The Great GOP Purge of 2009 commences in earnest now
The decision by Dede Scozzafava to endorse Democrat Bill Owens in New York’s 23rd congressional district has set the right wing a-howlin’ anew.
It’s downright comical.
Scozzafava is “a skank … a nasty person.” She had “plunged her knife into the back of the party that had chosen her for the nomination.” Michelle Malkin even condemned that “radical leftist Dede Scozzafava” for showing a lack of proper gratitude to the Republicans.
Gratitude?
Scozzafava had served 11 years in the New York Assembly as a Republican, rising to the leadership post of minority whip. In the congressional race, her work over the years won her the support of GOP leaders in all four counties that comprised the district. Yet over the last few weeks, she has been told by a roster of national party leaders that she is not fit to serve the Republican cause. It was made very clear that she had no place in the party, that she and others like her were in fact utterly despised by those they once saw as colleagues.
After all that, they expect gratitude?
If conservative Doug Hoffman wins the seat tomorrow, as still seems likely, the right wing will celebrate it as vindication for their crusade to purify the party. Their hunt for witches and heretics will have claimed its first official victim, and witch hunts are never satisfied with just one victim. They burn and burn and burn until the passion runs out of fuel.
The laughably egotistical Erick Erickson over at Redstate.com is already drawing up lists of suspected GOP moderates to be purged. He wants someone’s head at the National Republican Congressional Committee, which endorsed Scozzafava, and he suggests NRCC chairman Pete Sessions. He has also marked Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate running for the U.S. Senate, as the next Dede Scozzafava.
“NY 23 means GOP must come our way,” he said on Twitter. “We will not go their way. Happy to compromise, but not sell out.”
And what about Newt Gingrich, one of the few party leaders to support Scozzafava? He is scurrying back into shamefaced conformity, lamely explaining that he had been tricked. “I’m very, very let down because she told everybody she was a Republican, and she said she was a loyal Republican,” he said Sunday. Loyalty is a two-way street.
If you’re a moderate GOP senator like Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins, what are you thinking as you watch your fellow Republicans march by your window, torches and pitchforks in hand? If you’re a moderate GOP voter still harboring hopes that your party will regain its sanity, what are your options? If you’re Mitt Romney, one of the more moderate GOP presidential hopefuls, how do you get out in front of this parade, and do you really want to?
And if you’re Rahm Emanuel watching from the White House, how do you think this fits into your strategy of portraying Obama’s opposition as uncompromising extremists? As Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett put it over the weekend, “It’s rather telling when the Republican Party forces out a moderate Republican, and it says, I think, a great deal about where the Republican Party leadership is right now.”
I think this is only the beginning.
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307 comments Add your comment
Call it like it is.
November 2nd, 2009
8:54 am
first
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
8:56 am
That’s right, GOP … keep purging those who are impure … keep moving to the right … and we’ll keep taking the independents
stands for decibels
November 2nd, 2009
9:02 am
Meh. While I would like to believe that most voters will recoil in some kind of horror at how right wing extremists essentially hijacked a party nomination process, truth is Jay that this is pretty inside-baseball sort of stuff and will be forgotten by most this time next week.
If it’s another nail in the coffin, it’s kind of like a short finishing nail used for half-inch quarter-round.
That said, if time permits I’ll have to go check out the linked right-wing nutjob websites; I’m sure it will make for entertaining reading.
(A skank? Did they really call her that?)
Finn McCool
November 2nd, 2009
9:04 am
Let it purge, let it purge, let it purge!
Call it like it is.
November 2nd, 2009
9:04 am
Jay, were you watching Frankenstein this weekend as you wrote this? Torches, pitchforks, witchs and bogey men. Who’s trying to scare who? I think it ironic that your going after the Republicans in NY, yet here in Atlanta you have the “exact” same thing going on with Norwood, who is a lifelong democrat, yet the democratic party is going after her as you say with torches and pitchforks.
Funny how you pass this up and go to a different state with no dog in the fight just to try and bash on the Republicans.
Jay
November 2nd, 2009
9:05 am
If it ended here, sfd, I’d very much agree with you. But this success will fuel the fire on the right.
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:06 am
dB –
“(A skank? Did they really call her that?)”
you’re obviously not familiar with Michelle “stalker of 7-year olds” Malkin … frankly, I’d be surprised if that was the worst of it …
Jay
November 2nd, 2009
9:06 am
Norwood a lifelong Democrat?
Hmmm.
stands for decibels
November 2nd, 2009
9:07 am
But this success will fuel the fire on the right.
Ah. I see. You think they need this to go on torchin’ s–t. I don’t.
F. Sinkwich
November 2nd, 2009
9:07 am
Moderate Republican? LOL
She a moonbat endorsed by Daily KOS and Acorn.
And loyal?
She endorsed the donkey.
If you want to vote for a liberal moonbat, vote for a democrat.
Citizen of the World
November 2nd, 2009
9:08 am
The further right the Republican party goes, the more the center shifts. And the more the center shifts, the more centrists will find themselves on the left.
It’s even happening to one of my relatives who first started listening to talk radio in her car, then as the brainwashing progressed, started believing that FOX News was the only place one could get the “real story,” etc. Of course, even through all this she tried to delude herself that she was an “independent conservative,” but she always voted Republican. Now they are getting too extreme even for her, and liberal is not quite such a dirty word any more.
If this is only the beginning, then it could also be the beginning of the end. Let’s hope so.
AmVet
November 2nd, 2009
9:09 am
Yikes! Newt making sense!?!?
In retrospect, it was an obvious oxymoron, that I for one, never believed. But you know me, given their history, I believe almost nothing to come out of the mouths of these proven liars and vindictive little flamethrowers.
He was “tricked”?
What a dork.
Virtually all of the conned either suffer from Headin Rectalitis or Botchitall Syndrome…
So, the GOP Divine Wind rolls along gathering speed like a pile of sh*t flowing downhill.
But like their Japanese counterparts, they have a date on the deck of the USS Missouri.
I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be in their shoes…
Mrs. Godzilla
November 2nd, 2009
9:09 am
Hey Dede….Congrats for leaving the dark side.
Have your people call my people and we’ll do lunch.
Welcome to the big tent!
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:10 am
and why shouldn’t she endorse the democrat after the way her own party treated her (or do you only expect that from “democrats” (in name only) like Lieberman and Zell “I challenge you to a duel” Miller)
Normal
November 2nd, 2009
9:11 am
Well, at least the Republican Party hasn’t lynched anyone yet…
Remember folks, if they want us all to be the same, they don’t want democracy.
stands for decibels
November 2nd, 2009
9:12 am
USinUK, in fairness to the right wing’s favorite anchor baby, it wasn’t Michelle who called “skank” but, rather, some blogger who modestly refers to his site as “extreme wisdom.”
Not that I’d put such name calling and much, much worse past Malagulag. And yeah, I’m familiar with her stalking techniques.
david wayne osedach
November 2nd, 2009
9:14 am
It is about time! Please don’t rush. There is plenty to purge!
Brad Steel
November 2nd, 2009
9:14 am
The Palin-Beck lead charge off the cliff is going to be funny. A party lead by two loud-mouth, self-promoting, self-absorbed 1/2-wits will yield comic fodder that hasn’t been seen since Clinton’s intern BJ.
Meanwhile as the useless ideologues fight it out over gay marriage, 10 commandment postings, creationism and abortion; Obama can be free to focus on closing down Iraq, leaving Afghanistan and reducing unemployment.
Hey, republicans, here’s a clue: when someone says: go screw yourself, it’s just a hackney aspersion, not a helpful hint from Heloise.
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:14 am
GOP – the new “niche” party … like the Greens.
“it wasn’t Michelle who called “skank” but, rather, some blogger who modestly refers to his site as “extreme wisdom.””
give her time, dB … give her time … me, I like what Monsieur Bogg had to say about it: http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/
jt
November 2nd, 2009
9:18 am
“Gov. Charlie Crist, a moderate”
“moderate GOP senator like Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins”
“Mitt Romney, one of the more moderate GOP presidential hopefuls, ”
“the weekend, “It’s rather telling when the Republican Party forces out a moderate Republican”
It is laughable when flaming liberals try to redefine the term moderate.
Let the “moderates” tremble. There is always room in the Democrats “big” tent.
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:18 am
GOP – the new “niche” party … more like the BNP, as I think about it …
jt
November 2nd, 2009
9:21 am
Go lick the hand that feeds you.
Icarus
November 2nd, 2009
9:21 am
This is getting a bit awkward Jay. Could you please go back to writing crazy lib’ral stuff so I can beat up on you and earn some conservative cred back?
F. Sinkwich
November 2nd, 2009
9:22 am
The Republicans nominated the democrat’s and media’s favorite moderate to run for president last year. We all know how that turned out.
All you libs should lighten up. You own the government and can do whatever you want with ZERO republican support.
Go for it!
Geezers and recluses
November 2nd, 2009
9:22 am
The McCain-Palin ticket lost every demographic group by large margins in 2008 except white senior citizens and the dwindling fifth of America that’s still rural.
Good work big-tent guys. But your chins up. The 1/2-wits running your party will certainly have a strong turn-out among other 1/2-wits.
DoggoneGA
November 2nd, 2009
9:23 am
Since no two people can ever agree 100%…once you start purging, there’s no end to it until only one person is left. Maybe someone should open a book on who that last, lone R will be.
DoggoneGA
November 2nd, 2009
9:24 am
“It is laughable when flaming liberals try to redefine the term moderate”
They don’t have to “redefine” it. The R’s are doing a great job of that. Whoever they throw out as not being “pure” enough is quite likely to fit the definition of “moderate” anyway.
stands for decibels
November 2nd, 2009
9:26 am
I like what Monsieur Bogg had to say
heh. I’m sure tbogg exaggerates by as much as seven, eight percent.
Dr. R
November 2nd, 2009
9:27 am
Let’s note, however, that while the GOP seems intent on purging its ranks of those who haven’t taken The Pledge to extremism, the Democrats aren’t all that welcoming to the centrists, either. Take the health care debate. Obama takes the pragmatic road away from a public option, yet Harry and Nancy (aka, The Ropers) drive him and the party back to the left with their newly unveiled plan. So we’re not welcome in the GOP, and the Democrats say they want us but stick to their far-left government-driven agenda. Surely at some point, we’re going to have enough of us left to forge an actual, viable third party that lasts more than one election cycle and isn’t driven by a single issue or personality. It hasn’t happened before for a number of reasons, but that was before we had two parties distilling themselves to this degree of all those who don’t follow every scintilla of their game plan. Libertarians, Perotistas, Greens and your basic GDIs — somebody is going to want us at some point and give us a reason to swing their way.
Mrs. Godzilla
November 2nd, 2009
9:29 am
From WSJ
Democrats’ Quiet Changes Pile Up
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125712507804421903.html?mod=rss_Politics_And_Policy
Keep it up righties…..please!
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:32 am
Dr. R –
I think you may want to go back and look at the recent history of the health care debate – Reid came out a couple of months ago and said no way in hell would there be a public option in the Senate version. it was only after they realized that the American People WANT a public option that he began to become more flexible.
dB – TBogg is my first stop in my morning blog routing – it always helps to start the day spewing tea across the screen … you visit for the snark, you return for the thursday bassets …
Grumpy
November 2nd, 2009
9:33 am
Hoffman is against earmarks. Dede and Owens are willing to take every dollar of pork and welfare they can get their grubby little hands on. Good riddance to both of them, hopefully.
danjonglee
November 2nd, 2009
9:33 am
Where are all the moderates in the NeoLib Democrat Party? They get an invitation to the White House to be re educated on the issues everytime they disagree with the Administration.
Common Sense
November 2nd, 2009
9:34 am
After 22 years, I am not renewing my subscription to the AJC.
It has shrunk to almost nothing, the news is stale by a day or two and the left wing bias has become intolerable.
Marsh
November 2nd, 2009
9:35 am
The party of No is being derailed by the rightwing taliban fringe. They will be completely irrelevant in two more election cycles.
Geezers and recluses
November 2nd, 2009
9:36 am
Grumpy
Ny’s 23rd would be in its own little depression if it was not for stimulus spending and federal government support.
Duh!
Paul
November 2nd, 2009
9:37 am
Enter your comments here
stands for decibels
November 2nd, 2009
9:39 am
TBogg is my first stop in my morning blog routing
I seem to remember that particularly snarky DFH from Atrios’ darkest days (i.e., after JFK’s loss to GWB).
Have to make more frequent stops at his fancy FDL perch.
(and I remember FDL from back in the day when Jane’s operation was so raggedy that she was using the same crappy blogger.com homepage template that I was using for my crappy little site. They grow up so fast!)
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
November 2nd, 2009
9:39 am
Change is gonna come. Unfortunately, for President Obumbler he won’t bring change, his presidency will end with change that the people have wrought upon him. Witness NY 23rd, good ol’ Virginny, and, yes, even Tony Soprano-land has had enuff of Obumbler.
Change is gonna come – Palin/Liz Cheney 2012
Mrs. Godzilla
November 2nd, 2009
9:41 am
Palin/Liz Cheney 2012
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please
oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please
Paul
November 2nd, 2009
9:41 am
It’s never nice watching a train wreck.
I don’t get the Ms Malkins of the world. Just who do they think picked the nominee? It wasn’t a Central Committee. It was the locals. If that’s who they want to represent them, fine. If it doesn’t fit with their idea of party purity, maybe they’re a bit out of touch.
And before anyone on the Left gets too smug, Dems have had their own experiments with Party purges. Remember Senator “I’ll disagree on one issue” Lieberman? The farleft and MoveOn took care of that. Why haven’t farleft Dems carried it further? Possibly because they have the levers of power in the House and Senate. Why purge when your minority has firm control and can fend off challenges to your rule, even against the most ethically-challenged members?
Doesn’t bode well for democracy, though.
Then again, Democrats and Republicans haven’t bode all that well for some time now -
Grumpy
November 2nd, 2009
9:43 am
Hey Geezers, maybe if the state’s confiscatory tax policy were revisited, more businesses would think about relocating there.
Instead, they have been reduced to blaming everything but their own policies, and holding out the tin cup to survive. And the answer to this, according to Dede and Owens, is to give them a bigger cup and more welfare. Sweet deal if you can get it. Keep them dependent on government – the mantra of the Democratic party.
John J
November 2nd, 2009
9:43 am
This strategy is right out of the Rahm playbook, and it worked to perfection in the last election. Now that the R’s want to steal a page it is a mortal sin? Even you can’t believe half the stuff you write.
USinUK
November 2nd, 2009
9:44 am
dB –
I like Jane Hamsher okay – but, if I’m going to really want to read a good thought piece, I like Hullaballoo (can’t remember her name, but dang, she’s good) … if I’m in skim mode, I like Atrios … but, if I need a good blast of tea shooting through my nose, TBogg never lets me down
Citizen of the World
November 2nd, 2009
9:45 am
Dr. R, the public option, which most Americans want, is a compromise for many liberal Democrats. We consider that to be a center position, one that will give people an option and the for-profit insurance companies some competition. Many of us see universal single-payer as the most simple, least costly and truly workable solution to our health care problems, but because too many people think that’s some sort of far-left, socialist solution, we’re willing to compromise with a public option.
Adam
November 2nd, 2009
9:45 am
I guess the broad minded, big tent Democrats would never do something so shameful. Just ask Joe Lieberman. VP candidate to the doghouse because he wouldn’t sign on to every aspect of their radical agenda.
Brad Steel
November 2nd, 2009
9:46 am
“– Palin/Liz Cheney 2012″
oh please, oh please, oh please!!!!!!
mike
November 2nd, 2009
9:46 am
LOL. I guess Republicans need to be more accomadating of those who do not adhere to ideology like the Democrats. I mean look how accepting they were and continue to be of Joe Lieberman’s bucking liberal dogma. Lord knows he has been shown a lot of “gratitude” by Democrats,
Nothing new about any of this, but Jay has red meat to crank out so rolls out the “purge” talk, demonstrating once again that hyper-partisans can’t resist demonizing those who dare not share their narrow views by using terminology intended to compare them to totalitarian regimes.
I mean how dare any voters not blindly follow the edicts of their party bosses? Don’t they know that folks like Jay and party regulars know better than they?
vince neil
November 2nd, 2009
9:47 am
All the keyboard happy dems need be somewhat cautious…..recent victories by merit of a cult of personality have short legs and shallow support………the ideals and ideas put forth by the congressional leadership are NOT those of the majority…..time will tell who is really on the verge!
DoggoneGA
November 2nd, 2009
9:48 am
“Dems have had their own experiments with Party purges”
Umm..I don’t see the correlation between someone chosen by the voters in a primary being forced out by the party elites…and someone NOT chosen by the voters in a primary election CHOOSING to leave the party. Is it just me? Or are these REALLY exact opposites of each other?