Republican Lawmakers' Solidarity With Bush Starting to Show Cracks

[babylonsister]

GOP solidarity softens in Congress

Republican Lawmakers' Solidarity With Bush Starting to Show Cracks

CHARLES BABINGTON
AP News

Sep 28, 2007 14:09 EDT

The nearly airtight solidarity that Republicans in Congress have shown President Bush on the Iraq war is developing leaks when it comes to domestic issues.

Democrats believe those cracks, illustrated by votes this week on health care and hate crimes, will grow to include Iraq as the 2008 elections near.

Members of both parties were stunned when 45 House Republicans voted this week for a children's health insurance plan that Bush strenuously opposes and vows to veto.

On Thursday, an even larger percentage of Senate Republicans voted for the same bill. That same day, GOP senators provided crucial votes to clear the way for passage of a hate-crimes bill that Bush also promises to veto.

snip//

Rep. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, one of the 45 Republicans supporting the SCHIP expansion, said he did so because "it was fundamentally the right thing to do." He seemed exasperated by Bush's opposition.

"I don't have the time, the energy or the inclination to psychoanalyze the president's thought process," Gilchrest said.

more...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/09/gop_solidarity_softens_in_cong.php

[movonne]

1. Now back to the war...this is an easy one, even the repugs don't

want to completely look like Screwge...so don't keep crowing about getting something through..

[gateley]

5. Well Biden's amendment passed handily -- and REGARDLESS of what you think

of it (I've heard it all) it is the first time any bipartisan item regarding anything about Iraq has passed. It's an indication that more R's are willing to to dissent. This is good news.

And hopefully the more the R's do this, the more their followers will actually THINK about what's going on and consider the possibility that maybe their sterling leaders HAVE been wrong on occasion.

Again, an important step.

[TomInTib]

2. "the president's thought process"

As if....

[Raster]

3. !!!

What thought process?

[Kurovski]

4. It's been predicted for awhile that Repubs would distance themselves from Bush

It's the job of Dems to keep reminding the voters of how the republicans so fully supported George throughout all his disastrous moves.

[gateley]

6. Agree. nt

[roguevalley]

7. they're such losers. they are already a year and a half too late

[dmr]

8. I think the health care vote has more to do with angry voters

than Old Dubya. I watched Michael Moore on the Oprah show the other day, and people were appalled and angry. Moore mentioned the healthcare vote in Congress, and Bushes* vow to veto it; Moore and Oprah urged everyone to call and/or write Congress. I was glad to hear that because she reaches and has an impact on a wide range of people.

We've been here before about them distancing themselves from Bush*, and I truly wish they would. I wish they'd all begin to critically think about what their cohesiveness is doing to our country and decide to throw the bums outa the WH.

Anyway, I think the fear of angry voters trump the politics of the WH and the healthcare industry this time around - which is the way it's suppose to be.

I don't usually watch Oprah, but the show was a pretty powerful indictment against for profit healthcare. I kept thinking, if only she would do a show on the Military Commission's Act and the loss of Habeas Corpus. But sadly, that's only a dream.

[struggle4progress]

9. With all them dark clouds gatherin over them elections, that herd looks to be gittin nervous

So here we is, wunst agin scritchin our heads and wonderin whether they might could stampede off yonder bluff, if sumbody careless wuz to mosey up behind them and yell Boo!