Republican Exile From Mainstream

I thought the Florida Democratic Convention was going to be the most embarrassing shindig. It appears Republicans convention topped the Donkeys in lameless. It's a bad sign when Rudy Giuliani attempts stand-up comedy.

Rudy Giuliani: "Where are the Canadians going to go for health care if Hillary gets Hillarycare? ... You don't believe Michael Moore that health care in Cuba is better? It now occurs to me, I've been looking at Michael Moore, and he gets his health care in Cuba, he looks real healthy, doesn't he?"

I spare readers John McCain's Zsa Zsa Gabor jokes.

No one is expecting the Republicans candidats to be Richard Pryor in his prime. I can let that slide and be grateful I wasn't in attendance. The St Petersburg Times description of the reception Charlie Crist got from the party faithful is fascinating. Short answer: the base hates Crist.

About 3,000 Republican activists gave Gov. Charlie Crist a reception Saturday that could be called polite. They applauded his arrival, but a few hundred wouldn't join in a standing ovation, and his remarks on climate change got no applause at all.

The cool reception was not altogether surprising. It's a highly partisan crowd in Orlando, and Crist has strongly downplayed partisanship as governor in favor of working with both Democrats and Republicans.

When Crist mentioned his predecessor, Jeb Bush, the crowd whooped and applauded. Social and moral issues are vital to many convention delegates, but Crist touched on them only perfunctorily, saying "the sanctity of marriage" is between a man and a woman and "a culture of life."

This has less to do with Crist than the base losing political influence. The Christian Right is so fed up that there is talk about them backing a third party candidate. They fear a Giuliani nomination. What hasn't been dicussed is how unlikely it would have been for a pro-choice Republican candidate to be doing so well in the polls. Sam Brownbeck and Mike Huckabee are candidates respected the Evangelicals. Brownbeck dropped out and Huckabee is making less news than the anti-Iraq war Ron Paul. The GOP platform is becoming increasingly out of the American mainstream

Republican Debate Madness

Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo and Rudy Giuliani came out in support of drilling off the coast of Florida. Giuliani gave new meaning to the word vague.

Giuliani: You don't draw the line anywhere. What you do is, you work with people to try to advance all of these technologies. You can't do everything. You can't do long-term damage to our environment. That would be a mistake. That would be an overreaction. You have to make sound judgments, and you have to advance these new technologies.

That rambling piece of nonsense made no sense.

Giuliani did find time to spar with Mitt Romney over whom is the biggest taxcutter.

"I brought taxes down by 17 percent. Under him, taxes went up 11 percent per capita," said Giuliani, the current front-runner in most national polls. "I led; he lagged."

"It's baloney," responded Romney, who leads the polls in the key early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. "Mayor, you've got to check your facts."

Romney defended himself by saying he lowered taxes, not raised them as Giuliani charged, and said state spending in Massachusetts grew at a slower rate while he was governor than New York City's budget grew during Giuliani's tenure.

Romney did increase fees by $500 million. That is something he would rather not mention. The classic Republican tax shift game.

Fred Thompson shows his compassionate conservatism for the working man.

Mr. Thompson probably did not expect to be asked, for example, how he would explain government statistics that show that three-fourths of manufacturing workers who lose their jobs and get new ones see their incomes go down. His response: “Well, in a dynamic economy, there are jobs lost and there are jobs gained.”

Wow. Words straight out of a Bruce Springsteen song.

Tom Tancredo states the United States has a trade deficit because of oil. That is wrong. It is no secret that American manufacturing jobs are being outsourced to China and India. The United States does have a trade deficit with the OPEC nation. That is because we buy oil from them and they buy VCRs from other countries.

The real question is when is Tancredo going to drop out.

John McCain wishes interest rates are zero. How are lending institutions suppose to make money? The GOP candidates are economic illiterates.

Crist Ducks Family Florida Policy Council Event

I find it fascinating how Republican politicians want to keep Christian Right activists at arm's length. Popular Governor Charlie Crist turned down an invitation to speak to Family Florida Policy Council. Dark horse candidates Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownbeck went to the event and gave a major pep talk.

''Please don't give up now,'' said Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who was followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. ``We can win this fight.''

Well said by two men polling in the single digits in Idaho.

Crist was far more receptive towards the Christian Right when he was a candidate. He told a Roman Catholic priest he would sign a bill to ban abortion. The Hatemonger Rev. O'Neill Dozier was a major Crist backer. Dozier showed his intolerance by attempting to shut down the construction of a peaceful Islamic mosque.

On September 23, 2006 The Miami Herald reported, "The Rev. O'Neal Dozier suffered another political slap Friday. Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist told his staff to take the Pompano Beach minister off all his campaign committees. The move comes after the Rev. Dozier characterized Islam as a 'cult' and a 'dangerous religion,' on a South Florida radio talk show in July. Dozier also recently announced plans to distribute booklets to residents living near the site of a future mosque in a black Pompano Beach community. 'While Charlie Crist respects Rev. Dozier's right to express his political and religious beliefs, he does not agree with Rev. Dozier's recent statements and writings concerning Islam,' according to a statement issued Friday by Crist's deputy press secretary Erin Isaac. 'While radical jihadists give Islam a bad name, Charlie Crist believes that we must not confuse those who practice any religion with a prayer toward peace with extremists who pervert religion to further a radical cause.' The Rev. Dozier initially made his remarks on the radio show and several times in discussing his opposition to construction of a mosque in a 'black Christian' Pompano Beach community. Dozier and others opposing the mosque -- which has been approved -- have also said they would rather see affordable housing on the roughly 5-acre property. Dozier confirmed that someone from Crist's campaign called Friday about his removal. 'I'm just simply doing what I think any true pastor would do,' Dozier said."

The GOP has a very sick relationship with the Christian Right. Christian religion and politics have both been tainted by this merger.

Update: TampaBay Democrat has a post on Florida Family Policy Council gala.