Thursday, October 29, 2009
Politics / Woods Tennessee Republicans Fight Civil Wars
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Matt is a fervent patriot, a real Sam Adams of our time, and defends the principled politics that has long been lost in our society. We will not support any type of affiliation that promotes big government or economically irresponsibile candidates.Meanwhile, another wacky GOP grandstander, Rep. Stacey Campfield, is upset because GOP chairman Chris Devaney had the audacity to suggest the party could accept pro-choice people into its ranks. Here's some of what Devaney said:
"Are we going to exclude people who are pro-choice? No. If they agree on the others about limited government, about promoting free enterprise, I want them in the party quite frankly."To Campfield, who thinks the state ought to force women to obtain death certificates for aborted fetuses, that makes Devaney a left-winger. Campfield's post:
It seems the left wing of the party is ready to accept people who's views contradict the core principals that the party was founded on. At the same time they want to kick out or get rid of members who support all of those same original views, sometimes to the extreme.
Comments (9)
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I am ashamed to say (notwithstanding living >30 years in the south) that I am unfamiliar with the metaphor of the beaten rented mule, so naturally I googled it, discovering that a rented mule is a jazz band (rentedmulejazz.com) and some sort of sports team (rentedmules.com) that thrives on the slogan "we were much less bad than usual this year." I also learned from Urban Dictionary that one interpretation of the phrase "beat it like a rented mule" is "to masturbate violently and prolifically." I will next try to figure out how exactly that applies to the Tennessee GOP.
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The civil war I'd like to see among the TN/GOPers would be between those who support free, fair and verifiable elections (as embodied in the TN Voter Confidence Act); and those who favor keeping the fraud-friendly voting equipment we have now (something that Ramsey, Ketron, Hargett, Goins, etc, etc, ad nauseam have identified as their leading legislative priority in January).
Unfortunately, it would not be much of a fight. Other than Senator Tim Burchett and Matt Collins, I haven't met very many TN/GOPers who believe in accurately measuring the consent of the governed. I am sure that democracy-loving TN Republicans are out there, but the rest of us can't hear them.
Moderate GOPers need to speak up now to support implementing the TVCA in 2010. My guess is that would be the easiest way to rid their party of the knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who hold sway (and the keys to the voting machines) now.
"How does one masturbate "prolifically?"
Maybe by reciting Dylan or John Prine lyrics while masturbating.
"My guess is that would be the easiest way to rid their party of the knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who hold sway (and the keys to the voting machines) now."
Let's see, the GOP controls both houses of the Tennessee legislature, especially the Senate where the fate of the TVCA rests.
That's the way to win friends and influence people, Bernie. Nothing like calling the very people who have the votes to do what you want -- or not -- "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals."
To "The Observer" (whoever you are)
No one knows how on earth the Republicans have taken control of both houses of our legislature, or how on earth they won every open seat in that legislature in 2008 when a great blue tidal wave swept the country. With the unverifiable voting machines, I cannot prove that the Repubs stole the legislature and they cannot prove they won it fair-and-square. While most Tennessee voters view that situation as problematic, those Repubs who are fighting tooth-and-nail are fighting to keep their "base" (DREs) intact.
If you (whoever you are) believe that playing nice at this point over this issue will get us anywhere, you haven't been paying attention. We are now in the courts because of our "play nice" behavior. If we don't establish free, fair and verifiable elections here; the discourse will not get nicer.
But thanks for the tips on etiquette, whoever you are. I needed that about as much as I need to hide behind a pseudonym, here or anywhere else.
Beating a rented mule is a phrase that can basically be taken at face value. At some point, every farmer wants to beat his stubborn and uncooperative mule. But he might refrain from this beating because (a) he might damage the mule that he depends on for plowing; and (b) mules have a way of remembering grievances, and this one might wait for a good opportunity to kick him in the head. The consequence of beating a rented mule become someone else's problem once the mule is returned.
Bernie, I'm with you on the need for verifiable voting machines. I had planned to bring that up at the monthly DCRP general meetings. Only chairman Starnes has chosen NOT to continue having those meetings! That's what a lot of people who criticize Matt either don't know or aren't willing to bring up. Starnes has been bad for the entire DCRP, not just for us Ron Paul types.
