Ramstad to be targeted from the right?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Conservatives may target Ramstad over war vote

One of the least suspenseful campaigns in Minnesota takes place every two years in Minnesota's Third Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad regularly beats his Democratic opponents by large margins.

But Republicans might make things interesting in 2008, as activists are threatening to target Ramstad and 16 other Republicans who voted with Democrats last week in opposing President Bush's plan to send another 21,500 troops to Iraq, the Politico reported Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who said: "There's something called primaries we have in America, and there will be primary challenges in the Republican Party against some of those congressmen. And they deserve to be primaried, because they are acting, I think, in a shameful way."

Conservatives, led by talk show host Hugh Hewitt, are leading the campaign. Their first target is Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla. Hewitt wants his listeners to identify possible challengers to Keller who are backing the war. He also said he won't donate money to the National Republican Congressional Committee because it's supporting "White Flag Republicans."I will continue to listen to our commanders in Iraq and vote accordingly, without regard to political considerations," Ramstad said.

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1014711.html

I wish them luck. Beat Ramstad in the primary with a Bachmann-type nutjob and we'll pick up the seat.

[Mr.Phips]

Conservatives may target Ramstad over war vote

One of the least suspenseful campaigns in Minnesota takes place every two years in Minnesota's Third Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad regularly beats his Democratic opponents by large margins.

But Republicans might make things interesting in 2008, as activists are threatening to target Ramstad and 16 other Republicans who voted with Democrats last week in opposing President Bush's plan to send another 21,500 troops to Iraq, the Politico reported Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who said: "There's something called primaries we have in America, and there will be primary challenges in the Republican Party against some of those congressmen. And they deserve to be primaried, because they are acting, I think, in a shameful way."

Conservatives, led by talk show host Hugh Hewitt, are leading the campaign. Their first target is Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla. Hewitt wants his listeners to identify possible challengers to Keller who are backing the war. He also said he won't donate money to the National Republican Congressional Committee because it's supporting "White Flag Republicans."I will continue to listen to our commanders in Iraq and vote accordingly, without regard to political considerations," Ramstad said.

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1014711.html

I wish them luck. Beat Ramstad in the primary with a Bachmann-type nutjob and we'll pick up the seat.

Ramstad's seat actually has a DFL registration advantage and only went 50-48 for Bush in 2004.  A more Conservative Republican would have a tough time holding the seat.

[bullmoose88]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

[Mr.Phips]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

Get used to it.  They are the base of your party.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Conservatives may target Ramstad over war vote

One of the least suspenseful campaigns in Minnesota takes place every two years in Minnesota's Third Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad regularly beats his Democratic opponents by large margins.

But Republicans might make things interesting in 2008, as activists are threatening to target Ramstad and 16 other Republicans who voted with Democrats last week in opposing President Bush's plan to send another 21,500 troops to Iraq, the Politico reported Tuesday.

The newspaper quoted Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who said: "There's something called primaries we have in America, and there will be primary challenges in the Republican Party against some of those congressmen. And they deserve to be primaried, because they are acting, I think, in a shameful way."

Conservatives, led by talk show host Hugh Hewitt, are leading the campaign. Their first target is Rep. Ric Keller, R-Fla. Hewitt wants his listeners to identify possible challengers to Keller who are backing the war. He also said he won't donate money to the National Republican Congressional Committee because it's supporting "White Flag Republicans."I will continue to listen to our commanders in Iraq and vote accordingly, without regard to political considerations," Ramstad said.

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1014711.html

I wish them luck. Beat Ramstad in the primary with a Bachmann-type nutjob and we'll pick up the seat.

Ramstad's seat actually has a DFL registration advantage and only went 50-48 for Bush in 2004.  A more Conservative Republican would have a tough time holding the seat.

We don't have party registration.

However, more voters did vote in the DFL primary in that seat last election.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

BTW, I'd be very surprised if this was successful. Ramstad is quite popular in the district, even among Republicans, who tend to be more moderate.

However, the GOP certainly isn't lacking a bench of whackjobs in that district. Take Arlon Lindner for instance. Who is he? Well read up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindner_Ethics_Complaint_of_the_83rd_Minnesota_Legislative_Session

[bullmoose88]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

Get used to it.  They are the base of your party.

Thats why I stay. Has to be some balance.

But its a losing battle under this current alignment.

[Smash255]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

[bullmoose88]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

[Mr.Phips]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

They why not just vote Democratic?  By even voting for supposedly moderate Republicans you put wingnuts like John Boehner, Roy Blunt, and Patrick McHenry in charge. 

[Keystone Phil]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

They why not just vote Democratic?  By even voting for supposedly moderate Republicans you put wingnuts like John Boehner, Roy Blunt, and Patrick McHenry in charge. 

And look at the wingnuts America put in charge of committees by voting for the Dems.

[bullmoose88]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

They why not just vote Democratic?  By even voting for supposedly moderate Republicans you put wingnuts like John Boehner, Roy Blunt, and Patrick McHenry in charge. 

I think I have a pretty balanced voting record...as most forummers will tell you. Some errors along the way...but I'm not the most partisan Republican voter...moderate Republicans? sure...I'll vote for those candidates, even if it means a Majority Leader Frist or Speaker Hassert...because the party needs elected moderates...and given the fact that the seat i'm voting for isn't likely to be the seat which determines partisan control.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I hope they run a wingnut against Jim Ramstad.  If the wingnut won, Ramstad would likely run as an independent and either win or give it to the Democrat.

CD-3 is by no means a conservative district, and should not be represented by any extreme of either side.

Plus he's there to complement Collin Peterson.

Peterson is a econ liberal/social conservative, and Ramstad is the opposite.

Then you have Keith Ellison moderating Michelle Bachmann.

You have Kline moderating Betty McCollum

And then you have pretty much the political identity of Minnesota with Tim Walz and Jim Oberstar.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I hope they run a wingnut against Jim Ramstad.  If the wingnut won, Ramstad would likely run as an independent and either win or give it to the Democrat.

That's not allowed here. The filing deadline is before the primary.

[Mr.Phips]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

They why not just vote Democratic?  By even voting for supposedly moderate Republicans you put wingnuts like John Boehner, Roy Blunt, and Patrick McHenry in charge. 

And look at the wingnuts America put in charge of committees by voting for the Dems.

John Spratt, Alberto Sires, Ike Skelton?  These guys are hardly wingnuts. 

[Rob]

The newspaper quoted Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, who said: "There's something called primaries we have in America, and there will be primary challenges in the Republican Party against some of those congressmen. And they deserve to be primaried, because they are acting, I think, in a shameful way."

I thought the GOP was the "Big Tent" party? You guys were flipping out when Ned Lamont dared to challenge Joe Lieberman over "just one vote," and there was lots of smug talk about the Republicans treating their moderates better. What happened to that?

Oh, well. I doubt anyone is surprised at this latest bit of conservative hypocrisy.

[MarkWarner08]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

Get used to it.  They are the base of your party.

Exactly. This is why the GOP will soon be relegated to the Deep South. surbaban voters are waking up seeing that the GOP is no longer the  party of Lincoln, or even Eisenhower, it is the party of Dick Cheney and Tom DeLay.  Look at the election results in CO-07 as an omen of the GOP's slow decline. That's a nearly divided district that gave a Democrat a 10%+ victory over a well-funded GOPer. That victory wasn't just about Iraq or Bush, it was about the GOP being out of touch with the middle class. Ed Perlmutter wasn't a great candidate and he landslided to victory in a swing district. previously held by the GOP.

The far right extremists who control the power in the GOP are Southern Evangelicals, wealthy elites, corporations and neoconservatives. These people don't represent the heart and soul of the American Middle.

I could go on a long rant about how Bush isn't even a real conservative... (Medicare, NCLB, big government support etc.), but I'm too tired from writing two 10 page essay assignments. My point is the GOP will soon have to choose between the Bill Sali's and the Mark Kirk's, As of now, Sali is winning.

[Smash255]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

Many have already left, but with people like you staying its just enabling them to move even further into the loony bin of the extreme right with no reason to come back to the middle or hell anywhere near it.  You seem to think by staying in the GOP they will eventually move back or be more welcoming to your wing of the party, but you have to face reality and accept its not going to happen.

[Mr.Phips]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

you realize they make up a rather large % of your party and basically control everything in your party don't you??

Sadly...i hope for a day when more reasonable people join the GOP and by strength of numbers force a change.

Nothing good will happen by people like me leaving. Sure I can vote Democrat when the Republican is bad, but for change to occur...there need to be more moderate Rs.

Many have already left, but with people like you staying its just enabling them to move even further into the loony bin of the extreme right with no reason to come back to the middle or hell anywhere near it.  You seem to think by staying in the GOP they will eventually move back or be more welcoming to your wing of the party, but you have to face reality and accept its not going to happen.

When was the last time the Republicans had moderates in leadership positions in the House and Senate?  You have to at least go back to the late '80s when Bob Michel and Bob Dole ran the show.

[12th Doctor]

I don't know what Kristol's problem is lately... I have some ideas, but... anyway, I assure you, in the party circles Ramstad is well liked and that's what really counts.

[WalterMitty]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

i do too.

but minnesota is refreshing.  it is home to moderate, common sense republicans like ramstad, pawlenty and coleman.

[Alcon]

I'm not really sure I'd call Coleman a "moderate"...

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

i do too.

but minnesota is refreshing.  it is home to moderate, common sense republicans like ramstad, pawlenty and coleman.

and Bachmann.

I'm not really sure I'd call Coleman a "moderate"...

and Pawlenty isn't moderate either (well he's governing like one now, but that's mostly because he doesn't really have a choice)

[Mr.Phips]

I really hate the rightwing nutjobs in my party.

i do too.

but minnesota is refreshing.  it is home to moderate, common sense republicans like ramstad, pawlenty and coleman.

and Bachmann.

I'm not really sure I'd call Coleman a "moderate"...

and Pawlenty isn't moderate either (well he's governing like one now, but that's mostly because he doesn't really have a choice)

The only moderate Republican in Minnesota is Ramstad.

[WalterMitty]

I'm not really sure I'd call Coleman a "moderate"...

he certainly is more moderate than most republican senators.