An Open Letter to Elizabeth Dole
The Bear on Feb 16 2008 at 5:00 am | Filed under: Uncategorized
Dear Senator Dole,
I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you for dedicating nearly $2 million of the NRSC’s resources to Linc Chafee’s reelection campaign in 2006 when you were the NRSC’s chairwoman. I confess: For a long time, I questioned the wisdom of that move—after all Chafee didn’t even vote for President Bush in 2004—but now that the former Senator Chafee has left the Republican Party and announced his endorsement of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama today, I finally see the wisdom of that strategy.
Never mind that Senator Chafee voted against the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts; never mind that Chafee was the only Republican to vote against Justice Alito’s confirmation; never mind that Chafee admitted that the only reason he remained a Republican was because the Republican majority made it easier to secure pork projects; never mind that a number of real Republican candidates could have benefitted from the NRSC’s resources during the 2006 cycle—it is clear today that Senator Chafee was worthy of your defense and support, as you argued so eloquently during the 2006 cycle: “It’s not about liberal or conservative. It’s about protecting incumbents no matter what their views.” As Senator Chafee declared Barack Obama “the best candidate for the job,” it is clear that you were right and we grass roots conservatives were dismally wrong. My deepest apologies for doubting you.
Sincerely,
Nachama Soloveichik
[Full Disclosure: I was the Communications Director for Steve Laffey’s primary challenge against Lincoln Chafee.]
SideBear: I too, have expressed similar views about former Senator Lincoln Chafee and if any one man personifies what a RINO is… Chaffee is it.
But what is particularly disturbing about this is, Senator Dole’s argument, “It’s not about liberal or conservative. It’s about protecting incumbents no matter what their views.”
The Republican Party is about to repeat the same mistakes of the past in 2008 and as Albert Einstein once said,
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“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.”
Senator Dole, tax cuts, pork projects, Senator Lincoln Chafee
One Response to “An Open Letter to Elizabeth Dole”
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Albert Einstein was wrong, Bear. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result used to be call persistence, determination, grit. Remember the old saw, “If at first you don’t succeed, TRY, TRY AGAIN”? This is the reason we guide ourselves by principle, not results. Results are important, but just stopping the banshees from howling isn’t the goal if we have to feed them a child every day to do so.
Insanity is trying to elect someone with these rules. I agree the popular vote is wrong, but within the state, or district, it should be popular vote, and let them campaign district by district, and let every district vote three times in the primary, and all districts at the same time. Once to clear the slate down to three or four choices, depending upon how much each gets on the first ballot. The second to reduce it to two clear choices and allow those two to pick running mates. The third to get your ticket for the main election. Same process for any party.
Now, doing the same thing over and over again when it’s shown to have failed for a reason without adapting, that might be insanity. But let’s not knock persistence.