Gail Collins: Boy, Republicans are wicked extreme
posted at 2:31 pm on August 2, 2012 by Dustin Siggins
In her column today, New York Times author Gail Collins launched into a tirade against Ted Cruz, the Tea Party, and Republican (especially Texas) voters in general. While Collins’ disdain for conservatives is no surprise — her February 8 column against the Catholic Church’s position on the contraception/abortifacient/sterilization mandate was similarly caustic — this piece is just asking for a full rebuttal.
First, Cruz served Texas as its Solicitor General, and clerked for the Supreme Court. Which means he knows the Constitution pretty darn well. Collins, of course, barely gave this a glance in her dismissal of Cruz, writing “Also, he memorized the Constitution in high school.” Give me a break.
Second, Collins mocks Cruz and the Tea Party by writing that “we don’t really need to go over his basic agenda because you can pretty much guess it. (Hint: cutspendingshrinkgovernmentrepealObamacare.)” This is true, and is as it should be. Cutting spending, shrinking government, and repealing the health care law are three of the four top things all federal politicians should be focused on right now. But perhaps Collins prefers Obama’s basic agenda of “Hopeychangeyblamebushblameeveryonebutmyselfraisetaxes?”
Collins’ take on the Senate Republican caucus is particularly entertaining. To wit:
Cruz’s victory was the latest in a number of Tea Party triumphs in Republican primaries, and it certainly does suggest that next year the Republican Senate contingent will be composed almost entirely of right-wing purists and people who are afraid they’re going to be primaried by a right-wing purist.
Of course, this isn’t even close to true. Less than two-thirds of Republican senators opposed the recent farm bill, and the Senate GOP leadership isn’t exactly jumping behind the Tea Party Caucus or its budget proposal. Additionally, even conservative Members such as Coburn and Pat Toomey have been willing to significantly compromise when it came to proposals to balance the budget, and Rubio garnered significant controversy recently when he put forth a modified DREAM Act proposal.
Next, of course, Collins calls for bipartisanship:
It’s so ironic, people. The national electorate is totally turned off by partisan standoffs. You can almost hear the public imploring, will you guys please just make some back-room deals? And, at that same moment, the Republican candidates are being pushed into being more and more intractable.
I don’t know where Collins is getting her information, but back-room deals are exactly why the Tea Party movement and the basically-defunct Occupy “movement” exist in the first place. And when it comes to being intractable, nobody is better at that than Reid, who has decided to break the law regarding a federal budget for the fourth fiscal year in a row.
Nothing excites liberals like a little racial insensitivity (but only if it’s against Republicans!), so Collins’ next point fits right in with the liberal meme:
Take that, Republicans! We’ll see you one Cuban-American Harvard Law graduate who memorized the Constitution when he was in high school and raise you Mexican-American twins who went to Harvard Law and got elected mayor and state representative! The race for the Hispanic vote goes on, and we will try to avoid mentioning that virtually the only thing all three of these people have in common is an inability to speak fluent Spanish.
Finally, Collins completely misses the boat on what’s wrong with the Republican Party.
Maybe the real answer to this and all the other Tea Party-over-establishment upsets is that the traditional Republican party is just burned out, and devoid of fresh faces.
Yeah, the upsets are because the GOP is burned out and devoid of fresh faces. Or it’s because the last GOP President and many of his congressional counterparts grew government, ran then-massive deficits, passed TARP, raised the cost and number of earmarks, and ran two wars badly. Or it’s because the Republican Party has generally become both more liberal and more corrupt.
Collins apparently threw her opinion into the mix on “Morning Joe” today, and was immediately ripped apart by Coburn for making similar criticisms of the Tea Party. The senator told her she ought to go and actually meet some Tea Partiers, but given that her opinions seem to be inside the liberal cocoon typical of NY Times columnists, I think Collins would prefer to sit back and lob unsubstantiated, uneducated attacks. It’s a lot easier than doing the work of actual research, or meeting one of the unwashed masses Collins clearly disdains.
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Telling the AP its OK to wiretap you cause its a national security risk. ROFLMAO.
Gotta save those American lives.
renalin on May 16, 2013 at 1:18 PM
This is a dangerous game that Dear Leader is playing…
d1carter on May 16, 2013 at 1:19 PM
Holder won’t be going anywhere
cmsinaz on May 16, 2013 at 1:20 PM
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/congressman-justice-dept-wiretapped-house-representatives-cloak-room_724606.html#
Don’t be so sure. It’s one thing to wiretap the “little” people at the AP. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to wiretap congress.
I predict a brown fan…..
dogsoldier on May 16, 2013 at 1:21 PM
“left out there high and dry” Like in Benghazi sir?
can_con on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
There’s no reason to keep the wh informed
Wtf????
cmsinaz on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Muslim Non-Profit Applications Fly Through IRS Office That Targeted Conservatives With “Minimal Scrutiny”…
Resist We Much on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Well lookie here.
Let’s give a big Laurel and Hardy welcome to the
Dupont Circle Jerker.
ToddPA on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Resist We Much on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
From your keyboard dog soldier
cmsinaz on May 16, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Obama just did the limbo under the low bar set by Jimmy carter, even slime molds have trouble slithering under it unimpeded. He was wearing mom jeans.
SparkPlug on May 16, 2013 at 1:23 PM
And to think that I donated good money to help Rubio win office…
beatcanvas on May 16, 2013 at 1:23 PM
Rwm
Cusack spot on
Don’t like his politics but hey
cmsinaz on May 16, 2013 at 1:24 PM
After your commercials filled with lies on amnesty, you hve zero credibility. Sit down and shut up, Marco. I’d vote against you, even if it meant voting for a Dem.
bw222 on May 16, 2013 at 1:26 PM
poll numbers maybe…Who knows.
I’m sick of it.
I expect this intentional brand play will happen more as we move toward the mid-terms. I think Zuckerberg,Gates and the rest of the techie cabal are running a test.
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Cleanup on Hollywood Blvd.
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 1:33 PM
Dude…Soda on my keyboard now…
lol
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 1:34 PM
Rubio is as dirty and corrupt as they come – he is no different from obama.
Pork-Chop on May 16, 2013 at 1:35 PM
He was corrupted by Jeb…who will now screw him in his quest to fill the dynasty destiny of all surnamed Bush.
I mean Rubio is probably a nice guy and it’s not like he’s a loose cannon like that other guy what’s his name…Cruz…Yeah that guy from Texas…Ted Cruz.
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 1:37 PM
+1
I don’t know why anyone, anywhere, is surprised.
bigbeachbird on May 16, 2013 at 1:38 PM
Befehl ist Befehl right, HAL?
creekspecter on May 16, 2013 at 1:39 PM
Seven Percent Solution on May 16, 2013 at 1:41 PM
This is ridiculous! Did you dislike Romney as well?
Vince on May 16, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Not if no one does anything…..
Anyone who challenges Obama is portrayed as a racist who hates America.
redguy on May 16, 2013 at 1:43 PM
Yes, who is producing those spots?? But I would not vote for a dem.
redguy on May 16, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Oh, that’s gonna leave a mark…..
Mr. Speaker can’t be too happy about being wiretapped. Holder couldn’t remember how many taps or record collections have been authorized or by who.
So everyone in congress has probably been spied on. Zero and Holder have the tech to spy on all of congress if the want to, but I’ll wager they limited their scrutiny to their enemies.
Senator Cruz, have you heard any funny noises on your phone?
Have any of your folks in congress emailed or spoken anything Obama might take as offensive?
dogsoldier on May 16, 2013 at 1:46 PM
Wow the crash is happening fast now…
dogsoldier on May 16, 2013 at 1:47 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZHH7gsKbE0
Sacramento on May 16, 2013 at 1:53 PM
Breaking: Obama Resigns – Libertarian and liberal concern trolls at Hot Air claim Republicans overplay their hand by not desperately begging Obama to stay on.
oldroy on May 16, 2013 at 1:59 PM
And to think, we used to wonder if Obama could really end up being an even worse president that Jimmy Carter…..
There Goes the Neighborhood on May 16, 2013 at 2:07 PM
I’ve soured on Rubio over the last month(s) and I think it’s clear he’s pandering to regain support from conservatives. Still, what he says here is 100% right.
midgeorgian on May 16, 2013 at 2:07 PM
INTIMIDATION is the Chicago way.
GarandFan on May 16, 2013 at 2:11 PM
That’s not really breaking news, just speculation from someone with some experience in Washington. Even though I completely agree there’s no way the White House didn’t authorize this, there’s no proof just yet.
There Goes the Neighborhood on May 16, 2013 at 2:15 PM
Wearing thin – Obama passed the buck for Behgazi security to Congress, dodged a question about whether his political appointees knew about the IRS’s actions and fully supported Holder in all things.
Schadenfreude on May 16, 2013 at 2:19 PM
The Obama administration are the same people Rubio wants us to trust to enforce the border. He should resign.
echosyst on May 16, 2013 at 2:19 PM
Rubio, do you mean the Eunuch-in-Chief?
socalcon on May 16, 2013 at 2:20 PM
BREAKING: Second appeals court invalidates Obama’s NLRB recess appointments
Resist We Much on May 16, 2013 at 2:28 PM
Rubio is toast if only because he has a bill named freakin’ Schumer-Rubio. He should want that thing to fail if only to avoid the optics nightmare we associate with McCain-Feingold.
Crossing the aisle by allying with the Marxist wing of the Dem party is never good for Republican presidential nominees. You think Santorum would have had the surge he did at all if say there was a bill named Kerry-Santorum floating around his neck?
BKennedy on May 16, 2013 at 2:38 PM
Great! And Barry will move instantly on their removal from office. Priority number one!!
hawkeye54 on May 16, 2013 at 2:38 PM
Give him some credit. Kid’s gotta lotta pluck for trying. Saying all the things we’d applaud any other Senator for saying about holding Obama accountable for his administration’s misdeeds if he hadn’t already gone on point to promote Schumer’s amnesty bill.
If he pushes against this regime as hard as he’s currently pushing legalization of illegal entry in this country, and if he backs off the Schumer bill– big, big ifs– then I might support him for a second run at the Senate.
But he’s too damaged– and all self-inflicted– for prime time.
de rigueur on May 16, 2013 at 2:39 PM
Ya notice which party’s members cross over the aisle. It’s a one way aisle. Rarely, if ever, it seems, reciprocal.
It should be a maxim to the GOP….never, never, cross over to the dark side. Nothing good comes of it.
hawkeye54 on May 16, 2013 at 2:42 PM
This stuff the past couple of weeks makes me yearn for more logical liberal leaders like, ummm like, heck, even Ralph Nader looks pretty darn good right now…
right2bright on May 16, 2013 at 2:52 PM
His history since his first run for state senate in Illinois has been intimidation, blackmail and dirt slinging. The press did not want this known so buried it. Now we see it first hand and the press is still going to bury it. Shall we let them?
Pardonme on May 16, 2013 at 2:59 PM
Sr. Rubio, would you please explain why you hired Cesar Conda as a senior aide? He is a George Soros associate and a man committed to open borders and amnesty. He doesn’t fit the profile of someone you would have associated with prior to your election!
Both you and Paul Ryan are toast as leaders of the future……true colors beginning to show on you two charlatans! You definitely have come out of the shadows! If I may use some of the words from your ads?
tomshup on May 16, 2013 at 3:42 PM
I am insulted they are flooding Rush with the lying amnesty ad:
Yeah illegal aliens, an unfair class
Rubio is working with gay-marriage supporting billionaire Singer’s bogus conservative front group
If the IRS scandal is so bad, Rubio, how about some ads on that?
Incestuous nest of vipers
entagor on May 16, 2013 at 4:05 PM
Yep.
Rubio is toast because he’s a phony…He chose ethnic ambition over principle.
Sure we need immigration reform…but no reform works with an unsecure border and when federales won’t enforce the law…so it’s not really reform is it?
This isn’t reform…It’s paying extortion while you tell yourself it’s a bribe.
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 4:25 PM
With all due respect (heh) Rubio, you are yesterday’s news.
Just stand back and let the house do its job.
davidk on May 16, 2013 at 5:30 PM
When a government is lawless you do not put them in charge of altering the electorate
Rubio does not have the credibility to talk IRS scandal. His name was hosed. Perhaps that was the point. He is the disposable Senator. Best possible scenario: he is too dumb to trust
Consider Boehner, who is relatively quiet on the IRS deal, considering he is leadership and many complaints preceded the last election.
Singer, the billionair working with Rubio towards immigration reform, is one of the big political donors
If a district was gerrymandered into tea party conservative, it must have been a real moral choice last year, to go after the IRS outrages, or wait for the election to finish
They got thru one election, now they are cornered. While Rubio pops off to the press on the IRS, his amnesty ads are running full speed. Hurry Rubio, before the Tea Party gets its groove back
entagor on May 16, 2013 at 5:30 PM
After the Corvair, I wonder where Nader stands on the Volt.
(The Corvair is so old my spellchecker flagged it.)
davidk on May 16, 2013 at 5:32 PM
The Volt has two new colors for 2013, Flame Blue and Ember Orange.
slickwillie2001 on May 16, 2013 at 5:43 PM
Then there are the standard Smoldering Black and Ash White.
hawkeye54 on May 16, 2013 at 6:47 PM
Pork-Chop on May 16, 2013 at 6:57 PM
Impeach Othuga!Recall Rubio!
redware on May 16, 2013 at 8:38 PM
Indeed!
As to Boehner…He’s too busy playacting at Kabuki
“WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety.
With implementation of Obamacare set to begin later this year, the vote is largely symbolic. The Senate is highly unlikely to even take up a vote on repeal.
The House voted for repeal 229-195, with votes cast almost entirely down party lines. Two Democrats voted with Republicans in favor of repeal: Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah and Rep. Mike McIntyre of North Carolina.
Ads by Google
This is the third time the House has voted to fully repeal Obamacare, and there have been a number of other votes to repeal parts of it — 37 votes in total.
Boehner explained last week that he was holding the vote again because new members had been asking for the opportunity to vote on repeal.
In the days leading up to the vote, Democrats dismissed the effort as wasteful and unproductive.
“Not only is this a clear waste of time and of taxpayer dollars, it is a deliberate vote to eliminate the affordable quality, health care benefits millions of Americans are already enjoying,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said during a Capitol news conference.
The Obama administration issued a statement ahead of the vote saying it “strongly opposes” repeal because it would hurt the middle class, and “increase the deficit.” Obama would veto the bill if it passed, the statement said.
Ads by Google
“The last thing the Congress should do is refight old political battles and take a massive step backward by repealing basic protections that provide security for the middle class,” the Office of Management and Budget statement read. “Right now, the Congress needs to work together to focus on the economy and creating jobs.”
On Tuesday, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said disgustedly that it was “all politics.”
The Republican leadership, however, argued the effort was worthwhile.
“This is the third full repeal vote that we’ve had in the last three years,” House Speaker John Boehner said. “And some critics have suggested that it’s a waste of time. Well, while our goal is to repeal all of Obamacare, I would remind you that the president has signed into law seven different bills that repealed or defunded parts of that law.”
To make his point, Boehner addressed reporters on Thursday next to pages of Obamacare regulations stacked more than seven feet high.
“These are the thousands and thousands of pages of Obamacare regulations,” Boehner said. “And if we want jobs, we need to get rid of this. Because this is getting in the way of employers hiring workers around the country.”
Lawmakers spent the day expounding on the House floor about their various positions, with votes getting pushed off until 6 p.m.
When they were not orating, members took to Twitter to laud or condemn the law using a hashtag started by Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa: #ObamacareInThreeWords.
The sparring got heated, perfectly encapsulating why Republicans are still holding votes to repeal it, and why it will never go anywhere with a Democratic president.
“IRS in control,” tweeted Rep. Michele Bachmann, the sponsor of Thursday’s repeal bill.
“Metastasizing Malignant Tumor,” chimed in Iowa Rep. Steve King.
The White House’s response: “It’s. The. Law.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/house-votes-to-repeal-obamacare-again/#ixzz2TVTMC0fk
Is there Rehab for Twitter Addiction…
Is Tweeting on Twitter or Posting on FB Responsible Governance?
*Blech*
Most important…Will Free Marcophones be upgrades to smart phones to enable tweeting on twitter?
workingclass artist on May 16, 2013 at 8:53 PM
Could it be any more obvious that Marco Amnesty Rubio (RINO-FL) is jumping all over the Obama scandals just to try and rebuild credibility with conservatives?
MPan on May 17, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Rubio criticizes Obama over the IRS now. But what will he say if the Democrats ask him to be part of a “Gang of 8″ investigating it?
Will he call for legalizing IRS tyranny?
Subotai Bahadur on May 17, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Rubio: Obama “doesn’t have clean hands” in IRS scandal
Likewise Rubio’s hands are filthy on immigration with him carrying Schumer’s buckets of excrement.
RJL on May 18, 2013 at 7:02 PM
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