Saturday, April 19, 2008

Vox Populi

We Republicans convened on a District wide basis today. Perhaps the most interesting occurrence was the passage of the following platform amendment in every one of the five Districts:

“Resolved: We oppose any efforts to take away Iowans’ right to vote on our local option sales tax (SILO) that eliminate local control of SILO and replace it with a permanent 20% statewide sales tax increase which puts school infrastructure funds at great risk of being raided by state government and expands taxation of Iowa small businesses.”

Obviously the SILO debate in the House was somewhat contentious over the last few weeks and our Caucus was certainly not unified at the end. The issue now goes to the Senate.

It isn’t often that anything can pass in even four of the District conventions since the demographics in the 4th and the 5th are so different from those in the other three Districts. TRS received reports that the local option amendment passed by very large margins in at least the 1st, 3rd and 5th Districts-and no reports as to margin the even numbered Districts.

I think the voice of the activist Republicans, those folks on whose enthusiasm our already challenging chances depend (at least if we want volunteers to help turn out the vote), has spoken with some pretty unmistakable clarity on SILO.

Our Senate Caucus now has the benefit of the voice of the people that the House lacked when the Democrats forced the vote on SILO in that chamber. The very widespread consensus of opposition to SILO provides Republican Senators with an opportunity to inspire and reward our volunteer base.

My job is politics, not policy, and inspiration and reward are, politically speaking, commodities that can never be underestimated.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Come on, Ted. Fill us in on who was elected to the SCC.

Anonymous said...

More of the same from I hear. Chung looks to be the only new member worth a damn.

Shaw in the 5th has some experience but the rest are just more go along/get along types.

Sporer, since you're naming names, tell us what you think of the new group? Am I wrong?

Anonymous said...

Two Past members were elected in Gopaul Khrisna (3rd) and John Hulsizer (1st)

Bonita was defeated by a large number!

1st

Hulsizer
Gilbertson
Ortega

2nd
Lisa Smith
Chung
Halgerson ? young inpressive guy

3rd.

Scheffler
Krishna
Pals

4th

Randall
Schikel
McGee

5th
Anderson
Houser
Shaw

Anonymous said...

They are just some new stewards on the Titanic. Rearranging the deck chairs, making sure the passengers in steerage are locked down so that they don't survive. Trying to keep a calm demeanor all while knowing they are doomed.

"Let’s have the people vote on taxes"
Yeah that will show them that the GOP really cares.
Of all the challenges that may face our state Ted and the GOP show that they have no solutions.

Maybe Captain Smith is teddy's inspiration. After wrecking the ship for prestige at least he had the decency to go down with the ship! As opposed to the owner who went to a lifeboat

"The voice of the activist Republicans,
Our Senate Caucus now has the benefit of the voice of the people inspire and reward our volunteer base."
The voice of party activists and the voice of the people are contradictions. The voice of the people includes everyone and not just the Base that are there for their rewards. If you are rewarding the base (dregs) of the GOP then you are screwing the general public!

Ghost of Gerald ford

I have asked my church pastor to comment on the following statement:

"My job is politics, not policy, and inspiration and reward are, politically speaking, commodities that can never be underestimated."

Matthew 6: Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them, if you do, you will have no reward in heaven" " And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues (churches for you goyem) and on the street corners to be seen by men"

Basically Jesus was trying to point out to the GOP in Israel that their constant self promotion, constant seeking of immediate gratification and rewards for their cold calculated good deeds are seen as futile minor gestures. JESUS sees this as basically irrelevant to life though it may swell the ego of the public braggart!

As for the importance of the SILO, Jesus basically always recognized that taxes were needed to sustain a society with his "render under Caesar" statement.

Jesus did teach against exaggeration of others faults such as in Teddy's 20% tax increase when it is an extra penny on the dollar. Matthew 7:” Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye" “You hypocrite, first take the plank from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye"

This is quite important as Jesus is telling Ted and the GOP, that the one cent 20% increase is being blown out of proportion in order for the GOP to hide the shame that all but $700 million dollars of our $8 trillion dollar debt was created under Reagan, Bush 1, and Bush 2,. Jesus is pointing out that by judging minutiae and ignoring your own mortal sins, that you are a hypocrite (basically a person who cannot be trusted to do the right actions or speak truth)

Jesus say" to clear your own eyes before even trying to help others.

As you can see Jesus main message for his “Sermon on the Mount" was to warn us about the GOP and their criminal corrupt ways "watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing (compassionate conservatism) but inwardly they are ferocious wolves"

I think this describes the GOP Pharisees to a tee!

Next week sermon” By their Fruits (Larry Craig, Roy Cohn, Mitch Mc Connell, and Lindsey Graham) you shall know them"

Bless You Heathens

With Gods love
Rev Jimmy Dobson Haggert Hagee
Church of the GOP Pharisees

Anonymous said...

The GOP is swirling around the toilet bowl waiting for that last gurgle as it goes down the drain. This fall might be the end of it.

Art A Layman said...

sporie:

Inspiring is not an attribute I would have ascribed to you. Unnerving? Maybe.

Anonymous said...

He ghost et al - you comment on Jesus? hahahahahaha

Didn't you convert to Judiaism because of a chick? We know how shallow you are on the whole issue of Jesus, what is your point about Jesus and his teachings?

Anonymous said...

By the way - never saw you or any of your incarnations at the convention. What happened? Did Yepsen call golf game so you were to busy "having a life" so as to not participate?

What, were you bowling? Playing tiddlywinks?, golfing, watching a movie, playing a little handball?

Mary - you abortionist rectum ignorant slut - you weren't there, so don't talk about the titantic chairs - you were responsible for the course that led us there in the first place.

You, and your rectum breath friends, led us there first. Where are you now? Just whining. Just being bitter about the fact that the 70's are over.

Anonymous said...

Sporer,
you should be state chair right now. you are the only one willing to tell it like it is...of the party's lack of fundraisng, our dysfunction, our lack of leadership...we need more from you...just like on Steve Daece. keep it up and pass the offering plate!

Anonymous said...

Don't blame Mary for this mess of the GOP. The GOP had a lock on Iowa during her golden years.

If you don't get the point of Jesus teachings. it is probably because of your lack of decency and your incapability of understanding simple concepts.

The party dysfunction lack of leadership etc. is all self inflicted as people like ted and you anon mopes forced out all but the whacks jobs.
Did any of you see the irony in the story about Steve Kings plane being unable to land in Grinnell for a GOP gathering due to the fog? It seems that the fog was being created from the meeting floor! Some thought it was the fog of ideas, or the fog of war, but most likely it was the fog of secrecy which is the MO of the GOP party.
I always love how the Iowa GOP blames,but never looks at themselves as the cause of the problem.
remember the good times! then go back to the old funeral home on 9th street and look in the mirror!

Ghost of gerald Ford

Anonymous said...

You are right to a point, Ghost.

There has been a disease infecting the Republicans which makes them believe that they can win elections by being more like Democrats. They nominate a candidate who says he knows nothing about the economy and then makes a speech and proves it.

They are sheep. They followed any and every dumbass idea that Shrub had with ardent enthusiasm for the simple reason that he had an (R) behind his name. The unctious religios, many of whom have stopped thinking for themselves anyway, kept Bush in office because he was Christian.

Only a conservative backlash prevented Harriet Miers and Shamnesty. McCain will still give them Shamnesty. They never learn.

Anonymous said...

Vlad
I agree to a point. The problem with the GOP has been their inability to encourage new ideas and dissent once the fringe groups gained power. The current group seems to encourage corruption, perversion and incompetence. They have harmed our nation and are destroying the middle class so that the 1% that you and I are not members can become richer. They are traitors.

The GOP idea of governance is to never compromise where compromise is how good gov't works. They have encouraged the establishment of political enemies that didn't exist even in Reagans time.

Ghost of gerald Ford

Anonymous said...

The problem with the GOP has been their inability to encourage new ideas and dissent once the fringe groups gained power.

Agreed to a point. The unctious religios do not tolerate dissent from the libertarian/conservative sector. Witness the reaction of the Hucksterbee folks to the "Christian socialist" charges.

The current group seems to encourage corruption, perversion and incompetence.

Yup.

They have harmed our nation and are destroying the middle class so that the 1% that you and I are not members can become richer

This is where you and I digress. Yes, the middle class is getting crushed. The progressive income tax is set up so that ANY tax cut will NECESSARILY benefit the top 5% because they pay more taxes. I don't buy into the class warfare rhetoric.

What I do object to is both parties sticking their hands in my wallet to fund their pet projects.

Anonymous said...

yay! republicans ruin EVERYTHING!!! let's burn 'em!!!!

you know, for being from the party that's supposedly ushering in "hope" and "change" and a "new way of politics"---you're awfully negative...sounds just like the same old crap to me.

ghost of g.f--everything you said about repubilcans is also true of democrats.

"The problem with the GOP has been their inability to encourage new ideas and dissent once the fringe groups gained power."

Right--Just like the affect the unions/labor, etc etc etc.

you say: "The current group seems to encourage corruption, perversion and incompetence"

again--see also: union goons

all the rest of your argument can be said for the democrats therefore, it's one lame ass argument.

Anonymous said...

Anon:

Right. We don't need a third party, we need a second party.

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