Putting country first, something I believe I’d been hearing a LOT lately, means rolling up your sleeves and going to work for all Americans. If President-Elect Obama asks Secretary Gates to stay on awhile (and I’ve been saying for months that he should), I sincerely pray that Gates agrees to stay. He’s done a fine job in very difficult times. I’ve caught serious hell from some of my friends on the left for saying it. I’m still saying it.

Your problem with it is actually the very same as theirs. They don’t want him to stay because he’s a Republican. You don’t want him to stay because he’s a Republican. The folks at DailyKos want him gone, at a ratio of at least ten to one.

There’s usually at least one cabinet member from the opposition party. This is normal. I want my country to prosper. I want YOU folks, the loyal opposition, to be involved in this government. I fully expect three to five members of the cabinet to be Republicans. It’s better for the country this way.

If you want to go off in a huff and blacklist anybody who tries to put country ahead of party, well that’s your business. A very sad business indeed.

If you think my party is so inept I would imagine you’d leap at the opportunity to have some portion of our government run by members of yours.

Some things are more important than politics. Keeping my friend in Iraq (and his 140,000 or so buddies) alive and in one piece is more important than how YOU feel about Bob Gates keeping his job for six to twelve months into the new Administration. Gates has done very good work and I pray the new President has the grace, class, and foresight to ask him to stay on while we transition out.

You hurt the country by doing stuff like this. I know you’re mad. I don’t blame you. I’ve been there more than once. I get it. I really do. But if you really meant it, all of you, when you said you wanted to “put country first” then you won’t hold it against those Republicans who answer the call.

Please, commence the dogpiling. For the record, I would be saying exactly the same thing were our roles reversed.

But before I state why, what is your reason for putting them on a “*hit list”

Would they be able to have any real influence in an Obama administration? If so, then they should accept if given the opportunity. If not, they should refuse to be trotted out as propaganda pieces.

These guys do not put “Country First” they hate this Country, Constitution, Capitalism, Individual Liberty and everything else the Country represents.

President Bush tried to be bipart and look at what happened.

McCain may end up working for them and that’s exactly where he belongs but any Conservative that wants to continue to serve his Country and not be used a a useful Dupe or Scapegoat but understand Bob Gates should get the hell out.

There is no such thing as Country First with people who hate the Country.

Not sure exactly what the list is but I agree that this does not help the Republican/ Conservative cause.

Given: (1) that all Obama promises come with an expiration date and (2) his ability to throw those politically “inconvient” under the bus, I am not sure why any Republican would want to serve. Republicans in the Cabinet is called cover.

The best reply for any Republican being considered for a future role in the Adminstration should be “Thanks for the tremedous honor but I must respectfully decline at this time.”

Obama is not stupid. If he goes down he wants Republicans on his staff to blame. Republicans need to run away from Obama as fast as they can. No republicans in Congress should support anything he does period. This is why we are were we are at!
The democrats are now the socialist peoples party.

This is what Pelosi & Reid have sown.

bipartisanship doesn’t often work. I can think of one bill in the last 12 years where it worked; welfare reform.

We lost because we’re too nice, too accommodating, too bipartisan.

I say let Obama and the children have at it for 2 years, lock stock and barrel. Any so-called Republican opting to serve at the pleasure of Chairman Obamao might as well be committing treason as far as I’m concerned. Let the American people reap what they’ve sown and let us re-tool the Conservative movement, eliminate the RINOs and organize for 2010 when Obama and his ilk have been exposed for the Marxist, America hating radicals they are. And we must organize it in a clear, coherent, conservative and partisan way. I’m firmly convinced that partisanship breeds clarity and is a result of clear convictions. Just look at Obama. he told the American people what he’s going to do, raise taxes, spread the wealth and his first decision as P-E is to select the most scorched-earth Marxist partisan there is; Rahm Emmanuel. A perfect example of clarity and partisanship. That’s where we as conservatives must evolve. And this evolution should have no room for RNIOs who work in an Obama regime.

about asking these people to work for him, then he would have no problem asking their opinions without them on his appointment list. Offer advice, put country first but keep yourself at a distance. No need for our party to take the blame for him going down, but we can claim see you asked my opinion and you didn’t take it.

… is why I am so partisan now. These weasels have damaged the economy by running unfettered. McCain ran his campaign like it was a popularity contest. I am not out to screw people like the democrats have done. I just know when something is bound to fail it is best to steer clear. I have done this in business for 30 years and I am still standing. I may not have been popular at times but I did what was best to support my family. Obama does nothing for me. All I see from him is a hand reaching into my pocket. On the other side people see Obama giving them something. But if it was just about the money I would not be so rabid. My wife & I probably give at least 15% to church & charity. I don’t mind helping people out. I have employed hundreds of people over 30 years. When Obama talks of a smaller military, civilian defense forces, reaching out to thugs & dictators I ask why?

He is throwing the legacy of Reagan in the trash. This is what really gets me going. I attended the 1984 Republican convention and wish for those times again. The socialist/Marxist movement must be defeated here in America so we don’t have to go fight WWIII in Europe or Asia.
All Obama does is embolden the dicators and the leftist’s around the world. I have never said “if you can’t beat them join them”, apparantly this is Obama’s attitude.

so that we can replace him the senate. Whoever Daniels would appoint would be more conservative than him. Senator Pence just rolls off the toungue.

That would be a terrible idea. It is imperative that Gates stay on to finish up the war in Iraq and bring the same level of reform to Afghanistan. Do you want the US to suffer under Obama just so that Republicans can regain power? Because that’s exactly why some on the left were hoping the surge would fail. I want Obama to have the best advisers possible. I want him to be the greatest president we’ve ever had. Obviously I don’t believe that he will be, not by a long shot, but the more good, competent people surround him, the better chance they have of reigning in his liberal ambitions.

Republicans need to work for him to watch him, bring sanity to his lunatic fringe policies, and show that they can lead by example. It has been the failure of conservatives to really be conservatives for eight years that saw what happened in this election but this is a very bright day for us conservatives. Now we can BE REAL CONSERVATIVES again!

Finally, all of us needs to give a collective thanks to Jack Rayn, as it was his actions that allowed for O to even win the Senate race in 2004.