Thune threatens no votes on Bush priorities

[truthpusher]

Posted on Wed, May. 25, 2005
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Thune threatens no votes on Bush priorities
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MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
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WASHINGTON - Since Republican John Thune defeated the Senate's top Democrat last November, he has been one of the most loyal Republicans to President Bush. He has traveled around the country to fundraise and championed the party's priorities on countless news networks.

But now that the Pentagon has targeted South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base for closure, Thune is increasingly flirting with the opposition.

This week he threatened to vote against the nomination for John Bolton, Bush's embattled nominee to be United Nations ambassador. If he does vote against Bolton, he will be one of only a handful of Republicans to do so.

Thune also has declined to take a position on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, another Bush priority.

complete story: http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/11737168.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[Old and In the Way]

1. Another "principaled" Republican.

It's not how bad the nominees are for this country...it's about getting his slice of pork served.

[confludemocrat]

15. Excuse me, but who was the other principled Repub?

Just asking. I am unaware of any prior to his purportedly becoming principled. Anyway, what principle? He is feigning independence on these issues but that remains to be seen and if he does come through he is simply being realistic in acknowledging how his state would be screwed by Bush on these issues. He would deserve no kudos for being decent.

[Miss Chybil]

18. I think Old and In the Way was being sarcastic, thus the quotation marks.

There is nothing principled about this guy. He's not going to vote for Bush's priorities unless he gets what he wants. That's Politics with a capital P. But, this proves he has no loyalty to his master, nor does he care much about his opposition - just his own piece of the pie. Good for his constituents. You can call him principled where they're concerned. They are the ones who hired him for the job. Either way, a vote against Bush is a vote for the good guys no matter the motivation, as far as I'm concerned.

[Old and In the Way]

22. I guess I was a tad obtuse with the play on words

Principal - a capital sum placed at interest, due as a debt, or used as a fund (2) : the corpus of an estate, portion, devise, or bequest

It's always about the $ with Republicans....the principal is their guiding principle....or something like that.

[katty]

17. Good-let the ReThugs divide and implode

wait til Thune gets a visit from one of Karl's thugs....

[rocktivity]

2. Yum!

When GOP Moderates Attack--let the blowback begin!!!

:popcorn:
rocknation

[kevinmc]

3. Another Member of The Party of WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[wildwww2]

4. Thune should vote against Bolton because Bolton is a bad choice.

Anyway like I saw in another post he is just crying waaaaaa! Bu$h`s CIA buddies will give him a call and he will fall in line. Thune is a worthless puke anyway. If he bucks usurper boy and Rove I will be very suprised.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[Changenow]

5. Guess he'll be able to keep those bases. nt

[Goldeneye]

6. Is the republican party having some internal trouble?

Boo hoo you sick GOP piggies! I could've sworn the MSM said the democratic party was going to fall apart after Bush got his MANdate. :shrug: Looks like they got that wrong too.

[loudsue]

27. Gawd. That picture makes me so sad!

:cry: John Kerry should be in the White House, and all of those stellar Dems standing with him should be on the job with him.

Phuck those damned electronic vote counting machines!!!

PAPER BALLOTS!! HAND COUNTED!! IT'S THE ONLY WAY!

:kick::kick::kick:

[laheina]

30. That was the MSM as a platform for Grover Norquist.

But let's hope that *'s "man date" comes back to haunt him. ;)

[SoCalDem]

7. Big Baby

[xchrom]

8. south dakota should be proud

they have such low life, low rent, whinning, cry baby for a senator.

democrats should kick the bastard in the nuts and send his whinning ass on it's way.

[MaineDem]

9. Gee, somehow I don't believe him

A Republican is a Republican is a Republican.

[gratuitous]

10. See what loyalty's worth, Mr. Thune?

There is no honor in the pack of thieves that you've attached yourself to. But like Zack Mayo in "An Officer and A Gentleman," you've got nowhere else to go, political party-wise, and the Republican leadership knows it.

So whine, cry, bitch and moan, Mr. Thune. South Dakota is solidly Republican and Karl Rove doesn't need you nearly as much as you need the national party. They will allow you a little hissy fit, but don't make a habit of it and don't for a moment start thinking for yourself. Blow-dried pretty boys are a dime a dozen, and the Republicans will find another one who isn't quite so whiny if you decide that you're going to get yourself some principles.

[rocktivity]

11. Can you say, "Internal coup?"

John McCain can.

:popcorn:
rocknation

[splat@14]

12. He's toast.

[Catch22Dem]

13. I called this little act the day that list came out...

Thune knows damn well they're not gonna close Elsworth. It's a fucking ploy to make him look like a hero when Elsworth stays open. If you ask me, this bullshit was scripted from the beginning. Hero my ass.

[DuaneBidoux]

14. I wouldn't count on ANY of the targeted bases staying open!

Remember all those "job creating" tax cuts? Well those have to be paid for, and the hole in which we have dug ourselves is so deep that even the poor little defense department, that center of all lovin' feelings for Rethugs is going to take some hits. Wonder how many jobs this will create?

[Roland99]

16. Bingo!

[Rose Siding]

19. They are shamelessly transparent

Is anyone taking odds on Elsworth closing yet? We could be rich! Rich, I tell you!

[CatholicEdHead]

20. He is taking the easy way on CAFTA

knowing that if he votes for it he will loose the plains farmers.

[AlGore-08.com]

21. Remember, Frist campaigned in SD for Thune, promising not to close it

If Thune was voted in. The lie was that as a Republican, Thune would have more pull, and it was very heavily implied that Ellsworth would close if Daschle was re-elected but Frist would work with Thune to keep it open. This promise was a big factor in Thune's victory.

It is too early to tell which of the following will happen:

1. Ellsworth will really close and Thune will have to raise a big public stink (much bigger than this) if he has a hope of being re-elected

2. The GOP leadership panics and takes Ellsworth off the closing list to get Thune back in line

3. This has all been a scam to inflate Thune, as some have speculated

4. The GOP leadership decides Thune is too independent, what with his demanding they keep their promises to little nobody Senators, so they crank up the smear machine in order to teach other defecting GOPers not to think for themselves...

[freethought]

23. What's this!!??

The republican party's 'Ken-doll' a little upset with the base closings? Quick, someone get 'Mr. Perfect' some milk and cookies!

[Samantha]

24. So is Thune now playing the role of the "obstructionist"

Inquiring minds and Tom Daschle would like to know.

[Blaze Diem]

25. Thune's lily white ass is on the line back home.

The way Bush plays the game of manipulation, Ellsworth will really NOT close..Thune will be the hero..Maybe.

However,I would bet big that Thune is being bombarded by irate S Dakotans about losing their $upport from Ellsworth.
There's Ellsworth and then there's a big stone carving in remembrance of REAL Presidents.
Ellsworth is critical to S Dakotas economy.
Maybe the home folks have turned up the heat to "barbecue" and Thune finds himself about to burst into flames either way it goes.

Sucks to be Thune.

[lakeguy]

26. it's all a show, rumsfeld won't close it and thune will be

the friggin hero of SD!

[pimpbot]

28. no, i think these are real

The wars abroad are sucking so much damn money its insane. Not only are they getting the "emergency" 82 billion, but internal DoD orgs are getting their budgets axed if they arent directly supporting the war effort. I bet that 82bil would be more like 100+ bil if the internal cuts werent being done.

[laheina]

29. Plausible

But let's see how much bite he has--or if he's all bark.

;)

[DeepModem Mom]

31. kick