Hard right flexes its muscle in Florida Senate race …. but nobody seems to notice

The ultra-conservative wing of the GOP wants to make Florida’s Republican Senate primary a test case of its power. The race pits Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate who had the audacity to endorse President Obama’s stimulus plan, against hard-core conservative Marco Rubio, a former speaker of the state House. Crist also just signed a new state budget raising the cigarette tax and various fees by $2 billion, an act that further fueled conservative anger.

Even worse, the moderate governor has drawn strong support from current Republican senators. He has been endorsed by Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, and has been promised financial and political support by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Some conservatives are so outraged by that fact that they are trying to organize a boycott of donations to the NRSC.

So what do the Republican voters of Florida think? A new Quinnipiac poll tells the story:

“Gov. Charlie Crist swamps former Florida House speaker Marco Rubio 54-23 percent in the 2010 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today….

“Marco Rubio says there are many Florida Republicans who don’t want Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate. Depending on how you define the word ‘many,’ he might be correct. Unfortunately for Rubio at this stage, many, many, many more favor Crist,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“Of course Rubio has more than a year until the GOP primary, and he’ll need it to turn the race around,” Brown added. “To prevail, he must get every undecided voter and win over some who favor Crist. Working against that possibility is that among Republicans, the only ones who can vote in the GOP primary, Crist’s favorability is 70-21 percent — compared to Rubio’s 24-8 percent, with 66 percent who don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.”

That’s great. I’m all for anything that threatens the grip of the hard-core right on the Republican Party, even if it also means that Republicans improve their numbers in Congress. It’s not good for the country to have one of its two major parties in effect disqualify itself from leadership by its extremism.

367 comments Add your comment

I Rule You :-)/ You Whine :-(

June 11th, 2009
7:29 am

Ultra Conservative, hard core, nice way to hide your bias bookman.

And here I thought that Conservatives had no muscles?

There is no need to run moderates, not with the way Obozo is screwing everything up.

Anybody can beat these clowns.

I Rule You :-)/ You Whine :-(

June 11th, 2009
7:32 am

For instance: Why isn’t Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson denouncing the patently obvious corruption of various ACORN affiliates? Where is the pro-labor congressman willing to join George McGovern in saying that eliminating the secret ballot for union organizing elections would be an outrage? How can any White House correspondent fail to challenge the obviously ludicrous Obamite claim to count jobs “saved or created”? How could liberal editorialists refuse to zap President Obama repeatedly last year for abandoning his public pledge to abide by campaign spending limits? Why is it that the “outing” of Valerie Plame garnered so much liberal outrage while the naming of CIA interrogators causes nary a murmur? What will it take for Katie Couric to note the obvious fact that Obama is being hypocritical for now showing openness to “taxing” employer-provided health benefits after he made such a point of blasting John McCain last year for proposing the very same thing?-Quinn Hillyer, AmSpec

I know why!

Bark, bark.

Normal

June 11th, 2009
7:36 am

Good Morning Whiner! What a wonderful day it is too. “The first day of the rest of your life”, so make it a good one…Go out there and show some love, hug a liberal, just sayin’

RB from Gwinnett

June 11th, 2009
7:37 am

Gee, Jay, you supported the most liberal person in the Senate for president and now you want moderate conservatives from the opposition? Who could have seen that coming…..

Most of us conservatives see that as exactly the problem with politics right now, Jay. When you average ultra liberal with moderate conservative, you get more and more government with more social programs and higher taxes. It just doesn’t work. Most of us are willing to support most anyone who can stem the tidal shift to socialism.

Tyler Durden

June 11th, 2009
7:42 am

Well said, Normal. Poor Whiner doesn’t get out much (his Mom says he can’t leave his room in the basement unless he’s looking for a job). Luckily, he’s got the empathy of his friends at townhall.com to keep him warm! Have a great day! :-)

Spewing Air

June 11th, 2009
7:42 am

Anybody can beat these clowns. Got tools.

By the way, I finally got a round tuit and read that WSJ article about the Georgia banks. Wow. Georgia, a bastion of Republicanism, the banker’s nightmare. And, they’re begging for government help. The whiners. They’ve got Isakson and Chambliss pleading on their behalves. Oh Please. Take these chains off our banks and let them breath. The regulations are killing them. Georgia’s financial nightmare. Yet more proof of the failed Republican policies. Does anyone have any more word on that Sonny, with a chance of rain, 20 million? Is that bank busted yet.

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
7:47 am

Some posts simply require a “like Jay said” because, well, they make perfect sense.

so, like Jay said.

Coupla things from the comments so far:

Can someone other than Andy tell me why an opinion columnist should “hide” his “bias”?

And RB, this may come as a shock to you, but the Administration and Congress currently running America aren’t “ultra liberal” by any but AM talk-radio’s yardstick.

Normal

June 11th, 2009
7:48 am

Thank you Tyler. Today I’m going to try to interject love and joy. To remind the folks out there that “All it takes is love, sweet love”.
I think I still have a merot buzz going on…Just guessin’

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
7:52 am

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
7:52 am

I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(

Eugene Robinson–Deliver me,,,he’s the same one who one night referred to the target of his ire as “being off the reservation” and has yet to respond to the requests as to why he feels free to use such a derogatory phrase. What, me racist?

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
7:53 am

morning Gwinecian –

“Can someone other than Andy tell me why an opinion columnist should “hide” his “bias”?”

honey, you just said a mouthful … and that’s why I’m one of your biggest fans.

(to answer your question, remember the law of the zoo … when you ain’t got nuttin’, all you can do if fling poo … )

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
7:53 am

Today I’m going to try to interject love and joy.

Peace and love
Peace and love
That’s all I’m thinking of baby
Peace and love

Riding around in a Volkswagen van
Thinking ’bout the people upside-down in Japan
Staring at the stars in a distant galaxy
Wondering if there’s someone out there staring back at me singing

Peace and love
Peace and love
That’s all I’m thinking of baby
Peace and love

Lying on the floor just playing my guitar
Trying to find the chords for “Just The Way You Are”
Plane crash flashing on my TV
Well it could have been you, baby
It could have been me

We’ll never live forever
But baby things could be worse
Cause when we get together we are one with the Universe

Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont
Open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant
Got crazy karma, never harmed a single soul
So if you want to join me then together we’ll grow old singing

Peace and love
Peace and love
That’s all I’m thinking of baby
Peace and love

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
7:56 am

meanwhile … how long do you think it’s going to take for the rabid right to walk back their criticism of the DHS report – 2 terrorist attacks in 2 weeks by right-wingers makes the DHS look a little bit like Cassandra …

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
7:56 am

NORMAL–and a warm, fuzzy good morning to you, too.

Dave R.

June 11th, 2009
7:57 am

Wow! Another cut and paste piece by Bookman citing a meaningless poll a full year before an election.

Who woulda thunk it?

RB from Gwinnett

June 11th, 2009
7:57 am

DB, I’m shocked an ultra liberal doesn’t think our current administration is ultra liberal.

An “opinion” columnist should have the mental capacity to view topics from all sides and share opinions based on that analysis, not be a daily mouthpiece for any political party. But the AJC will learn that eventually as their customer base tires of their highly partisan crap and continues to leave them at twice the national average. Well, maybe they will….

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
7:58 am

Youse-in-Yook, the rabid right don’t admit mistakes. Preznit Bush learned ‘em good that way.

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
7:58 am

USinUK–just playing devil’s advocate here, but weren’t both of those attacks on Ob-ma’s watch?

Dave R.

June 11th, 2009
7:59 am

USinUK, only if they actually WERE terrorist attacks, which, of course, they were not.

We call them MURDERS over here . . .

Prancing Phalanges

June 11th, 2009
7:59 am

Uh Oh. Someone’s trying to stir the pot. What might you call some unbiased opinions? Boooorrrrring. I suppose it depends on the subject matter, amongst other things.
Of course, I would not mind if that so-called Thinking Right opinion portrayed as much integrity as Bookman’s opinion. You know, a basis in fact. I’d waste a whole lot less coffee in the mornings and the keyboard would certainly be the better for that. I wonder. Does whiner write that Wooten opinion? I think he could.

Normal

June 11th, 2009
7:59 am

DB, Hot dam, I love it, love it! I knew love could change the world!
Jimi Hendrix once said “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we will have peace”. Gotta love ol’ Jimi! Ow, my head’s startin’ to hurt…

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:00 am

j-nix, since you bring it up, I roughly calculate that you are 1500x more likely to die from a terrorist attack under a Republican President than a Democratic one.

Corey

June 11th, 2009
8:00 am

Most Americans no longer care to gorge at the trough of xnophobia, minority bashing, patriotism questioning, us vs them, evangical extremisim, hard right lunacy. Those of you who still do get over yourselves already.

Redneck Convert

June 11th, 2009
8:00 am

Well, I see that judge this Obama wants to put on the Supreme Court fell and broke a ankle. When great big women like her and Sister Dusty go down, they go down hard and usually break something. I remember when the missus fell and broke a leg. It took six firemen and two EMS people to carry her out of the trailer and I thought for sure a couple of them were going to mess their pants from all that grunting.

Anyhow, I got nothing against moderate Republicans. Long as they’re for breaking off from the U.S. of A., making everybody carry a gun, getting rid of these equal rights laws, using the Death Penalty more, cutting all the taxes, and making it alot harder for Those People to vote. And oh yeah, using the army to kick some butt when some other country crosses us. If a moderate Republican canadate promises all that, he’s got my vote.

But there’s no hope for Florida. It’s just a bunch of yankees and jews that moved down there to stay warm in the winter. It wouldn’t bother me none if they turned over the whole state to Cuba. And I heard this Crist is gay and only married to make it look like he ain’t. So if another homo gets elected to the Senate I guess he can join this Craig guy and cruise some bathrooms and maybe link up with Diaper Vitter to form a little club.

Sorry to blow off steam like this but I’m in a real bad mood this a.m. The Braves lost again last night and it looks like another 10 years without getting into the playoffs. The pitchers couldn’t get little Sonny Zell George out and the batters would miss a basketball if it was throwed to them.

Have a good day everybody.

ByteMe

June 11th, 2009
8:00 am

USInUK: they’ll never walk back their criticism. Being a nutwinger means never havng to say you’re sorry.

Corey

June 11th, 2009
8:02 am

Xenophobia, my bad

TnGelding

June 11th, 2009
8:02 am

I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(

June 11th, 2009
7:29 am

We had to send in the clowns to clean up the comic tragedy.

ty webb

June 11th, 2009
8:02 am

so is it fair to say all these terrorist attacks happened under Obama’s watch? probably not…right? what’s the tally? 3 in 2 weeks, and he’s only been in office for a little over 4 months.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:03 am

“An “opinion” columnist should have the mental capacity to view topics from all sides and share opinions based on that analysis, not be a daily mouthpiece for any political party”

hahahahahahaha … hooooo … boy, my sides … tell ya what, when I see George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Pat Buchanon, Brooks, Bill O’Reilley, Brent Bozell, Rich Lowery, Jonah Goldberg, Victor Davis Hanson, John Stossel, Michelle Malkin, Walter Williams, Ann Coulter and Marc Steyn (to name but a few) start “viewing topics from all sides and base opinions on that analysis”, then you can start to b- and moan about Jay …

until then, put this sentence in the correct order: piehole. shut. your.

Normal

June 11th, 2009
8:03 am

But seriously folks, If the American Taliban flex their muscles in Florida and lose badly, then what? Will that allow the GOP to return to its moderate center as it was before? If so, this might end up being a good thing. Just saying…

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:03 am

Unbiased opinion? There’s no such animal. An opinion by its very nature carries a bias. That’s what makes it an opinion and not a fact.

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:04 am

I see the wingnuts are performing as predicted. Get a Democrat in the white house and they freak out. Shooting an abortion doctor, shooting up a museum. What is next? Are they planning to blow up another federal building too?

Great Americans? True patriots?

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:05 am

Dave R –

“USinUK, only if they actually WERE terrorist attacks, which, of course, they were not.”

may I suggest you read about yesterday’s TERRORIST attack at the national holocaust museum (given that the man threatened 10 other sites, and opened fire at one, I think that goes beyond “murder”)

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:05 am

We call them MURDERS over here . . .

Unless they’re committed by brown-skinned guys with funny names.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:06 am

byteme – “USInUK: they’ll never walk back their criticism. Being a nutwinger means never havng to say you’re sorry.”

man. true that.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:06 am

DB – darlin’, you are on a ROLL today!

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:07 am

DB Gwenttian –”j-nix, since you bring it up, I roughly calculate that you are 1500x more likely to die from a terrorist attack under a Republican President than a Democratic one.”

Reckon that might be because we haven’t had a Democratic president for some time now? In your calculation, did you factor in the Clinton years?

Normal

June 11th, 2009
8:07 am

Josef, Good Morning! Your 8:03, Wish I said that. The only line I can ever come up with about opinios is “Opinions are like a——s, everybody has one.

Swami Dave

June 11th, 2009
8:07 am

I guess the translation is…..

Extremist liberals driving our country farther and farther down the path toward higher taxes, increased wasteful spending, more dependence, and less incentive for achievement. – Good

“Extremist” conservatives supporting freedom and opportunity, controlling the growth of government, and allowing America’s achievers to keep and enjoy the fruits of their production. – Bad

So according to the collectivists, we need MORE Democrats progressing the politics of theft, redistribution, and dependence to greater and greater depths and they want more Republicans who are “moderate” and will “work” with them to achieve their intended goals.

Sorry, I choose to oppose and work within our political process to defeat collectivism. It is a failed theology that has spread misery and diminished achievement in every corner of this planet that is has ever been tried. Were it nore for the keep-doing-the-same-thing-that-keeps-failing insanity of its proponents, it would have long since been relegated to the ash heap of history where it belongs.

-SD

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:08 am

What is next? Are they planning to blow up another federal building too?

Actually, Ann Coulter issued explicit instructions about that some time ago.

TnGelding

June 11th, 2009
8:09 am

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:03 am

Of the ones you mentioned, Brooks has a pretty wide view.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:09 am

DB, Gwinnettian –

“Unless they’re committed by brown-skinned guys with funny names.”

Oh nonsense. When African-American anti-war activist Abdulhakim Margahid Muhammad killed an Army recruiter the other week, nobody in the media was saying it should be called terrorism. Certainly the liberals on this blog were not calling it terrorism.

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:10 am

Corey, more so than the Taliban, Al Queda, or ANY external terrorist threat, the wingnuts, the racists, the fundamentalists (insert religion of choice here) are ALL the real enemies of this country.

I won’t stop throwing rocks at them. They will eventually explode into violence and expose themselves for what they truly are: evil. My throwing rocks is to help them progress faster to exploding so we can lock em up.

They are truly evil deviants.

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:10 am

In your calculation, did you factor in the Clinton years?

Well if I do that, my number doesn’t look so awesome, so no. (although if I were to follow this absurd line of argument, you’d still be something like 10x more likely. Then again, if the Japanese and Germans were considered “terrorists”, and you went back 100 years… syou get my point, shirley.)

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:11 am

DB –

“Actually, Ann Coulter issued explicit instructions about that some time ago.”

Really? I think Coulter is a hyper-partisan loser, but I find it hard to believe that she said anything like that, not least because the media would have jumped all over it.

So you have a source?

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:11 am

TnGelding –

he’s only a recent convert … I still hold his post 2000 election “the corrupt coast/the virtuous MidWest” inanity against him …

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:13 am

ty webb–no, I never said any more than the two nor did i time them as x per y. The point is that terrorism knows no party line and trying to lay blame is not only rather silly, it’s counterproductive.

I Rule You :-)/ You Whine :-(

June 11th, 2009
8:13 am

Obozo is ripping the United States to shreds, on purpose, the liberals wanna group hug.

Puh-leeze.

bookman has written over ten thousand opinion columns, so it seems, about how Republicans need to open their tent to each and every squish moderate out there, and, if you read into today’s column, they should be booting out all the “hard core ultra Conservatives” at the same time.

How about that, he thinks we should be the party of aisle reachers, isn’t that sweet?

“Ultra Conservative” is a childish phrase, so yes, you are correct, bookman is showing his immature side, not his biased one.

My bad.

TnGelding

June 11th, 2009
8:14 am

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:09 am

It was a senseless tragedy, as are all the gun killings. How many more have to die?

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:14 am

Whiner –

““Ultra Conservative” is a childish phrase, so yes, you are correct, bookman is showing his immature side”

Hmmm. And “Obozo” sin’t childish?

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:14 am

NORMAL @8:07 and as Granddaddy always said, and everybody thinks theirs don’t stink!

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:15 am

When African-American anti-war activist Abdulhakim Margahid Muhammad killed an Army recruiter the other week, nobody in the media was saying it should be called terrorism.

Because that was already what people were calling it. About a kajillion news sources (is the New York times mainstream-media enough for you?) have established the suspect’s ties to religious nutbag extremists.

TnGelding

June 11th, 2009
8:15 am

I Rule You :-) / You Whine :-(

June 11th, 2009
8:13 am

You have to admit you have problems before you can address them.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:16 am

TnGelding –

“It was a senseless tragedy, as are all the gun killings. How many more have to die?”

Have no idea. My point was that that murder was as much “left-wing terrorism” as yesterday’s murder was “right-wing terrorism”. Frankly, I think both were incidents of individual nuts.

Dave R.

June 11th, 2009
8:17 am

USinUK, I did read about a MURDER in Washington D.C. at the Holocaust Memorial.

Did anything else happen yesterday that I missed?

Do we cringe in fear at going to a Luby’s Cafeteria because of the “terrorist” attack there some years ago, or do we just call it a multiple homicide?

Do we avoid all convenience stores because people don’t want to be “terrorized” by the possibility of being killed at one?

And of course we should all avoid Army recruiting centers across the country because of the “terrorist attack” at one last week? Funny how you didn’t include THAT particular incident in your terrorist incident count, isn’t it? Shouldn’t that be three in three weeks according to your measuring stick?

What a tool.

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:17 am

I think Coulter is a hyper-partisan loser, but I find it hard to believe that she said anything like that, not least because the media would have jumped all over it.

Mike, sorry, I guess I was being too clever by half, or whatever the appropriate “d’oh!” phrase is here. I figured most everyone remembered her infamous “My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building” remark, which she’s tried to walk back (a bit) but, well, it was what it was–reprehensible

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:18 am

Swami doesn’t want to pay his taxes? That’s not much of a stretch, he is a wingnut after all.

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:18 am

DB–would answer but you have the last word and it tells me all I need to know.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:19 am

DB –

“Because that was already what people were calling it. About a kajillion news sources (is the New York times mainstream-media enough for you?) have established the suspect’s ties to religious nutbag extremists.”

Well, the source you cite doesn’t include the word terror once.

Can you provide a source that actually backs up your argument?

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:20 am

mike –

“Really? I think Coulter is a hyper-partisan loser, but I find it hard to believe that she said anything like that, not least because the media would have jumped all over it.”

“My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building.”

“We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens’ creme brulee.”

Vester: You say you’d rather not talk to liberals at all?

Coulter: I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days.

RW-(the original)

June 11th, 2009
8:20 am

As time marches on that whole “supporting the Obama stimulus plan” thing is going to be the biggest albatross around Charlies neck. He just better hope the election gets here before the electorate becomes fully aware and having left wing loons in the media trumpeting his support of Obama isn’t going to be helpful so it seems Jay B just wants the GOP to run Democrat light against the Democrat so that the Democrat will win.

Or maybe not, it’s early, I’ve had no coffee and I’ve got to be in the forest in ten minutes.

Later y’all.

ty webb

June 11th, 2009
8:22 am

Josef,
I wasn’t directing that at you. It was aimed at everyone blaming Republicans and conservatives for the recent shootings. I should have been more clear. I’ll concede it’s a terrorist attack, when they concede it happened under obama’s watch.

Donovan

June 11th, 2009
8:22 am

Bookman follows the same DNC tactic that the Dems used in the presidential primaries. You pick out an oppositional moderate and promote that individual. Subsequently, that individual will be easier to beat in the final election; much like John McCain. Any effective oppositional foe that threatens the Democrat Party is predictably vilified and labled as extremist; much like Limbaugh, Gingrich, and Cheney. Only an endorsed love fest happens for political opponents who demonstrate Republican weakness; much like Arlan Specter. I should think that Bookman considers himself a party operative within the liberal AJC who obediently does the bidding of his master. Once again, Jay, no sale.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:23 am

DB –

“Mike, sorry, I guess I was being too clever by half.”

Well, maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to make false statements like saying that someone “issued explicit instructions” to blow up a federal building. You weren’t be clever you were lying on two counts.

Just as pundits need to tone down the rhetoric, so do blog posters. This mindless rush to demonize people raises the hate level all around. Obama was right in Cairo when he noted that various groups have their grievances, but need to start being civil to each other. Same applies here.

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:23 am

I report wrote at 8:13 How about that, he thinks we should be the party of aisle reachers, isn’t that sweet?

Instead of the party of reach-arounders? Might be a good change for you folks. But don’t send out your bathroom toe-tappers, we don’t need your hypocrits.

Doggone/GA

June 11th, 2009
8:24 am

“An “opinion” columnist should have the mental capacity to view topics from all sides and share opinions based on that analysis”

That’s the definition of a JOURNALIST, not an opinion columnist

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:25 am

Dave R –

“USinUK, I did read about a MURDER in Washington D.C. at the Holocaust Memorial. Did anything else happen yesterday that I missed?”

you may have read the headline, but you obviously missed the guys BACKGROUND and history with white supremecist groups. you also must have missed his history with anti-semitic groups.

Dr. Tiller’s assassin had ties to Operation Rescue.

the only history the guy had who shot the recruiter was non-race/religious based thuggery. or ties to other extremist groups.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:25 am

that should be guy’s background (as there was only 1)

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:25 am

Dave R, since you seem genuinely befuddled by the term “terrorist” I’ll actually try to be all about the peace-and-love (that’s all I’m thinking of, baby!) and set aside all the old junk and be nice and say this much–

Generally speaking (and sorry, it isn’t black-and-white, it’s a “I know it when I see it” kinda deal) you elevate mere murder to an act of terrorism when it’s part of a systematic effort to instill fear in a certain specific targeted group.

When a nutbag shoots up a Luby’s I don’t think it is part of an overall effort to intimidate all-you-can-eat buffet diners. When a nutbag shoots up an Army recruiting center, on the other hand, it’s a pretty good bet that he was trying to fear in those thinking about signing up. When a nutbag bombs or shoots at woman’s health clinic, or an individual doctor, he’s trying to instill fear in those working at such places and those who might consider patronizing such places. When a nutbag burns a cross on a newcomer to a neighborhood… Is this making some sense now?

In short, relatively random acts of violence that aren’t intended to terrorize a specific group are generally thought of as, well, random, but if you can link them to terror, go ahead. I won’t necessarily complain if there’s a legitimate case to be made. I just didn’t see one in the Luby’s example you gave, is all.

Copyleft

June 11th, 2009
8:26 am

Side note: Congratulations on the success of your blog, Mr. Bookman! Looking over the topics, you can see that EVERY ONE OF THEM gets dozens of replies almost instantly (within an hour of being posted), and most garner several HUNDRED replies, often limited only by the immediacy of new topics being posted above them.

You’ve got the people talking… and the right-wing screeching. Good job!

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:26 am

DB –

“Instead of the party of reach-arounders? Might be a good change for you folks. But don’t send out your bathroom toe-tappers, we don’t need your hypocrits.”

Yes, just as liberals mocking homosexual behavior is hypocritical. Have a problem with gay people? If not, why the grade school homosexual slurs?

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:28 am

RW-(the original)

“Or maybe not, it’s early, I’ve had no coffee and I’ve got to be in the forest in ten minutes.”

Good luck! There’s an awful lot of trees in the way!

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:28 am

Copyleft –

Actually, Jay’s blog has a tiny number of folks who make tons of posts. Not super impressive considering his platform.

As for the right screeching, do you really think that the left’s comments here are really materially different? Please.

thomas

June 11th, 2009
8:28 am

does the 3 terrorist attacks mean that our anti terrorism portion of the government is not doing their job very well?

Who is to blame for that?

Is todays topic seriously over a poll about how people are going to vote in an election that is OVER a year away? A full 16 months in advance. BEcause we all know that people’s opinions never change in 16 months.

Northern Songs Ltd

June 11th, 2009
8:28 am

Anybody can beat these clowns.

Hey Whiner, why don’t you put your money where your fat piehole is, and go run yourself? Oh, I know, ’cause it’s easier from the cheap seats to throw the brickbrats with no consequences. Coward.

Doggone/GA

June 11th, 2009
8:29 am

“Yes, just as liberals mocking homosexual behavior is hypocritical.”

That wasn’t mocking homosexual behavior…what part of “hypocrits” don’t you understand? It was mocking hypocrisy, not behavior.

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:29 am

ty–I stand corrected.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:30 am

USinUK –

“the only history the guy had who shot the recruiter was non-race/religious based thuggery. or ties to other extremist groups”

Really? You are familiar with the guy’s history to the point that you know what groups he was affiliated with?

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:30 am

Just as pundits need to tone down the rhetoric, so do blog posters.

Fine. For starters, try not to call me a “liar”. I don’t know how much more explicit one can get than naming a specific building that you wish to have blown up.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:32 am

Doggone/GA –

“That wasn’t mocking homosexual behavior…what part of “hypocrits” don’t you understand?”

Well calling homosexuals “reach arounders” and “toe tappers” is mocking homosexual behavior.

Also, one part of “hypocrites” I understand is how to spell it.

DB, Gwinnettian

June 11th, 2009
8:32 am

BD, you and I need to talk about our initials. This is the second time in as many days I’ve had to scratch my head and say “but… I didn’t write that… huh?”

But we’ll have to do it some other time–stuff awaits. Later, all.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:33 am

mike –

I know that the fbi and cia looked into his background and said they couldn’t find any affiliation with terrorist groups/cells (it was in the news … under the big headline)

josef nix

June 11th, 2009
8:33 am

McAmnesty

June 11th, 2009
8:34 am

The Pat Buchanan wing of the republican party is terrified. The ignorant bast#rds will just get more incited and wacked out with each and every little sign that their battle against what they see as the death of the “American culture”, i.e. white, is lost. If the republican party doesn’t rid itself of nativists, ethnocentrists, and xenophobes, not to mention the total nut cases (James von Bruun would fit right in with those fruitcakes) that think they are on some mission from God, it stands to lose election after election after election. Mainstream America has pretty much declared total war on these right wing tyrants and the end is near for them.

ty webb

June 11th, 2009
8:34 am

“coward”, says the guy calling people names anonymously on some blog. That’s rich.

Dave R.

June 11th, 2009
8:35 am

DB and USinUK, please tell me what the additonal penalty for “terrorism” is in Washington, D.C.?

Over and above the penalty for murder, that is.

You just like to elevate thought or intent so that you can demonize a part of society you simply don’t like.

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:35 am

terrorist acts are acts that result from opinion (religion is an opinion (none can be proven true or better than another one), politics is an opinion (you can’t prove Democrats are smarter and harder workers than Republicans even though it is readily apparant).

Columbine shooters lacked an opinion, the Va Tech shooter had no opinion. Did the guy shooting up a fast food joint have an opinion? I don’t know.

The racist in the museum had an opinion, the doctor killer had an opinion.

McAmnesty

June 11th, 2009
8:37 am

You must be one of those Pat Buchanan disciples Dave R. And no jackass, decent people don’t like redneck bigots.

BDAtlanta

June 11th, 2009
8:38 am

Mike, when you accept it into your party, it isn’t hypocritical to joke about anymore.

What is hypocritical is what you have in your party. That’s the difference.

You should look up the definition of hypocrit. Knowledge is a good thing.

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:39 am

DB –

But you did lie. You said that Ann Coulter “Ann Coulter issued explicit instructions” to blow up a federal building, when she made an off-handed (and stupid) comment about the Times. Where did you get the “explicit instructions” and “federal building” part from, other than your intent to deceive?

This is like Midori and Mrs. Godzilla claiming that American soldiers raped Iraqi children in front of their parents to “make them talk” and provided as “evidence” an old claim by Seymore Hirsch that he heard that rapes had happened in US prisons in Iraq. Like them, In your rush to demonize those who dare not share your opinions you wildly embellish stories to a point far,far worse than the original offense.

If you, Midori, and Mrs. G feel so strongly that conservatives are wrong, you should not have to lie about them.

Eric R. Rudolph

June 11th, 2009
8:40 am

Dave R. is great murican. My kinda guy!

Doggone/GA

June 11th, 2009
8:40 am

“Also, one part of “hypocrites” I understand is how to spell it.”

First of all, I was QUOTING the original statement. Second, no one voted you blog police. Third, being ablet to read “tyop” is important on forums.

Thogwummpy

June 11th, 2009
8:40 am

Moonbat Boookman thinks even centrists like John McCain were “hard right”….so don’t take his word for anything. He’s the product of a ficticious education. Can I prove it? Yep! Consider this: Progressives adored Fascism in the early 20th century (the “Third Way” compromise system former deep Socialist Mussolini created; unlike the destitute Russian peasant who had nothing, the industrious Italians didn’t want to give up all their private property to the state); for they noted it’s authoritarian, anti-individualism and anti-capitalism rhetoric. Yes, they applauded Hitler’s own version of a Socialist ‘New Deal’ for the National German Socialist Workers Party (NSDAP…ie; Nazi). LOOK IT UP, STUDY THE HISTORY. Of course, when the truth of Facism became obvious, embarrassed Lefties tried to distance themselves from it…and being that they saturate the halls of academia—they began to claim Fascism was “right wing”. However, conservatism (the Right), is all about the dignity of the individual person and limitation of government! How is it that today, liberals claim that those of us that want LESS authoritarian government control over us…are the “Fascists”? Because the dim-bulb Bookmans of the world foolishly swallowed the lessons taught by a Left leaning education system.
I would SALIVATE to debate Bookman in a formal setting to expose him as the intellectual fraud he (and the Left in general) is.

ty webb

June 11th, 2009
8:41 am

Quick questions. Have any of these three shooter’s party identification been released yet. Did they even belong to a political party? I haven’t seen it. Hey, but let’s not let that get in the way of calling the other side names. Rah Rah!

McAmnesty

June 11th, 2009
8:44 am

But are people like Mike really republicans or are they extremists, nativists, ethnocentrists, et al, that have found a place that will accept those of their ilk? The David Duke types that need to affiliate with some accepted group in order to lend legitimacy to their hidden agendas? That would be my guess for the Mikes and Dave Rs of the world.

clyde

June 11th, 2009
8:45 am

Sometimes I believe that Ann Coulter could blow up a building just by looking at it and I’m sure she haunt a house without any problem.

ty webb

June 11th, 2009
8:45 am

Muggers have the “opinion” that having more money is good, hence mugging is a terrorist act?

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:46 am

USinUK –

“I know that the fbi and cia looked into his background and said they couldn’t find any affiliation with terrorist groups/cells (it was in the news … under the big headline)”

So what? Does that me that he was not a member of anti-war groups like ANSWER?

mike

June 11th, 2009
8:47 am

Doggone –

“being ablet to read “tyop” is important on forums.”

First, no one voted you blog police

Second being able to spell correctly is important in reality.

USinUK

June 11th, 2009
8:48 am

Dave R –

“You just like to elevate thought or intent so that you can demonize a part of society you simply don’t like.”

hate to break it to you, darlin’ but thought/intent is what DETERMINES what kind of crime it is. If you kill someone by a complete accident (run over them in your car), that’s one kind of crime, if you kill someone deliberately in an act of passion, that’s a different kind of crime. if you kill someone because of their religion/the color of their skin, that’s yet a different crime – then, when you add your affiliation with OTHERS who feel the same way … well, whether you like it or not, their thought/intent ups the ante.

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