Misoverestimating Christine
Christine Todd Whitman's new book, "It's My Party Too", I thought might be another in a growing line of Bush-bashing books by former administration insiders. I was aware that the former head of the Bush EPA was supposed to be a female moderate rising star of the Republican Party who had supposedly worked some modern day fiscal miracle while Governor of New Jersey. But, since I had not heard any Democrats offer her even faint praise, and since I did not see her doing anything moderate at EPA, I had my doubts.
John in Phoenix has long been telling me about the Republican moderates in Arizona being targeted by the right wing of the party. I don't know who is actually a Republican moderate anywhere nowadays. I suppose a Republican who is pro women's right to choose and is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is what some people call a moderate. I doubt there are any long time moderates in the Republican Party today. I consider McCain more a maverick than a moderate, Guiliani more an opportunist and Schwarznegger more a windbag. A legitimate long time Republican moderate, with overwhelmingly impressive government experience and well thought out ideas, was Elliot Richardson, who died a few years ago. His book, "Reflections of a Radical Moderate", written in the Gingrich Era, is excellent.
As for Whitman's book, check out the review by Salon.com at Powell's books. It is devastatingly well done in explaining how overestimated Whitman was and how irrelevant she and her book are.
John in Phoenix has long been telling me about the Republican moderates in Arizona being targeted by the right wing of the party. I don't know who is actually a Republican moderate anywhere nowadays. I suppose a Republican who is pro women's right to choose and is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is what some people call a moderate. I doubt there are any long time moderates in the Republican Party today. I consider McCain more a maverick than a moderate, Guiliani more an opportunist and Schwarznegger more a windbag. A legitimate long time Republican moderate, with overwhelmingly impressive government experience and well thought out ideas, was Elliot Richardson, who died a few years ago. His book, "Reflections of a Radical Moderate", written in the Gingrich Era, is excellent.
As for Whitman's book, check out the review by Salon.com at Powell's books. It is devastatingly well done in explaining how overestimated Whitman was and how irrelevant she and her book are.
posted by Tom Blake | 6:07 PM
3 Comments:
The term "moderate" as applied to certain members of the Republican Party has been legitimized by the press and by the Republicans themselves. Tom might be right about there being no moderates when looking nationally at the Republican Party. But what about what's his name who was targeted by the right wing of the Party to not be reappointed head of the Judiciary Committee because of some moderate statements he had made? Even so, the splintering of the Republican Party is much more visible at the local level in Arizona and presumably other red states. Because the Democratic Party is dead here except in Hispanic areas (maybe the Democratic Party will be reborn by 2050 when the whites will be in minority)civic minded people who want to serve must do so through the Republican Party no matter their personal political philosophy. The result is a political splitting within the Republican Party itself. Those on the left are moderates (admittedly most are to the right of Tom), but the majority Republicans are very conservative, influenced and funded by the growing national religious right movement. The budget process of 2003 in Arizona provides a case history. Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano (how a Democrat got elected in Arizona where I've claimed the party is dead is another story)passed her budget that called for increased social spending. How she did that shows what a miracle worker she is. She managed to get a coalition of socially responsible Republicans to join the vastly outnumbered Democrats and pass the budget. The Republican right was so incensed they demanded that the final vote be done by the aye's having to stand. And we have the dramatic picture of a brave group of moderate Republicans standing with the Democrats. Cat calls rang out as the right wingers vowed to get the moderates in the next primary. And they did. My own representative was typical. She was targeted by another woman who ran on a platform of being a "true conservative". It was clear she had a lot money based on her billboards and the number of very nice glossy mailings she put out. I believe (but don't know) that the money came from those national right wing religious groups that target local elections to further their philosophy. However she got the money, she won. One glimmer of hope: she is now being investigated by the Arizona Clean Elections Committee for overspending private money after taking public funds for her campaign. One final word on the Republican moderates: the right wing does not call us moderates. They calls us Rino's, Republicans In Name Only.
John from Phoenix
Arlen Specter is the Senator and it seems to me that the threat of a challenge to his chairmanship caused him to be more fearful rather than emblodened. The Democratic party cannot be dead in Arizona, since its candidate was elected Governor. Clean Election Laws may afford some help to Republican moderates, as they did to Napolitano, but what is needed is boldness from moderates to stand up and defend themselves against fanatical attacks by right wing extremists, even if it means forming an alliance with Democrats. Republican moderates and Democrats jointly need to educate the citizenry as to the need for rejecting the agenda of the fanatical neo-cons.
Tom, thanks for filling in the blanks. How could I forget such an interesting name as Arlen Specter? Yes, he did seem to cave when his job was on the line, but who among us wouldn't? We need more than boldness from moderates. The unfortunate moderates in the Arizona legislature stood tall and bold, and what did it get them? Loss of stature, loss of influence, and unemployment. Instead we need a socially responsible philosophy based on historical liberal values that alsorecognizes that the majority of the electorate has become much more socially conservative and has developed traditional Christian beliefs. And we need charismatic leaders who will spread that message. Bill Clinton could do that, but he destroyed himself and his wife was splattered by his blood. Howard Dean's time as presidentail candidate has come and gone. Maybe he can inspire a new direction for the Dmocratic Party. Meanwhile, I'll keep trying to moderate the republican Party.
John from Phoenix
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