Texas Republican Says "Country Must Come Before Party"

[Rhiannon12866]

By Mitch Dworkin
Republicans for Kerry

Sunday 10 October 2004

The Republican Party as well as America needs a return to mainstream leadership.

Country must come before party. We need a president who can admit to making mistakes and bad decisions, a president who can unite this country and restore credibility back to the White House and to our allies who are now alienated from this Administration, and a president who is fiscally responsible and is in touch with the economic burdens of middle class Americans.

Enormous tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans who make over $200,000 per year in a time of war and when the middle class is suffering from job losses, increased costs in health care and education, and record high deficits is not exercising fiscal responsibility and is also clearly not compassionate or conservative.

President Bush does not embody and practice true compassionate and conservative values as he claims. He and most of his administration represent an extreme faction of the Republican Party and are out of touch with the American people and our world allies who once respected us.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/102604V.shtml

If you have the time, listen to the radio interview. He speaks out much more strongly to "Truthout." This is what this country needs, though I fear it is too late for this election. This summer, Carl Bernstein said that it was the Republican Party which had to reject Bush*, as the Democrats did with Lyndon Johnson and the Republicans did with Richard Nixon. They made a huge mistake in nominating him for a second time and the Republicans are too little and too late in condemning him. Where were Hagel (R-Nebraska) and Lugar (R-Indiana) during the Republican Convention? And I just don't get John McCain, who has criticized this administration more than even the Democrats...:crazy:

edited for spelling...

[Boomer]

1. If there were more Republicans like this...

...it would renew my respect for the Republican party.

For me, ousting Bush has always been a non-partisan issue. He has shown such manifest incompetence that I don't give a flying fig which party he belongs to, he simply needs to be removed. I would be appalled if the Democratic party were to nominate someone as patently unfit for command as is Bush.

[secular_warrior]

2. "ousting Bush has always been a non partisan issue"

Yep, that's what I say, especially to undecideds and moderate Repubs. I tell them all the ways Bush is a non traditional leader and ideologue, and how the once responsible Republican Party has been hijacked by corporatists, theocratists and imperialists, and that if a Democratic president were as bad as Bush I would oppose him, just like Dems did with LBJ over Vietnam. It is every American's patriotic duty to kick this group of criminals out of the government. Only then can we have a real debate in this country about issues. I tell them that Kerry will be a very traditional American leader, one who is concerned with uniting people and the world, and they don't have to worry about openly disagreeing with him, or losing their right to vote him out. Kerry will restore and uphold democracy for all.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Me, too. I cannot see how anybody can support this incompetent

It's one failure after another. Today's report of the looting of 377 tons of explosives, which might very well are being used against our brave troops, being particularly flagrant. This makes me feel sick. His excuse for invading Iraq was that they had WMDs. So what was their plan to secure those terrible and destructive weapons that they expected to find, if they left cashes of conventional weapons unguarded? His own party is turning on him. I had just hoped that it would have come earlier, since his colossal failures, and his refusal to admit to any failures, are hardly news...:shrug:

[JohnKleeb]

4. kick, very interesting

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Thanks, John!

Did you listen to the radio interview? He came on even stronger than in the article. This guy worked for Bush* in Texas in 2000, and, yet, he's leading the effort to persuade Republicans to vote for Kerry. I posted this article because it gave me real hope. If this Texas Republican can see Bush* for what he really is, then a lot of people probably do. It's not just us left-wing nut jobs, LOL!:D

[5thGenDemocrat]

7. True story from Saginaw (The Center of the Universe)

While I was at the MoveOn organizational meeting two weeks ago, I so happened to sit next to a man who, unsolicited, told me "I'm 62 years old and I've never voted for a Democrat for President in my life -- but I'm voting for this one!" To say nothing about the fact that, besides voting, he was also at a MoveOn organizational meeting.
To quote Normal Mailer, "there's a shitstorm coming."
John
And it's coming hard.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Thank you. This is awesome and also gives me hope

My political mentor was a very elderly man who I got to know when I joined my grandmother, as part of a peace group to the former Soviet Union. He didn't vote for Franklin Roosevelt, but changed his political point of view, and persuaded my grandmother, who had never voted Democratic in her life, to vote for Bill Clinton. He was my friend, Paul's, candidate. This man worked for integration in the South, tolerance and for numerous liberal candidates. He was the head of the YMCA, based in Geneva, where they installed three beautiful windows, honoring the world's three great religions, Judaism, Muslim and Christian. This man was tolerance and acceptance, personified. I learned a great deal from my friend, Paul, who died at 101, On Christmas Eve in 1998. I keep wondering what he would think, and believe that 9/11 would have broken his heart, after a lifetime of promoting tolerance, all over the world.;(

I appreciate your story about the man you met at the MoveOn meeting, and this reminded me of Paul. This is only good news. I also have heard, on the news, of a 79-year-old woman who is voting for the first time in her life, because she was denied her flu shot.:shrug:

It is far past time that this illegal administration is called on the lies that they have told to Congress and to the American people. But they continue to tell more lies, even today, about their failure to guard 377 tons of explosive materials in Iraq. They just have no leg to stand on. We have to prevail in this election. The news, especially from Iraq, continues to just get worse and unspeakably worse. We need regime change, at home, or I cannot imagine any future for us, let alone Iraq. I always knew that this illegal war was a huge mistake, but I had no idea how badly this inept administration would bungle absolutely everything.:grr:

[Zorbet55]

6. Good post

We need people like Mitch.

[Rhiannon12866]

11. He's awesome, isn't he?! We need more great Americans like this

who are willing to put aside partisan politics for the greater good. He gave me hope.:shrug:

[AnIndependentTexan]

8. Now will everyone back off about Texas not getting it

We are making Texas go blue. Now how is that for a slap in George Bush face!

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I take it that you're from Texas

I have a friend from Texas and should give him a call to make sure that he's on board with this. I'm backing off. This guy, who is encouraging Republicans to support Kerry, is awesome and I admire him greatly. We need more people just like him who I am now hoping are out there. I would love to see your Texas go blue. And so would Ann Richards, who is just the best.:-)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. That made my day!

We may not be blue yet but we're sure as hell purple!

[Rhiannon12866]

13. I am so glad for you!

Welcome to DU, TexasDem4Kerry! You are most welcome here and we're glad to have you with us! I wish that we could turn your red state blue, LOL!:D