TIME MAGAZINE: Republicans on the Run

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 10:58am

See the last line in this snippet. Does anyone have the script of Gypsy? Doesn't Gypsy have a line in the Minsky sequence where she says, "As the Republicans used to say, 'Haven't you had ENOUGH?'"

I'm not sure if it was in the original or the recent revival, but I know Zan Charisse said it in the Angela Lansbury revival.



PENNSYLVANIA/SENATE: The race
Polls show Santorum, pictured, the Senate's
most vulnerable G.O.P. incumbent, trailing
state treasurer Bob Casey, son of a former
Governor

Snippet:

The midterm contests in a President's second term are almost always treacherous, but this time around, Republicans thought it would be different. The 2006 elections, coming on top of their gains in 2002 and 2004, would make history and perhaps even cement a G.O.P. majority in Congress for a generation. George W. Bush's credibility on national security and the states' aggressive gerrymandering, they believed, had turned the vast majority of districts into fortresses for incumbents. But that's not turning out to be the case. In recent weeks, a startling realization has begun to take hold: if the elections were held today, top strategists of both parties say privately, the Republicans would probably lose the 15 seats they need to keep control of the House of Representatives and could come within a seat or two of losing the Senate as well. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who masterminded the 1994 elections that brought Republicans to power on promises of revolutionizing the way Washington is run, told TIME that his party has so bungled the job of governing that the best campaign slogan for Democrats today could be boiled down to just two words: "Had enough?"
As midterm campaigns gear up, Bush's party fears a backlash that could end its 12-year hold on the House

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 1:57pm

It's time for Rick's colorist to go lighter. He's too old for the dark, it's really making him look old and washed out. Which he is. A lighter blend might make him look less like a Dark Lord.

Updated On: 3/28/06 at 01:57 PM

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 1:59pm

But he's definitely gearing up for some old Dark Side lightning bolts there in that photo.
I think Dicky "you gonna use that lube?" Santorum is just going with what he knows, Namo.

[SonofMammaMiaSam]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 2:07pm

Just for Men only comes in Blonde, Brown and Black. I think he's channeling Elvis.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 2:09pm

You're right, it's a home job. Perhaps he could sell one of his huge brood to a gay couple so he could afford to go to a proper colorist.

Tones and highlights, Rick, tones and highlights.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 3:40pm

Never noticed before but Santorum has VERY short and stubby fingers.

You know what THAT means...

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 3:44pm

...that he can't play the piano?

[Calvin]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 3:45pm

Is that Ben Stein in the background?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 3:51pm

Nah, he's too chunky.

[MatthewAddison]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 3:52pm

That's his stylist.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/28/06 at 9:43pm

RNC Memo Warns GOPers Not To Distance Themselves From Bush

Republican pollster Jan van Lohuizen, in a memo written for RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, warns that if members of Congress try to drive a wedge between themselves and Pres. Bush, it'd be akin to adding weight to an anchor. GOpers are "W Brand Republicans" whether they like it or not. And van Louhizen, who has polled (often secretly) for the Bush White House under the RNC aegis for years, is worried about low turnout.

Time Magazine first reported on the memo this weekend, but the full text is below.

---------------
Memorandum

To: Ken Mehlman
From: Jan van Lohuizen
Date: March 3, 2006
Re: Bush -- Congressional Republicans

Per our conversation, we took another look at the way voters, Republicans specifically, link President Bush and Republicans in the House and the Senate. There are several points worth making:

1. President Bush continues to have the strong loyal support of Republican voters. Despite slippage in approval ratings among all voters, the President's job approval among Republicans continues to be very high. Most members will be elected with between 80% and 100% of their support coming from Republicans. I don't see that Republicans driving a wedge between themselves and the President is a good election strategy.

2. My read of the current environment is that our problem will be turnout. '06 could become an election like '82 or '84. In '82 Republicans showed up at relatively normal turnout rates, while Democrats, because they were angry, showed up at abnormally high turnout rates. In '94, Republican turnout was elevated, while Democratic turnout was depressed. We have every reason to believe '06 could become the inverse of '82. We don't see signs of a depressed Republican turnout yet, but we have every reason to believe Democrats will turn out in high numbers. Anything we do to depress turnout, by not running as a unified party for instance, could very well lead to serious consequences in November.

3. The President is seen universally as the face of the Republican Party. We are now brand W. Republicans. The following chart shows the extremely close correlation between the President’s image and overall ratings of the party.

President Bush drives our image and will do so until we have real national front-runners for the '08 nomination. Attacking the President is counter productive for all Republicans, not just the candidates launching the attacks. If he drops, we all drop.