The Republican rump gets purer:
President Barack Obama plans to name Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr., a rapidly rising star in the Republican Party, as ambassador to China, a senior administration official said.
The move is freighted with political intrigue. Huntsman, who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, quickly emerged after November as one of the leading moderate GOP voices.
Huntsman is often mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012, although some of his advisers think the party primary voters will be more prepared to accept his moderate views on the environment and gay rights in 2016.
Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but this just seems like good news for the country. Huntsman may be to the right of what many Democrats would like in an administration appointee, and while my knowledge of him is limited to what I have read about him the past few months, he seems like a sane, capable person with whom reasonable people can have disagreements and someone who will be a very good public face for our country.
Additionally, I look at this as preserving the seed corn of the GOP. The current virus of crazy teabagging Palinite theocon wingnuts has to burn out sooner or later (one would have thought they would have already collapsed, exhausted by their hate, sheer stupidity and the weight of their own internal contradictions, but sadly, that group of crazies seem to have a little bit of life in them still), and if we can save the sane portions of the Republican party and reintroduce them to the wild, unscathed from the current taint at a later date, the better off we all are. No one is served by one party rule, and I can already see fault lines forming within the chaos of the Democratic party and their our (forgot I was a registered “D” for a second) underlying inherent weaknesses (see also E.D. Kain). Unless my judgment is as bad as it was in 2000 (and let’s face it, I’m still an idiot, just now I have a bigger audience), in 2016 Jon Huntsman could be the face of a rational opposition party.
We can hope, providing he accepts.
(via the comments)
Laura W
My nomination for sentence of the month. So far.
NobodySpecial
Friends close, enemies closer. Me like.
John Cole
Not to overstate things, but this is how realignments happen.
/balloonjuicecommentariat
Bill E Pilgrim
The “most polarizing President in modern times” strikes again.
It’s funny how this bipartisan thing of Obama’s has as a by-product the pushing of the tea bag fringe into finding more and more extreme attacks, since “He won’t work with Republicans!” just starts to look silly at this point.
It’s sort of like a pod people movie, if he does it right, one by one turning some of them into moderates.
Look out! Moderates!
Fulcanelli
Huntsman actually speaks fluent Chinese? Impressive.
I’d have bet the farm a Gooper from Utah would just TALK REAL LOUD, make faces and gesticulate like most Americans do when they encounter someone who doesn’t speak perfect English (as though they’re deaf, too). Seem like a smart move on the MUP’s part for all the reasons you mentioned.
John Cole
@Fulcanelli: I actually know several Mormons, and every one of them is fluent in a second language. Unless I am misremembering, for years the best guides to any portion of the world were available from the LDS, because of their missionary work.
AhabTRuler
This Obama guy, he keeps ya guessing. And not always in a bad way (unlike the last guy. Hey how did he get the job anyway?).
Martin
He’ll have a D next to his name by the time he’s done in China. The GOP doesn’t want him and they’ll make that known soon enough.
Fulcanelli
Hey, wait a sec… Is Obama running his own Underground Railroad for moderate republicans to keep the species alive? First a Secretary of Transportation, now an Ambassador off to China. We need to watch for a trend here…
D-Chance.
Interesting. Your post falls in line with the LoOG:
To me, Pelosi’s denial (and accusation against the CIA) lays bare a deeper truth about the Democrats. Without Obama they’d be nearly as big a mess as the Republicans. Most of them are complicit in the Bush torture program and the wars. The party is almost headless without Obama – led by the fickle and hardly inspiring Reid/Pelosi duo. After Obama, if conservatives learn anything over the next eight years – yes, I’m predicting it will be eight – unless the Democrats get some sort of order and discipline and more importantly, some grander vision, then I think the GOP should have no trouble at all coming in and cleaning up.
Max
Link to Wingnuttia –
http://tinyurl.com/owzu9v
Which makes me ask… What does DLTDHYOTWO mean? I can’t keep up with the acryos.
jenniebee
I used to think that this was the craziest, stupidest thing ever conceived by the mind of man. I have no follow up, I just wanted to share that link. You’re welcome.
The Republicans have been “purifying” with these loyalty tests for at least a decade now – why is anybody surprised that the longer it goes on, the more power devolves into the radical rump, and the faster the purging goes. 2009 isn’t when the wingnuts started purging, 2009 is when they really got traction and the thing started taking on a life of its own.
Jon
And the Roman theme for friday continues lol(co-opting your potential opponents to fight for you). Huntsman didn’t have a future in the current GOP make up. If he does a good job and moves up the food chain in Obama’s administration, he could be in the mix for the Dems in 2016(as a sane fiscal conservative who is a social liberal to balance out a more fiscally liberal ticketmate).
Bill E Pilgrim
@John Cole:
Unless I am misremembering, for years the best guides to any portion of the world were available from the LDS.
Boy I know when I did that stuff as a teenager I could speak Chinese, or anything else for that matter.
Oh wait LDS. Sorry.
AhabTRuler
To wit: Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.
Fulcanelli
@jenniebee: That was cruel.
kommrade reproductive vigor
By Sunday Cthcheny will have declared Huntsman d’hraGOP (Not Republican).
O ye of little faith.
Bill E Pilgrim
<emHuntsman is also a self-proclaimed fan of the progressive rock genre and on July 30, 2007, attended a concert by progressive metal band Dream Theater. Later that day, Huntsman signed a proclamation creating “Dream Theater Day” on that date for the state of Utah.
According to Dream Theater’s website, Huntsman is a keyboard player. Huntsman also joined REO Speedwagon on the piano for two songs during their concert at the Utah State Fair on September 16, 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Huntsman,_Jr.
Max
@AhabTRuler:
Ahhh.. I see it now.
I don’t understand how the repubs can be happy that Obama just sent a strong opponent to China. Oh wait, he’s a moderate on social issues…
srv
@Max:
HyperIon
digby is not the first to work this vein. but this is good.
jenniebee
@Fulcanelli: you were warned!
That’s one of those things that, within a few seconds of it starting, you hope it’s a rickroll. And yet you can’t look away.
srv
Malkinites, always good for a laugh.
MTiffany
WTF? My Mandarin is passable. Nominate me as ambassador to China. I hate Obama sometimes. I really do. There are no qualified Democrats to fill the post? No? Would that be because Republican Presidents only appoint fellow Republicans? Yes. Allow me to repeat myself. I really hate Obama sometimes. Fucking pandering sellout asshole.
I don’t care about the health of the Republican Party and neither should any other Democrat. The Republicans reaped what the sowed. Fuck ’em. Let them learn their lesson and in the meantime Democrats should be acting to strengthen the Democratic Party.
robertdsc
Welcome to Arlen Specter’s Balloon Juice.
Tattoosydney
@jenniebee:
Oh my god. Just… wah.
valdivia
when people start screaming that Obama is a traitor because he does not do what some want him to do, please remember what the Dems in congress are doing to his policies and promises. are these guys insane or what?
kommrade reproductive vigor
Awesome.
I’m seeing reports that Huntsman has accepted. I’m sure the confirmation will be without drama or – Haha ha ha ha!
Sorry, couldn’t finish that with a straight face.
Fulcanelli
Can’t wait to hear what Baron Rush Von Harkonnenbaugh has to say about yet another defector to the Obama’dib and the Fremen after hearing this and simmering all weekend.
Popcorn, anyone?
srv
@kommrade reproductive vigor: Nugent and Palin spawn?
I was thinking Greenspan and Palin were going to animalistically rut on Ayn Rand’s grave while John Ashcroft sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Andrea Mitchell covered it.
jenniebee
@Fulcanelli: Damn, I knew I should have bought stock in Orville Redenbacher…
PeakVT
I can already see fault lines
formingbeing stuffed full of high-yield explosives within the chaos of the Democratic partyAnd the Senate Dems seem pretty intent on setting it all off.
thefncrow
While I can’t speak for Huntsman’s term in general, he left a good impression on me earlier this year.
Earlier this year, the Utah legislature passed a bill targeting violent video games. It was a joke of a bill, that attempted to curb games via the Truth in Advertising law, pushed by the recently disbarred Jack Thompson.
The idea behind the bill was that they’d try to curb sales of violent games to minors by punishing the store owner if an employee sold someone a game when the rating indicated they shouldn’t be buying the game. The problem is that, since it was the Truth in Advertising law, that means you’d actually have to produce an advertisement for the actual store advertising to the people that they enforce the ratings system, so it would be unlikely to do anything really positive at all.
There was talk, mostly from the advocates of the bill, that in-store signs about the rating system may apply, which could potentially make the bill incredibly damaging. Why? Because then, to protect themselves, you could end up with stores ditching all the information about the video game rating system and refusing to enforce it, thus eliminating any potential penalty for the store owner while increasing the number of violent games sold to minors.
Both the Utah Senate and House passed the bill, though it barely escaped before the end of the legislature’s term. Huntsman vetoed the bill, explaining:
Bill E Pilgrim
@Fulcanelli:
Can’t wait to hear what Baron Rush Von Harkonnenbaugh has to say about yet another defector to the Obama’dib and the Fremen after hearing this and simmering all weekend.
Popcorn, anyone?
Just wait until spice goes back to $100 a barrel. Rush will ask the guild to make him Emperor.
Martin
Ok, that’s just a fancier way of predicting peak wingnut. It’s still wrong. Wingnut is like entropy – always increasing.
jenniebee
@Martin:
no, it’s like gasses and crap you don’t quite know anymore why you bought: all three expand to fill the space available to them. The only difference is that Wingnut is the only one of the three that actually gets denser as it expands.
kommrade reproductive vigor
@srv: I’ve been subjected to many hideous mental images during my time in the Blogosphere, but that took the cake, filled it with razor blades, smeared it in thick gooey shit and served it at a small child’s birthday party.
I feel unwell.
Fulcanelli
At the current rate the 2012 GOP convention will look like a UFC cage match, but with women combatants. Hmmm… This could be interesting. My money’s on Palin/Bachmann.
pillsy
I don’t know if Huntsman will accept, but if he does, you can bet that the Congressional GOP will flip out and try to spike his nomination. They did the same thing back when Clinton nominated Bill Weld as Ambassador to Mexico in 1997.
Anton Sirius
@MTiffany:
Yeah, it’s not like Huntsman is a former Ambassador to Singapore, or US trade rep, or anything… his only qualifications are that he’s fluent in Chinese and a Republican. Ooooh, damn that Obama and his insistence on competence instead of ideological fidelity! Why can’t he be more like that other guy?
Personally I’m hoping for a Huntsman/Schweitzer slugfest in 2016. I anticipate pay-per-view quality debates.
Max
It’s so nice knowing we don’t have to go thru a primary in 2012. We can sit back and watch the madness unfurl.
Steve V
Let’s hope the notion of Obama Republicans can someday be as successful as the notion of Reagan Democrats. I think that’s what he’s shooting for. Also maybe this can help grease the skids for Dawn Johnsen and/or his SCOTUS nominee?
pillsy
@MTiffany: Would that be because Republican Presidents only appoint fellow Republicans? Yes.
And with such a resounding record of success, too!
HitlerWorshippingPuppyKicker
The last time I saw a sane, rational Republican that I could listen to and actually have respect for, was William Cohen, and he took a job in the Clinton administration.
Is this new guy like him? Intelligent, thoughtful, honest?
If he is, how does he last in that party of crazy people?
asiangrrlMN
@jenniebee: You. are. evil. I must scrub my eyes and ears out with lye now.
@Tattoosydney: fake hubby, I left you a response in the open thread. If I have nightmares tonight, I’m blaming you.
@Fulcanelli: Your comment on the Underground Railroad for moderate Republicans is priceless.
HWPK, I like what I’ve seen of him so far. I think the fact that he’s taking a position in Obama’s administration is an indication that he might not be an elephant for long.
KP
It’s a fantastic move by Obama, but my only question is, why is this being announced on Friday? This could fill an entire week’s news cycle, I don’t know why this is getting an end of the week dump.
Mnemosyne
@Martin:
Huntsman is the guy who recently said — in Utah, which went for McCain by 62% — that he would support civil unions for gay couples.
I think you’re right — he wants to go D, but he can’t do it in Utah.
Anne Laurie
Well, it means the Sabbathday Gasbags (I love Calvin Trillin’s epithet) will have to choose between the “Did Pelosi know about the waterboarding, and if she did will Obama have to have her killed?” and “Is Obama co-opting Huntsman, or just demonstrating his Sensible Republican roots?” (Because no matter how many talkshows, there can only be one Story-of-the-Week.) And if we’re lucky, making that choice will cause some giant gaseous noggins to explode.
Fulcanelli
I’d think the Chinese would consider Obama sending an Ambassador fluent in their language a sign of respect. It would certainly make for much more casual and personal negotiations, not having to go back and forth through an interpreter.
And considering how much US debt they hold, if things on Wall Street really tank and the we go tits up on our tab they’ll just feed him to one of those 6 foot Arrowanas in the Yangtze and we’ll have one less Republican to worry about. WIN!
Barry really does play the long game. Sharp.
Max
@KP:
I think its a great time…. Sunday shows, Pelosi, CIA, etc.
It brings the media’s attention back to the problems in the GOP.
Next week, Obama’s got Middle East Peace to fill the news cycle with BiBi coming to town.
srv
I fear there must be an insane counterbalance to this change in the western force… searching… Ah. Val Kilmer interested in the Governorship of New Mexico.
Balance restored.
wilfred
That’s the danger here, and to the extent that we have a ‘responsible’ press one of its duties is to help insure that does not happen; there are historical examples of the press working against such a possibility.
Of course no one can champion the two party system when one party has sunk to the level of the current Republican theo-politics. I think the GOP has been terminally infected, however, and we’re looking at one party rule for the next generation at least.
Tattoosydney
@asiangrrlMN:
Don’t trust dogs, or little girls (or men in stretch limos). [Language NSFW]
Cain
Nice, I wonder if he likes Rush too… I like.
cain
Splitting Image
@MTiffany:
The Democratic hegemony will last eight years, maybe twelve. I agree with you in the sense that Obama’s first priority is to keep his party on top for as long as possible. But having said that, either he or his successor will be replaced by a Republican.
Would you prefer that successor be a moderate or a wingnut? Obama’s second priority is to make sure that it is a moderate. Otherwise the gains of his administration, if there are any, will be completely wiped out within a decade.
Also, I dispute the idea that this does not help the Democratic party. Utah voted 72% for Bush in 2004 and Obama cut the Republicans’ plurality almost in half last year. Turning it blue won’t be easy, but the G.O.P. seems to be actively trying to push it out the door, so I’d say the Democrats have a shot. Mormons vote for the Republicans reliably year after year and the Bible-thumping wing of the party responds by saying Romney and Huntsman aren’t good enough for them.
Huntsman seems reasonable and is qualified for the job, so Obama might as well earn some brownie points in that part of the country.
Ruby C
@ Fulcanelli: When Utah hosted the 2002 Olympics, we did not have to import translators. 97% of the world’s languages are spoken in our state! As was menioned before, this is in large part due to the LDS Church’s missionary efforts. Concerning Huntsman, we are proud to have him serve as the ambassador to China….but he will be missed.
Tattoosydney
@Fulcanelli:
See here.
hidflect
I think the concern is not the Republicans any more but the Libertarians who come across as Rethuglican Extra Heavy. Having perverted the concept, under the guise of personal freedom and passivism they suck in the members but their real policy mantra seems to be;
“Boohoo, poor people are lazy so screw ’em. If they worked hard enough they’d have a Family Trust Fund like me. And don’t expect to grab any of my $100 Million that I rightfully earned to pay for socialist projects like emergency services, roads and street lighting..”
Expect to see Tucker Carlson and his Daddy’s million dollar hat stand collection switch over to these goons sometime soon.
Max
Elections are won in the middle, and this sends a message to the middle that says “stick with us, we’re just getting started”.
I think we can get Republican Party id down to 15% by 2012.
P.S. Go Rachel Alexandra!
Johnny Pez
@Martin:
Wingnut is like the event horizon of a black hole — bottomless.
If you want a historical analogy, the Republicans are the Federalists, and this is 1801. There will be no more Republican presidents, and in 20 years the party will be gone.
asiangrrlMN
@kommrade reproductive vigor:
Yes, this.
@Tattoosydney: Um, I’m aaah, gonna take a little break….Annnnd, libido killer. That was arousing, funny, and disturbing at the same time. But, dude can dance. Was he a ballet guy before becoming a musician?
P.S. Doritos and your weird-ass videos. Yes, let’s see what Morpheus brings to me tonight.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: That’s pretty cool vid, and his Chinese is not too bad. Most Asians are really appreciative of Americans who at least speak rudimentary Chinese/Taiwanese/Japanese, etc.
Tattoosydney
@asiangrrlMN:
That’s the one…
Does this make up for it? Sweet dreams.
wasabi gasp
lol, wut?
Well, on the really short one two list, I’d say his second priority is not getting shot.
Giving a rat’s ass about which edge of the Earth the Republicans fall off of requires a slightly longer list like, say, the list of all numbers.
mannemalon
highly intriguing…
J. Michael Neal
You don’t leak that you’re making this offer without having already gotten an acceptance. That’s part of why the idiot from Vermont is now out in the cold: he turned the whole thing into a drama that wasn’t supposed to happen.
And Huntsman isn’t going to become a Democrat. Some folks are doing the same kind of wishcasting that was done over McCain a few years ago. There are too many things over which he simply does not have Democratic policy preferences. He’s a sane Republican. He’s not gay crazy. I presume from this appointment that he’s not a warmonger. So, he’s a sane Republican. That’s a good thing.
Tattoosydney
@asiangrrlMN:
I wouldn’t know but he seems to pass…
It hasn’t hurt our relations with the Chinese government to have a Prime Minister who can actually speak a Chinese language…
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: Ohhhh, that’s nice. I like that last one. However, since I’m a contrarian, I’m going to watch the Depeche Mode video again.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: It’s pretty good–his Chinese, I mean. He’s your Prime Minister? Gee, he can speak a foreign language. You would think that would be an asset, right?
@J. Michael Neal: He’s not gay-crazy, but he’s not against civil unions, either, which constitutes gay-crazy in Utah.
I don’t much care which letter is affixed to his name as long as he is an adult.
Fencedude
Fencedude
DAMN YOU MODERATION FILTER
@Johnny Pez:
Speaking of Federalists, I was thinking how utterly amusing it would be if the right third or so of the Democrats split off to join with the tattered remnants of the Republicans and formed the Democratic-Republicans.
And the remaining Democrats can rebrand themselves as the Democratic Soci-alists.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: I just gave myself the heebie-jeebies! God, that Depeche Mode song is just….yeah.
Tattoosydney
@asiangrrlMN:
He is. He’s our Obama equivalent (except without the charisma and the hot wife.)
srv
@Fencedude:
Have y’all not heard of the Modern Whigs?
Will
Good news. Huntsman must have looked at 2012 and started laughing at the idea of taking on Obama. And he’s by far the GOP’s strongest national talent.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: So, in other words, he’s not Obama at all! Oh, you mean the thoughtful, diplomatic thing? Yeah, I can see that.
Tattoosydney
@Fencedude:
I stand by this prediction.
Tattoosydney
@asiangrrlMN:
And the not being all about the abortions and the gheys and the invading countries even if you can avoid it.
asiangrrlMN
@Tattoosydney: Oh, yes. Those are good assets to have as well. I liked his smile. He seemed very self-deprecating, but self-aware as well. Good on you!
DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)
Fix’t. Once again, the wingnuts get spanked by Obama.
Maybe Obama’dib can get M’alia close enough to use the Gom Jabbar on the Baron.
Johnny Pez
@Tattoosydney:
Let’s see, 2024 would be analogous to 1816. However, if we assume 21st century politics moves faster than 19th, then we could count the split in the Democratic Party as the 1824 analog.
As for the names, I figure the liberal Democrats would call themselves the Liberal Democrats, while the Blue Dog Democrats would call themselves the Centrists (or possibly the Broderistas).
Wile E. Quixote
@MTiffany
Are you a pathetic, attention-seeking troll, or just carrying a few extra chromosomes and severely retarded? I’m going to vote for “severely retarded” because if you think that Obama’s appointing Huntsman is such a bad thing then you’re either a pig ignorant moron who would be at home over at RedState or you’re abysmally stupid, in which case you’d also be at home at RedState. Pull your head out of your ass, the Democratic party has tons of Senatorial democrats who are doing far more to fuck over the party than Obama’s appointment of Huntsman ever could. Don’t believe me? Well then how about you focus some of your outrage on the senior senator from Washington, the incredibly stupid mom in tennis shoes, Patty Murray. Patty has always been abysmally stupid, in fact back in the 90s “The Nation” wrote an article on the ten dumbest members of the US Senate, an article which prominently featured Murray, who went on to burnish her credentials as a moron and a bigot few years later by fucking over Seattle’s gay community by voting for the DoMA. So what has Murray been up to lately? Well remember that inheritance tax break that passed last month? Well guess who was one of the Democrats who voted for it. Why it was Patty Murray, along with the usual suspects of Evan Bayh (outside of George W. Bush one of the most compelling arguments for banning the children of politicians from holding elected office), Ben Nelson, Jon Tester (Wasn’t he supposed to be some great liberal hope from the mountain west? Guess not since he sucks so much Republican cock.), Mary Landrieu, Maria Cantwell, who’s usually smarter than this, Lincoln, Pryor and Baucus.
It’s pretty obvious to those of us who live in the PNW and have the misfortune of being “represented” by Murray as to why this fucking cretin voted in favor of this amendment, she’s angling to get endorsed by The Seattle Times next year and Frank Blethen, the dog shooting idiot who runs Fairview Fanny wants all estate and inheritance taxes repealed so he can pass the Times on to his worthless offspring. The Times has been editorializing about this for years, at times approaching the shrillness of the Manchester Union Leader under the late and entirely unlamented Batshit Bill Loeb. No doubt Patty, who is incredibly clueless, realized that she could get lots of money from the Blethen’s as well as another endorsement from the Times and so decided to vote for this amendment to the budget.
So while you’re losing control of your sphincters because Obama appointed someone who, aside from his ideology, seems to be supremely qualified for the post of ambassador to China, senior Senate Democrats are doing every thing they can to make sure that the Republican policies of the last eight years stay in force. Are you sure you don’t want to become a Republican? I mean you’re stupid enough, you’re ignorant enough, you’re enamored of pointless litmus tests while ignoring real issues and if there’s anything the Republicans love it’s pissed off former “liberals”, as witness Zell Miller and David Horowitz.
Steeplejack
@jenniebee:
@Fulcanelli:
And unusual. Cruel and unusual.
Steeplejack
@Fulcanelli:
[. . .] Baron Rush Von Harkonnenbaugh [. . .].
Even his name is a weirding word.
Steeplejack
@srv:
My all-time favorite Val Kilmer story: One producer, who remained anonymous, referring to the difficulty of working with Kilmer, said, “I wouldn’t hire Val Kilmer to star in The Val Kilmer Story.” Meowch!
J. Michael Neal
@asiangrrlMN: I meant that the other way around, as in, the gays don’t drive him INSANE!. Socially, he’s fairly moderate on some, but not all, issues. Economically, he’s pretty conservative, but of the faction that you can hold reasoned debate and come to compromises with.
Lupin
I imagine that the present Republican membership looks at Huntsman and sees someone who speaks in tongues and probably floats in water, ie: burn the witch.
gianni
That would be Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, who incidentally, is the subject a smear campaign by the conservative commentariat in Australia. (Most of whom work for Rupert Murdoch). Apparently being able to speak Mandarin automatically makes you a traitor and a Chinese agent.
bob h
Whatever his future plans may be, he obviously wants to get as far away from the Cheney/Palin/Limbaugh/Fox News creepshow as possible.
kay
With the exception of Obama, Democrats are a mess. I hate to say it, but it’s true.
They somehow managed to lose the torture fight, just like they lost the stimulus fight.
Obama had to jump in on stimulus, and he’ll have to rescue Pelosi on torture.
Harry Reid can’t get a lawyer confirmed, in a position that no one outside of maybe 10% even know about.
The only reason 2008 turned out as well as it did was because Emanuel was running the Congressional races and Schumer was doing the Senate.
J.D. Rhoades
@Fulcanelli:
Which is exactly why the wingnuts will go crazy about it. To them, showing respect to any foreign leader, even an ally, is a sign of weakness.
magisterludi
I agree with Kay. IMO, the so-called moderate dems in the Senate are worse than the gopers.
Et tu, Harry, Max, Ben, Blanche, Evan, Mary, etc?
It’s getting harder and harder to justify supporting the party at all.
Joel
@KP: Perhaps because Huntsman doesn’t want to get blitzed full-frontal by Rushbo et al.
gwangung
The way we run our politics, we drive out anyone with a political IQ in the three digits (like our businesses drive out anyone who values anything other than making the biggest bucks in the shortest amount of time).
Joel
You know, let the mess prevail.
The last time U.S. politics weren’t a mess, many of our Democratic representatives were marching lockstep with Bush along the path of war.
As far as all this talk about “losing” issues. Stop watching CNN and the like. These aren’t fucking partisan issues, as much as some of Bush’s cabal would love for it to be so. Out the enablers, but focus the harsh spotlight on the perpetrators.
Denise Harmon
I think this rumor has substance and I think Huntsman may well accept the offer. We get the local SLC news and there was a story on the other night about the Utah GOP complaining that Huntsman wouldn’t be able to attend a party function and the Lt. Governor was going instead. Some complaints about Huntsman being too busy to attend…
kay
@Joel:
I’m not talking about partisan. I’m talking about maybe reviewing past statements before calling a press conference, and sounding coherent.
Pelosi has a huge staff. What do they do all day?
It’s inexusable to CALL a press conference and appear unprepared. That’s what she did. An hour reviewing her notes and preparing for questions, that’s what I’m asking for. They were “blindsided” by the stimulus, they were “blindsided” that Republicans pushed back on torture. They’re sloppy and slack and already taking the majority for granted.
She’s probably not lying. I have no idea why she would seek out a forum and make a garbled statement that makes her sound like she’s lying.
It’s ego. I was sending Reid emails during his incredible botch-job on Burris, begging him to just please PREPARE or STFU. If they can’t act as effective advocates, they need to shut up. They’re making it worse.
LD50
Uh oh. Rush won’t like that.
henqiguai
@Wile E. Quixote: @ #82 –
Well just day-am ! For this afternoon, you are my hero !
Was that righteous outrage, or just tired of the stupid ?
kay
@magisterludi:
I have lost count of the times Harry Reid has announced an accomplishment that he didn’t actually accomplish. Is he insane? Can he not count ? Why does he open his mouth at all, other than to regularly discredit himself and Democrats generally?
The Democrats in the Senate don’t respect him, and won’t come together? That’s a shocker. I wouldn’t follow him anywhere. He has no idea what is going on, ever. You get the feeling he has to turn on CNN to find out he lost another round.
He’s the worse combination imaginable, sanctimonious religious on social issues, and bought and paid for on economic issues.
slightly_peeved
I would have thought appointing one of the few sane, charismatic Republicans to a job in China was pretty good for the health of the Democratic party.
Whoever said “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer” didn’t have the opportunity to appoint his or her enemies ambassadors to China.
RobRob
Just saw the press conference. Huntsman was there with his wife and slew of kids. Huntsman gave a very classy speech and ended with a little mandarin phrase about together we progress or something. I like him- Great choice. The wingnuts are slowly melting away. Good times! BTW- I bet the voting age Huntsman kids voted for Obama.
MNPundit
NO! Your desire to save the GOP is wrong! Their party is OVER must BE over for the country (and let’s face it, the planet) to proceed successfully. The goal must be to destroy the Republican party so a new party can replace it.
But that’s okay because that’s what Obama is doing here. Huntsman now gets “tainted” by Obama even more with the base and anything he runs for now is going to be even more of an ugly intra-party fight. This makes him more likely to bolt with the remaining sane Republicans to form a new party.
The Republican party must die.
Wile E. Quixote
@henqiguai
Both, plus I get really cranky when the amphetamines and caffeine start wearing off.
Wile E. Quixote
@John Cole
Man, I’ve been looking at this sentence last night thinking that there’s an absolutely killer porno/cannibalism tie-in here, but it’s just not coming to me. Damnit!
Mike D.
“Forming”? They’re just always there.
Nancy Irving
@Fulcanelli:
“Huntsman actually speaks fluent Chinese?”
He’s a Mormon. All Mormons are required to do missionary work overseas, many in Asia, so they have to learn the local language.
Mitt Romney is also bilingual.
San Antonio Dem
I was asking myself the same question. Could the political gurus at the WH be attempting to take some of the heat off of Pelosi by throwing this into the weekend newscycle?
San Antonio Dem
Overheard at the WH this evening:
Obama’dib: When Palin announces for 2012, set off the atomics. Do we have wormsign?
Gurney Emanuel: Usul, we have wormsign the likes of which even Reagan has never seen.