Tea Party-Backed Repeal Of The 17th Amendment Gets Republicans Into Trouble

[RamboLiberal]

There are signs that tea party calls to repeal the 17th Amendment -- taking the selection of U.S. Senators out of the hands of voters and putting it in the hands of state governments -- are proving to be a bridge too far for Republican candidates desperate to steal some of the movement's mojo. In the past couple weeks, at least two mainstream Republican candidates have found themselves walking back from pledges to support repealing the amendment, suggesting there's a limit to how much support the tea parties can provide.

The "Repeal The 17th" movement is a vocal part of the overall tea party structure. Supporters of the plan say that ending the public vote for Senators would give the states more power to protect their own interests in Washington (and of course, give all of us "more liberty" in the process.) As their process of "vetting" candidates, some tea party groups have required candidates to weigh in on the idea of repeal in questionnaires. And that's where the trouble starts.

In Ohio, Steve Stivers -- the Republican attempting to unseat Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy in the state's 15th District -- came under fire from Democrats when it was revealed he had checked the box saying he would repeal the 17th Amendment on a tea party survey (see question 11 here).

Kilroy's campaign set up a website slamming Stivers for the stance, and attacked him in the press.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/tea-party-call-to-repeal-the-17th-amendment-causing-problems-for-gop-candidates.php?ref=fpa

[Cha]

1. I hadn't heard this before..Rec to get this

news out about the pandering republicons..and the ignorant teabaggers who have already unrec this thread.

[Andy823]

2. The tip of the iceberg!

It's only going to get worse for republicans. They catered to the nuts in the tea party groups, and now it's coming back to haunt them! They have painted themselves into a corner, and now need to find a way out, but if they turn against the tea baggers, they risk losing their votes, or as already is happening, running against a tea party candidate in the primaries, or worse yet, having a tea party candidate run in the November election, which would divide the votes and favor the democrat in the race.

It's going to be very interesting to watch this go down, and see those who kissed up to the tea baggers, try and find a way out of the mess the got themselves into! :evilgrin:

[MicaelS]

3. Not surprised....

Many Conservatives and Libertarians have a fetish about wanting to repeal the 17th. It's all part of their desire to ensure we live in a "Constitutional Republic" instead of a "Democracy". That's because they basically don't trust their fellow citizens, unless of course they're Conservative or Libertarian.

[county worker]

4. Why doesn't everyone say to hell with the tea party bullies?

Stand up to them! They only have power because people give it to them. Define them as the fringe kooks they are and ignore their noise!

[Scuba]

6. No, let them continue.....

...as they take the Republican party as far right as the last man in their loony-bin. The Teabaggers have come back to hang them and I'm for giving them all the rope they need.

[Kerrytravelers]

5. Keep the crazy coming. Please. Don't stop now.

The crazier they get, the more marginalized they become.

Welcome to the new Democratic Majority. :kick:

[SpiralHawk]

7. TeaBaggers (R) really hate America and the Constitution

fer sure

[brooklynite]

8. Have the Tea-Partiers MET their State Legislators?

I can't imagine the New York Legislature, under euchre Republican or Democratic control doing a competent job of appointing a US Senator.

[anthroguy101]

9. The GnOP's official stance on the issue.

WE MUST PROTECT DEMOCRACY BY VOTING AGAINST IT!

[WeDidIt]

10. Cue deep voice and ominous music

"The Tea Patiers are all in favor of repealing the 17th amendment. This is the amendment that gives YOU a direct say in who your Senators are. Instead, the Tea Partiers would hand the power to choose your Senators over to a very small cabal of politicos who have power at the state level.

Call your Congressman and Senators and ask them why the Tea Partiers are so opposed to freedom and liberty in America."

:evilgrin:

[yellowcanine]

11. Wow, I can't believe many voters, D, R, or I would support that. Proves that the

"Tea Party" is not about democracy.

[ejpoeta]

12. my guess would be that if they are, it's because they don't know what it is.

you get these folks that just spout the talking point of the day and have no idea what they are talking about. the thing is, that the 'tea party' is rather small contrary to what the msm would have you believe. so you are going to have these people catering to them to get the primary nod, and then they are going to have trouble in a general election because they are too off the deep end for normal people. i don't know if i want to encourage them on or not. what if those crazies end up in a position of power!

[Scurrilous]

13. K & R

:thumbsup:

[progressoid]

14. They want to repeal the 17th ammendment?

What the fuck?

[Mari333]

15. hahaha they are backtracking like crazy