Night of the Long Knives Coming

[Kelvin Mace]

BushCo is going to purge the GOP of its moderate wing. Folks like John McCain are going to find out that the price of "party loyalty" is their own extermination.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

Oh yes.

Consolidation of the grip.

[FlashHarry]

1. Yep. Hagel, Lugar, Chafee, Snowe, Collins, say good-by-eee!

Or, come on over here--the water's warm!

[kwolf68]

2. McCain

helped win it for Bush. He bought himself protection.

[rooboy]

6. No he hasn't...

ask the Dems who co-operated with * after 9/11. McCain is toast.

[Kelvin Mace]

12. McCain has dared criticize

Precious Leader, he will be purged.

[Philostopher]

3. My hope is that we'll become a three-party system, after this.

Moderates and a wing to either side. It's kind of sad when the best hope I have for this country is moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats forming a solid-center coalition, but I think it's what we're all going to have to hang our hats on right now.

[desi]

10. This election showed us exactly how moderate Republicans are.

Supposedly more than 58 million Americans voted for this fiscally irresponsible, warmongering, fundementalist MORON. How "moderate" is that?

[0rganism]

11. Our legislative framework is not equipped to support a 3-party system

However, it would be very well suited to a 1-party system.

We should, at this point, carefully consider the possibility of changing the republican party from within.

[quaoar]

4. They won't be purged

They will be patronized and marginalized. They will be given occasional scraps of pork to keep them going so the GOP can count on their votes.

[snippy]

14. I agree, but some of them will continue under the illusion that they

provide a moderating influence on the republican party. Those republicans need to realize, as Jim Jeffords did, that it is only an illusion and not a reality. Whether that will happen is anybody's guess.

The fault lines in the republican party will come under a lot of stress in the next term of Congress. Deficits, more tax cuts and Supreme Court nominations will be major issues within the GOP. The Reich Wing likely will display a manaical hatred for the moderate republicans if they dare to question the party line. How the party responds to the Reich Wing will have an impact on some moderate republicans.

[rndmprsn]

5. Ugh...sadly i agree.

[Renew Deal]

7. McCain won reelection

And he is still a tool of the party. Otherwise, I agree.

[0rganism]

8. I doubt it. Such people are useful as patsies.

The McCains and Chaffees are excellent tools for displaying how honest, cooperative and pleasant the republican party is. Until a true plurality buys into the entire Dominionist plan, the neo-cons are vulnerable to accusations of extremism. "Moderates" (who support most of the same positions anyway) are an effective smokescreen.

[PretzelWarrior]

9. it won't be in a fell swoop. it will be like Arlen Specter's scare

in the primary. THey will run an ultra conservative against incumbent moderates...and this will defeat some...and scare others into staking out more of a conservative party line.

It is brute force politics. But I do agree with another person that in the meantime they will be marginalized and the POWERS of the GOP will make sure the press parrots who out of line these blacklisted folks are.

[desi]

13. Who makes up this

GOP "moderate" wing. McCain is not going anywhere. Well maybe to a Bush cabinet if they are successful in the latest coup.