Andy Warren quits GOP (Longtime PA Repub over party move to right)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-06022005-497208.html

Calling Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick a "DeLay Disciple" and decrying the Republican Party's move to the right, former Republican Bucks County commissioner Andy Warren on Wednesday announced he has become a Democrat and is not ruling out a run for office.

Warren, the longest-serving commissioner in county history and now head of the regional state transportation office, said he switched his party registration over the weekend.

The change comes, Warren said, after years of watching the national Republican Party move further and further to the right.

"When one finds that his philosophy is so out of step with the organization, you either sit silently by, hypocritically, or you do something about it," he said. "It was time to move on. So I did."

[BadGimp]

1. Praise (denomination non specific) GOD!

eom

[dave502d]

2. That nice.n/t

[DearAbby]

3. More ...more I wanna see more sane "repubs" making the switch!

[leesa]

4. Yes!! The end is near.

[merwin]

9. Hopefully the rest of the lemmings in their party will follow suit :-)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. WooHoooo!

I salute you, Commissioner Warren! You are a brave American! :patriot:

[Erika]

6. 1 more GOP realizing their party was hijacked by the far right

It's about time.

[Supersedeas]

25. well wishes to him and others who begin to see the light

[progressivebydesign]

7. Utmost respect for him. Welcome to the party!! n/t

[Melodybe]

8. kick

[anotherdrew]

10. first a trickle... then a flood...

Sounds like he hasn't been watching enough TV lately. Let's call this a new trend right now.

[njdemocrat106]

11. Glad to have Mr. Warren aboard!

There's gotta be a few more good and decent men and women in the GOP who realize what we've known for quite a while. We're waiting with open arms.

Welcome aboard Mr. Warren! :toast:

[DawnneOBTS]

12. Maybe others will follow

That's all it takes is one to start a trend. He can't be the only (well now, he's a former) Repuke who "just isn't feelin' it."

[ET Awful]

13. Congratulations on having a conscience Mr. Warren.

I applaud you.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

14. Just like me....ANOTHER Pa Republican makes the switch.

I also personally know of 4 more Pa Republicans to leave the GOP (some turned Democrat, some Independent, others who were repulsed by the Schiavo intrusion, moved Libertarian).

Would love to know if this bleed is turning into a hemorrhage. Let's see how many elections they win with just the zealots and neocons because the upper-middle class Republicans have had it.:mad:

[quiet.american]

26. Wow. n/t

[drm604]

15. This is great.

:bounce: I'd love to have this guy speak to my local DFA meetup. Maybe I'll try to contact him. :bounce:

[speedingbullet]

16. Turning the Elephant Around

I must confess, I am probably one of those RINOs (Republican in Name Only) that the right wing decries. It is the shame of my spouse and parents. I live in the heart of a red state. I stay Republican because most of the county elections are effectively decided at the Republican primary. As an added plus, I got to vote against Bush twice last year.

I think it is great that high profile party leaders are making the switch. It makes a great statement. I am concerned about the moderate members leaving which will push the GOP further to the right. My hope is that the rank and file members will see that the extremists are not conservative. Bush and Co. don't advance what I see as traditional GOP values. Remember fiscal responsibility? Less government?

I suppose it is only a matter of time until I can't take it anymore or until the party purges me as a heretic, but until then I will continue to be a pain in the elephant's ass.

[KansDem]

18. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

What say, we get rid of the criminal enterprise in the White House and go back to real debate and compromise?

[GCP]

31. Welcome to DU!

Anyone with a brain is welcome here! :toast:

[KansDem]

17. Remember when Reagan did the "Come over to our side" pitch in 1980

That resulted in the "Reagan Democrats" that helped him win the election? Now's the perfect opportunity for Democratic leaders to be saying the same thing to disgruntled and disillusioned Republicans.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

20. So true. Now is the time to extend the welcome mat.

Simply playing on the themes of government intrusion into the Schiavo case, Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and fiscal responsibility by government should be enough to encourage many angry moderate/liberal Republicans to look at what Democrats have to offer. There are many other areas of disagreement within the GOP, but these are some hot button starters.

[KansDem]

22. Now's the time!

I canvassed for Kerry/Edwards in the last election. On election day, I reported to the K/E campaign office here in Kansas City. There were several of us who broke down into teams of four. Each team then went out into the neighborhoods to remind people to vote and hang get-out-the-vote tags on doors. In my team there was a mother/daughter couple who told me they were registered Republicans. Two out of four! They explained that Bush and his ilk had hijacked the GOP and was no longer representing true Republican values.

That evening, I attended the Dennis Moore victory party (Moore, Democrat-3rd District, Kansas). I saw the mother again at the party. Turns out she was part of the Republicans for Moore (The GOP ran a hard-right candidate, Kris Kobach, a John-Ashcroft wannabee, who did not appeal to the interests of moderate Republicans. In fact, Dennis Moore would not have won without the support and votes of moderate Republicans!). She felt a moderate Democrat was better for our district than a far-right Republican.

I sense then these Republicans want their party back.

[msanthrope]

19. Thank you Andy! n/t

[Merlin]

21. I'm happy to see it's in PA

And I'm glad to see the Grand Old elephants aren't all brain dead.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. What have I been saying?

Just watch! It's going to get very interesting this summer.

[oxbow]

24. Let's\ welcome him to the "reality based community"

Where's his email?

[K8-EEE]

27. Welcome And BRING SOME MORE FRIENDS!

Come on all you GOPs who are secretly horrified...JOIN THE LIVING....LEAVE THE ZOMBIE CHRISTO-FASCISTS WAR CRIMINALS AND COME ON OVER TO THE LIGHT!

[Straight Shooter]

28. In Pennsylvania. Take that, man-dog Santorum!

Speaking of dogs, I guess they'll send their attack dogs out to get Warren.

Congratulations, sir, you make a country proud :patriot:

[ignatius 2]

29. Way to go Andy. Now go after some of your repug buddies and help

them see the light as well.

[Kolesar]

30. Could have/should have switched before the election

Did he want to hang in there for his tax cut first?

[converted_democrat]

32. He left, I left, my Dad left, my Mom left--The Republican party is

bleeding. We need to make sure they don't get their hands on some band-aids!