Bunning’s Blockade Became a Conservative Rallying Cry

[Cherchez la Femme]

Source: The Washington Independent

Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) blockade on extending temporarily unemployment benefits put the Tea Party movement in an unfamiliar position. Instead of nudging the Republican Party to take a stand, activists watched a politician pick an anti-government fight they didn’t even know existed.

“We’ve just been so consumed with the health care issue,” said Jennifer Hulsey, a Georgia-based leader of the American Grassroots coalition. “People are only now starting to take a stand on this.”

After a slow weekend, said Hulsey, the group only developed a position on Bunning’s blockade during a Tuesday night conference call, shortly after Bunning relented. Other conservative activists and Tea Party groups also took their time in responding — but in the end, most of them got behind Bunning. What Democrats saw as a perfect opportunity to turn American opinion against Republican obstructionism in the Senate became, with only a few exceptions, an opportunity for conservatives to endorse a slowdown of Senate business. Late Tuesday, when Bunning announced a hold on all pending nominations, activists were confident that Democrats would blink first in a conflict that the majority party could have ended on day one, had they been honest about what they were doing and willing to invoke cloture.

“Senator Jim Bunning has taken a courageous stand, to hold the Democrats — in fact, all of us — accountable for the the things we say we believe,” said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Bunning, argued DeMint, was making a point about Democratic hypocrisy on “pay-as-you-go” rules, and Democrats were spinning unfair scare stories about Americans left without unemployment benefits.

~snip~

Read more: http://washingtonindependent.com/78153/bunnings-blockade-became-a-conservative-rallying-cry

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I wonder if Reid's tough attitude will now whither away?

[liberal N proud]

1. We all knew this was going to be spun in their favor

Everyone for the last two days was calling this bad for the GOP and great for the Democrats.

I saw this coming, they are going to use it, and stand on it and prop their failures up with it and proclaim that this is the right thing for America to stop those damn Democrats from destroying this once great nation.

They will make shit smell like roses.

[OKNancy]

3. I think the damage has been done. They can spin all they want

but just because the likes of Gary Bauer and Grover Nordquist say it, doesn't make it true. It seems very apparent to me that Bunning's move and the teabaggers support of it was a bad thing in the eyes of the squishy middle. The middle/centrist/independents are the ones who drive public opinion, not the edges. As I read around the net, the only ones loving it are the kooky right.

[Cosmocat]

11. The MSM is so darn fickle ...

This was a soft spot for the Ds all along, but the Rs took too long to rally on point, and the MSM, for the first time in FAR too long, took the Rs to task on it ...

As you noted, the ship has sailed on the issue ...

There are A LOT more things the Ds have been A LOT more right on, and the Rs a lot more wrong on, that the MSM has carried flat out Rs lies about, but again, the Rs just were too late to find a rallying point on this one ...

Overall, a SMALL "win" for the dems, the first one the MSM has "given" them in a L O N G time ...

Now, back to the usual agenda of dems in trouble and Rs on the prowl ...

[still_one]

5. If the Democrats did their job and took control of the argument instead of being so damn passive

it wouldn't be that way

After 8 years of bush, and the last year of republicans controlling the talking points, you would have thought that the Democrats would have grown a spine by now

Until that changes, and the Democrats actually take control, they will never control anything no mater how much of a majority they have

Almost everyday you hear the republicans slamming the Democrats, but never the reverse

There is something seriously wrong with a party that allows itself to be constantly slandered and libeled and will not fight back

When Kerry was swift-boated, he not only delayed his response, but came back in a very timid way

There is absolutely no excuse what happened in Massachusetts, and Tim Kaine is still kept in that position. Dean was a fighter, hell, even Terry Mcalauffe(sic) was a fighter. What Tim Kaine represents is the leadership of the Democratic party, and until they lead and fight, the Democrats will NEVER have any real control

Just as the republicans have people out everyday with their talking points, where are the Democrats?

They are lazy, and the obvious fact is they don't know how to play the game

[llmart]

8. I disagree.

Their shit will only smell like roses to the knuckledraggers who don't have enough brains to understand the ramifications of their support for stunts like this.

[ck4829]

2. Weren't these the same conservatives who called filibustering of Bush's nominees "obstructionist"

and even "Anti-Christian"?

[old mark]

4. CNN reported that th Dems are planning a bill to extend UC benefits till Jan 11...

and containing 3 provisions demanded by Bunning!

If this is the Democrats' idea of "a tough attitude", it is apalling. Are there NO GUTS AT ALL in the congress or the WH?

Sell out the left and the unions, kiss GOP ass and look stupid doing it. Great "policy", Democrats!

They are pathetic.

mark

[still_one]

6. You are absolutely right. Until that changes, the Democrats will never control anything /nt

[SkyDaddy7]

7. WTF?

"Democrats were spinning unfair scare stories about Americans left without unemployment benefits."

It still amazes me what the Tea Baggers will say in order to support everything the GOP says and does! And they claim they do not support everything the GOP says & does...Yeah, right!

[deacon]

9. Truly more insanity. You don't play political games with people in this economic crisis. It's not a

time for political statements. Again, the GOP and these tea bag nuts join hands in ignoring the mess they got us into.

[JohnnyLib2]

10. Yup, Limbaugh called him a hero and so did--

the two dittoheads that I have contact with at times. Guess it was inevitable, sort of like crabgrass.

[madrchsod]

12. just about everyone in this country knows of someone who is`t employed.

the teabaggers are fools and that makes them dangerous.