I admit I’m not an expert on inside DC politics. BUT, from everything I read in the days leading up to the passage of Porkulus:

1) The bill was bad. Very bad.
2) It BARELY passed cloture.

Let’s be clear, here: Specter, Snowe and Collins rescued Porkulus.

Yes, I agree that a stimulus bill of hundreds of billions of dollars would eventually pass. BUT, this bill had so many problems, it should have been stopped.

Specter, Collins and Snowe could have stopped it. They could have pressed Reid to get a rewrite that would have saved many billions of dollars.

Seeing as that’s my son’s generation’s money, I think it was worth it.

Porkulus, in its twisted form, was floundering. By voting for cloture, these three GOP Senators rescued it.

There are some things you don’t overlook. If we are to regain our image as a party of fiscal discipline, I do not see how we can do it with these three in the party.

There is no way that these three can be viewed as fiscal conservatives. No fiscal conservative worth their salt would have rescued that bill.

They could have forced repairs to the bill. Instead, they rescued it. They know it. We know it. They are the de facto Father and Mothers of Porkulus.

If we mean to be a party of fiscal discipline, that means we must act to rid ourselves of spendthrifts. Especially people who are cavalier with our children’s money and future.

If I find out that the chief of police in my town is on the take from organized crime, I’d want to see him gone, even IF he had kept my town safe and secure for years on end.

There are some things you simply don’t forgive. For me, putting my son’s future in jeopardy is one of those things.

If either of these three win their GOP primaries, then I’ll vote for them over a typical Dem. But they must be primaried. By a fiscal conservative candidate.

If, in the end, PA and Maine Republicans decide that they want to be represented by Senators who spend like liberals, then OK I guess. But, we need to hold Dad and both Moms feet to the fire, in the primaries.

If we can’t get our partner to pass us some low spades under the table and find a way to get them into our hand, we’re going to break one hundred much too quickly.

Pragmatism and Compromise aren’t in my nature when I know something to be right…I can be persuaded to change my mind on what is right…but I will not compromise what I believe to be right!

Oh, this is good – I needed a good laugh!

I know this line is incidental to your main point, but if you really believe this, I have oceanfront property in CO to sell you!

Honestly, the way things are going, the Republicans could run stuffed animals for office in 2010 and they’ll win in a landslide!

The way Obama and the Dems are taxing and spending, in the middle of a *Depression* yet, and planning on trampling on free speech and gun rights, only their most fervent Stalinist supporters will still be voting for them in 2 years.

I’m pretty sure Mickey Mouse could trounce these guys, if this keeps up.

I’ve been accused of being a one issue Conservative fixated on fiscall issues in the past

I’ve been accused of being a one issue Conservative fixated on Social issues in the past

For instance, if we could find a statewide candidate in California that was strong on spending and judges, but personally pro-choice or gay marriage or whatever the issue might be, I’d settle for him or her over Boxer or Feinstein because they are FOR abortions up to 9 months, in favor of gay marriage by judicial fiat, and a whole host of other stupid views AAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD spending money and expanding government like drunken sailors.

My gripe with most Moderates…be they Fiscal Moderates, Social Moderates, or National Security Moderates is that they end up driving the bus…they drive it into the ditch and then jump out and point the finger at everyone else. I don’t like using the term moderate for these folks either because most of the folks who claim they are moderates on certain issues are indeed liberal. Case in point would be Arnold…I remember Hannity insisting he was a liberal on abortion during an interview and Arnold became almost beligerant in insisting Hannity call him Moderate…Hannity then asked him a list of questions as to whether he wouled ever restrict third term abortions, partial birth abortions, or parental notification…of course he would restricting abortion in any way or support a parrent’s right to make medical decisions for a child…but somehow he’s considered a “moderate” on the issue?

Anyway…I digress….

I guess I’m more interested in the government stopping the spending of money because I see that as that happens, there is less money for them to be involved in social issues at the Federal level. I’m not sure I have libertarian tendencies or not but I just see that with you, our most important fight is fiscal.

I would say that Right now the most important fight to me is fiscal issues because that is the issue that is front and center right now…you’ll find that I can be as fiercely principled when it comes to social and foreign policy issues as well…and there are many here that can attest to that fact…in fact…I’ve been accused of being a one issue Conservative fixated on fiscall issues in the past…I represent the whole Conservative Package…I take my views from Burke, Smith, Voltaire, Montesque, I take from Hobbs, Hayek, Paine, and Von Mesis and Hayak, as interpreted by Friedman…Some of my views seem to contradict one another because I can see the push and pull of both arguements and in those instances I consider myself a true moderate, (as opposed to the current definition of Moderate which is basically a liberal). I see the need in many instances on issues all these philosophers raise to strike a delicate balance between the two views…walking the razor if you will…

For instance…the need for a Moral Society to achieve maximum Liberty as opposed to the need for government at times to enforce or encourage a moral order…swing the pendulum too far in either direction and Liberty suffers.

I’ve lost site of how I got onto that but as you can see…I’m not so black and white….or as easy to nail down in my beliefs as many try to paint me!