in November. I'm not so sure they should count on that.

[WeDidIt]

They're buying the media narrative about the baggers.

They think the bagger movement is about 75 times larger than it actually is.

[smoogatz]

8. That's what happens when you create your own "real math."

I think Rasmussen is doing the Democratic party a great service by producing this blizzard of red-shifted polling numbers--it creates the illusion that Republicans are a lot more popular than they really are. The media buy into it, which isn't so great because it becomes the conventional wisdom (i.e., there's no mandate for Democratic initiatives), but so do Republicans, who think that because their own dishonest polling shows them in the lead that It Must Be True (to admit otherwise would be to admit that their polling is completely dishonest which would mean admitting that Obama is popular and they aren't which would, of course, be completely fucking impossible in wingnut-world). It's self-delusion at its finest, and will be very, very useful to Democrats in this cycle. Next predictable development: a lot of teabagger hysteria about rigged elections. Maybe we can finally get rid of electronic voting, which would also be a very good thing.

[tridim]

12. I assume this inevitably happens when you start believing the alternate reality..

as reported by your own cable "news" network and RW talk radio.

This is Fox News FAIL.

[glitch]

23. It would be great if the teabaggers took up rigged elections, but if they did they would disappear

off the teevees immediately. No more full corporate press for a 20 person protest, guaranteed.

[Arugula Latte]

42. They're buying it, but they're also willfully creating it.

They want it to be so, so they crow about it and pump it up whenever they get the chance.

[diane in sf]

24. They have been making the mistake of believing their own propaganda

[jeff47]

28. For the same reason McCain picked Palin

They really do believe their own made-up stories.

McCain, the media, and the Republicans were so absolutely sure that a ton of Hillary voters would say "Hey! She's got Ovaries! I'll vote for her!!". So, he chose Palin, despite the fact that there was no polling proving their assertion.

I think they've gotten so used to making stuff up in the media and getting away with it that they've started making stuff up in their strategy sessions.

[cognoscere]

41. Show me a Republican and I'll show you a liar.

Their whole philosophy is a lie; that's why whenever they open their pie holes, more lies spill out. You can't defend lies without creating more lies. Whether they actually believe the crap they spew, or are just playing everyone else for suckers is irrelevant because the end result is the same.

[MadMaddie]

52. They actually believed their own bullshit! That's

when you know it's really bad!!

[The Wizard]

58. "The most common lie is that

with which one lies to one's self. Lying to others is relatively the exception."
(Nietzsche)
Republicans lie because it's in their DNA.

[MadMaddie]

59. They are self destructing and it's a wonderful sight!

[libodem]

67. They are so cocky

because a Boner is the boss of them.

[nxylas]

77. They're cocky now

How many times have you read on internet messageboards that Obama is in for a huge defeat in November and that we will soon see that America is still a conservative country etc. etc. They genuinely believe all the hype about the Tea party representing a mass populist uprising. That works to Obama's advantage of course, as if the Republican gains are anything less than a total wipeout, it makes him look good. Funny, "managing expectations" ia usually something imcumbents do, not oppositions :shrug:

[Kingofalldems]

5. K and R for the teabaggers and freepers

[lunatica]

6. That writing on the wall thingy is upsetting

How inconvenient! They just knew Americans love their message of NO. whodathought?!

[cdsilv]

9. wasn't '94 about the check kiting dems and Rostenkowski as well? n/t

[jeff47]

29. And killing healthcare reform (nt)

[rocktivity]

7. Cue The DU "Cry Me A River" String Quartet!

:nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity:
rocktivity

[WI_DEM]

10. WaWa--the voters didn't vote the way the repukes and MSM wanted them to

[malaise]

11. That's what happens when you buy your

own bullshit. Just wait for November ReTHUGS. I'm lovin' it. :rofl:

[laughingliberal]

14. May it be the first of many upsets for the GOP. Rec. eom

[calimary]

15. Everybody say it out loud - SORE LOSERMEN!!!!!!

Acting like a bunch of spoiled-brat three-year-olds. And these are the same people who bragged and sneered about how "the adults are back in charge" after they stole the election from Al Gore.

I'd say "FUCK 'em in the heart" - if they had one.

[Skidmore]

17. There are sure a lot of Rs who lined up behind Boehner, who took his cues from Limbaugh, Beck,

and Palin--the Unholy Trinity. The President is right on when he points out that those designated as leaders of the Rs are really followers of unelected media screamers. The only thing is that no matter who they cull in the name of "taking responsibility," tacking further and further to the right will drop them over the edge of their flat earth.


Keep wavin' those teabags, goobers. You are committing political suicide.

[Hubert Flottz]

18. K & Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

[Blue-Jay]

19. This is bad.

For Obama.

(at least that's what I keep hearing...)

[goclark]

20. Where is Diebold working for them?

I still can't beleive that it is not in play in as many areas as they can get away with it.

So. IMO, when they don't win it's because it is such an overwhelming Blow Out or they can't kick into the system.

[lisa58]

25. you are amazing....

[WillyT]

27. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

:evilgrin:

:hi:

[proud patriot]

30. wheeeeeeeeeeee !

[customerserviceguy]

31. I've heard it said

that the 12th District was gerrymandered in such a way that Murtha would never lose, and this map pretty much shows that:



While the 3rd and 4th Districts on the Northwesterly side (well, one of the Northwesterly sides) are represented by Democratic Representatives, they only adjoin on perhaps ten percent of the 12th's extremely irregular borders, and the surrounding 9th and 18th Districts are represented by the GOP.

It recalls what happened when I was in Washington State, the Pukes gerrymandered the greater Seattle area up in such a way that the 1st District, with Seattle at it's heart, would always be Democratic (indeed, that's why Jim McDermott piles up very lopsided vote totals every two years), but the surrounding areas representing well-off surburbanites had a fighting chance of going to a GOP'er.

It seems that it was premature of the Rethugs to think they could grab the 12th, but most iffy districts are not as well protected as PA's 12th.

[treestar]

48. Wow, that's a gerrymandered district and so is the 18th!

[customerserviceguy]

49. Well, in the case of the 18th

it doesn't seem like so much of a chicken-and-egg thing, the gerrymandering of the 12th required the 18th to look like it does.

[martymar64]

50. Don't get me started on gerrymandering. I'm here in TX

The city of Austin has about 4 districts reaching fingers into the city, dividing the liberal core into rural gop majority districts. That is why Tom Delay deserves a special place in hell. Our only democratic congressman that is relatively safe is Lloyd Doggett.

[customerserviceguy]

55. It's a nasty practice

that ends up disenfranchising many people.

[Dr Morbius]

76. I think eliminating gerrymandering would do more for the country than

publicly financed elections. Gerrymandered districts make it easier for congressmembers to get reelected, and that reduces their accountability to the people. I would put into place a law preventing a district from being drawn in such a way that a line between any two points within the district may not exit the district. It would force more competitive elections. WAY too many "safe" seats in the US House; WAY too many.

[Motown_Johnny]

32. they have become accustomed to 40% being a win

[cachukis]

33. What I've found curiously ironic: the founders were progressive.

They moved away from the status quo.

The conservatives, however, have always referred to them as their basis.

The genius of conservatives has been obfuscation. The Clean Air initiatives come to mind.

It has been said that available information doubles or trebles every so many years.

Can it be that the seeping of truth escapes into the minds of the least vapid seekers?

The warriors of old diminished their gene pool.

Let there be hope.

[Cartoonist]

34. Religion and gays

The religious right(RR) is the only thing keeping the GOP close to power. That's what '94 was all about. The RR did not like the way the country was heading under Clinton. They got organized and voted. Newt and his contract had nothing to do with it. GW kept it going with his phony born again BS. Kerry lost when the RR saw gays getting married in San Francisco. It took a massive economic meltdown and fear of Sarah to win it for the dems. I don't see the teabaggers firing up the base as their message isn't a religious one. I also think the gays have outlasted the RR, at least to the point where they no longer rile them to "get out the vote" passion.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

35. Bwahahaha

Disarray. My favorite color. :rofl:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. Poor woodywoodies

My heart just bleeds for them.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Rectangle]

40. Official GOP/ Teabagger response>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS7nqwGt4-I


:rofl: :rofl: :patriot:

[orbitalman]

43. Poor Babies !!! nt

[Fozzledick]

44. Awwwwwwwwww!!!

:evilfrown:

[live love laugh]

45. This was 134 votes b4 I rec'd...it was 133 when I rec'd. The trolls they are a lurking. nt

[existentialist]

46. This is a wonderful thing to hear.

Thank-you for the post and I was rec # 138.

[rasputin1952]

47. The whole image of the GOP making a comeback is beyond the pale...

They have not run on anything substantial...they have nothing...worst political plan ever!

For whatever reason, these braindead oafs believe that saying "no" to every proposal, and offering absolutely nothing in return will somehow gain them a House and possible Senate takeover...instead, they will be crush to dust under their own hubris. I would not be surprised to see a very close race foe Boehner.

The Clown Car known as the GOP is running out of gas...:D

[Rozlee]

53. You're wrong. They do have political plans.

Tax cuts for the rich. Tax cuts for the rich and more tax cuts for the rich. Oh, did I forget to mention that they also want more tax cuts for the rich?

[rasputin1952]

54. LOL...

:hi:

[Wednesdays]

62. And-- more offshore oil drilling!

Drill, Baby! Drill!

[Robeson]

51. Anytime they're sad, I'm happy.

[johnaries]

56. Wasn't this supposed to be a "bellwether" election?

Let's hope so! K&R

[HooptieWagon]

57. K&R n/t

[Wednesdays]

60. It's the liberals' fault!

:rofl:

[Nikki Stone1]

61. I heard Obama was really upset about the Specter thing too

.

[liberalhistorian]

65. One of their major problems was that they gave little

credence to just how popular and respected Murtha was in his district and in many parts of the state as a whole. So their coming in and trashing him and disrespecting him and his record and crowing about how "different" they'd be from him really didn't sit all that well with his constitutents. They made the same mistake as the Dems made in MA for Kennedy's seat, taking it for granted that they'd win and getting cocky along with clueless.

[99 Percent Sure]

66. And there's absolutely nothing they can do to change it. They'll survive, they'll be all right..

To paraphrase Eddie "Donkey/Jimmy Want Mo'" Murphy from his Delirious-The Barbecue stand up skit, "Roll Johnny 'round for a few minutes, he'll be okay."

Or, to quote a former acquaintance in law enforcement, "They can't stay mad."

[DainBramaged]

72. "they'll be all right"

:wtf:

[vercetti2021]

69. All i can say is...

HA HA Keep crying and bitching, this is only the beginning of your downfall and remember you did it to yourself for spreading the hate and violence.

[rpannier]

70. But didn't they run a low-tax, low-wage, tea party conservative in PA?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

71. Murtha was such a strong vote getter...

... that the republicans in Pennsylvania gerrymandered the districts so as to give Murtha all the precincts that typically went Democratic. This district is literally surrounded by Republican leaning precincts, formerly in district 12. Strange list of events, but totally true. Look up Pennsylvania District 12 and see how disjointed it is.

So, what I am saying is, the Republicans in Pennsylvania created their own monster. A district where they gerrymandered themselves out of a chance of ever winning the House seat.

[political_Dem]

73. I'm glad they are angry. That win is one seat they aren't going to get.

The griping about this law may be one more thing that leads to the "civil war" in the Republican Party. The Teabag movement and their out-of-control ways will push the "civil war" into a full-blown conflagration.

[happygoluckytoyou]

74. "learn the lessons of the Burns’ defeat".... how about 3 little words.... YOU SUCK

[happygoluckytoyou]

75. "learn the lessons of the Burns’ defeat".... how about 3 little words.... YOU SUCK

[Swamp Rat]

78. k&r for schadenfreude

[1Hippiechick]

80. Proud to ring in @ 225! n/t and KICK

[leeroysphitz]

83. Their anguish sustains me. n/t

[kenfrequed]

84. Careful

This is also the GOP trying to spin a Democratic victory and a defeat for Republican issues and ideas into a process story. Watch them make a bigger and bigger deal about personal with regards to this defeat next week.