G.O.P. Ranks in Congress Show Widening Cracks - NYT

[stop the bleeding]

By CARL HULSE
Published: March 9, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 8 — After more than five years of allowing President Bush relatively free rein to set their course, Republicans in Congress are suddenly, if selectively, in rebellion, a mutiny all the more surprising since it centers on the party's signature issue of national security.

In a rebuke to the White House, House Republicans are moving aggressively to put the brakes on the takeover by a Dubai company of some port terminal operations in several large American cities, an effort that moved forward on Wednesday with broad bipartisan support.


~snip~

"If there was ever a good time for Congress to figure out oversight, it would be in the sixth year of a presidency," said Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 3 House Republican, well aware that the party in power typically loses seats at the midpoint of a president's second term.

~snip~

One thing is clear: Republicans on Capitol Hill are no longer entrusting security issues solely to Mr. Bush. They now realize that in some cases, they must protect themselves.

Read full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/09/politics/09assess.html?hp&ex=1141880400&en=63bf2918d563ea39&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[UpInArms]

1. Protecting themselves? What about protecting our Constitution?

I hate these pigs.

:grr:

[marmar]

3. You don't hate in isolation...

May all of them, along with their filthy cesspool of a political party, crash and burn - the sooner the better. :nopity:

[NVMojo]

10. or protecting the citizens of this country! I hate these idiots!

[ImNotBuying]

13. They only care about themselves.

Rats fleaing the sinking ship. I think they know the midterm elections are going to do more than "rock the boat" so they're trying to distance themselves as to avoid "walking the plank" when the time comes so to speek.

[Atman]

2. See "Potemkin Village"

Potemkin village

NOUN: Something that appears elaborate and impressive but in actual fact lacks substance: “the Potemkin village of this country's borrowed prosperity” (Lewis H. Lapham).

ETYMOLOGY: After Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who had elaborate fake villages constructed for Catherine the Great's tours of the Ukraine and the Crimea.

[w4rma]

4. Actually Potemkin may not have constructed fake villages

That may have been an exaggeration from his enemies passed down through the ages. In fact, by all the accounts I've read, Potemkin was a very very able administrator.

Nonetheless, his name is made famous by this phrase.

[Hardrada]

9. Battleship Potemkin

Sergei Eisenstein film, another reason his name comes up!

[JerseygirlCT]

11. I'm beginning to suspect you're onto something there

with this ports deal, especially.

"who me? I'm a maverick, independent -- you know, like John McCain!" I think we'll be seeing a lot of GOP candidates going that route -- probably on orders from Rove and company!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. The Republican bullshit Mid-term election plan. Writ large.

Pugs oppose Dubai!
Pugs oppose Medicare cuts!
Pugs oppose "insert issue that Pugs support!"

Political crayons. :banghead:

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. EEEEE-yah. That's why they're conspiring to help Bush save face

on the wire-tapping thingie.

[rodeodance]

7. I heard Duncan on Dobbs--he kept repeating how security was a Repug

issue. over and over.

[ShockediSay]

8. the corporate lobbyMob doesn't like that people are getting in the way

of globalizing business, I heard today on the radio

[stop the bleeding]

12. .

for awareness

[donkeyotay]

14. Aiding and abetting. Accessories. Complicit. Obstruction of justice.

After more than five years of allowing President Bush relatively free rein to set their course...

After 5 years of ass-kissing, groveling, sniveling misplaced loyalty to a crime family gang-rape, the GOP crime family decided to feign independence.

[underpants]

15. Exactly-issue some subpoenas or shut the hell up

Impeachment starts with indictments