Which Repubicans Will Cross The Aisle For Kerry's Agenda?

[DrFunkenstein]

Assuming that Kerry wins (it's a sure thing, I don't have the least bit of jitters, I swear), it is likely that he will find himself facing a Congress that is unlikely to rubberstamp his agenda.

Right now - and until election day (and perhaps until the end of litigation) - it is partisan warfare. There's no other way it could be at this point considering the campaign Karl Rove and Karen Hughes have decided to run.

However, once the dust settles on this darkened chapter of American history (who needs Howard Zinn when you've got today's headlines?), I think that we will find a handful of Republicans that would be willing to cross the aisle for some of their pet projects.

Sure, expect little support when Kerry puts up his Supreme Court picks, but there are a few Republicans that would actually like to see important legislation on the environment and health care and deficit reduction and even reforming the Patriot Act.

That said, who do you think could serve as potential allies and which projects do you think they would support?

[molly]

1. I've thought a lot about John McCain

he has been promised something in case of a * win. I think he will cross in a big hurry.

on edit - there was a very interesting discussion about the pro-choice/pro-life platform last nite on Tweety and I give him a lot of credit. He said at no time has * ever said he would reverse roe v wade and that those basing their vote for the pug platform are in for a rude awakening.

This is the only real pug platform issue that splits McCain from our platform - that I can see.

[terrya]

2. That's the first person I thought of.

Possibly someone like Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins.

[auburngrad82]

3. Lincoln Chaffee and Olympia Snow

I have quite a bit of respect for them. They seem to be truly bi-partisan and to have the best interests of their constituents in mind.

[DrFunkenstein]

5. What Will The Foreign Relations Committe Look Like?

Do you think they will embrace Kerry's changes? I tend to think Kerry's position is often directly in line with the thinking of people like Sen. Lugar (in a good way).

[lastknowngood]

4. NONE Nazis never abandon the party the party and Fuhrer are

all there is.

[gottaB]

6. Dick Lugar on foreign policy issues

[iwantmycountryback]

7. Chaffee, McCain

Liebermann;)

[Sparkly]

8. Also Chuck Hagel n/t

[DrFunkenstein]

9. So How Do People Feel About Kerry's Agenda

Making its way through Congress?

Given Kerry's past ability to invoke bi-partisanship, despite his clearly liberal convictions, do you think we'll get enough folks from across the aisle to break a deadlock?

[Sparkly]

10. Yes

Because I think there are enough Republicans who want to move their own party back to some semblance of sanity.

And I think Kerry will be smart about making the right deals. He will have to compromise -- we're not going to get a liberal agenda through full-strength, but at least we can stop the madness and reverse a lot of the Chimp's disasters, starting with things like the environment, for example, and balanced budgets.

[DrFunkenstein]

12. That's What I Was Thinking

Fiscal sanity and the environmental protection are bi-partisan issues. It is possible that we could get support for rolling back the spookier parts of the Patriot Act (and Kerry's Attorney General would handle enforcement), we could get campaign finance reform (Kerry knows that he'll never see this kind of money again without a Dubya bodeyman).

We could get large parts of health coverage passed, especially coverage for children, without a huge fight. Fighting off-shore tax shelters will probably go over nicely.

I certainly don't think we'll see all we've ever hoped for, but I think the country will definitely begin to be pushed in the right direction.

[0007]

11. Hunk Hogan is crossing over folks!

[wadestock]

13. I'm much more worried about rolling back the tax cuts....

The country will go to hell in a basket sooner than anything else if there isn't some reversal of Bush tax cuts.

I haven't heard many "what if" scenarios on this one.

At the very least, we can hope for gridlock and no further decline in the upper rate. Bush gets in....it will not only be made permanent, it will be pushed down yet again...possibly to 28%....with death tax removed etc....

The question is....will enough step up to the plate and reverse this fiscal insanity?

[DrFunkenstein]

14. True Conservatives Will

Fiscal discipline is one of the cornerstones of conservatism. They (supposedly) are more interested in keeping the tax burden off of Americans than they delight in strangling social programs.

So, I can't imagine ALL the conservatives wanting throw money at rich people - at least not rich people who are not constituents.