In open split with Bush, top US conservative calls for independent mov't

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The patriarch of US conservatives has urged his followers to halt their financial support of the Republican Party and start an independent movement, signaling a major political shift that could result in heavy losses for the US ruling party in upcoming elections.

Richard Viguerie, who was instrumental in cementing the winning coalitions behind Ronald Reagan in 1980 and George W. Bush in 2000, declared that conservatives were "downright fed up" with both the president and Republican-controlled Congress.

"At the very least, conservatives must stop funding the Republican National Committee and other party groups," Viguerie wrote in a lengthy essay in The Washington Post Sunday.

He suggested conservatives "redirect their anger into building a third force," which he defined as a movement independent of any party, and laying the groundwork for the 2008 election campaign.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usvotepoliticsconservatives

[Endangered Specie]

1. This is good news...

if it get up and running I might throw them a few dollars, Its only fair that if the Democrats have a vote-sucking-leech party (Greens), then they should have one too :)

[Terran1212]

36. You mean the party that has more true progressives, not leech party

And I guess by your standards the Libertarians would be the Republicans' "leech party"

[sutz12]

2. Right

I suppose this will mean a "Christian" party of some kind. Wait a minute, the Repubs are the Christian party, right?

I like this:

heavy losses for the US ruling party

When did the US have a "Ruling party."

Notice they still imply that the Republicans are the better of two evils (mad at the R's but just can't vote D :puke:). They are framing the debate here. The real choice in 2k4 was Bush or Kerry, not Bush or Nader. Lessons in creative lying.

[ck4829]

6. The writer of the article is French I believe

Most Americans aren't the only ones who believe that we are being "ruled over", rather than giving consent to be represented.

[UpInArms]

10. Richard Viguerie is a mail order guy that has been aligned with Rev Moon

for decades.

Dark Side of Rev. Moon: Buying the Right

Through The Washington Times and its affiliated publications -- Insight magazine and The World & I -- Moon has not only showcased conservative opinions, but he has created seemingly legitimate conduits to funnel money to individuals and companies he seeks to influence. In the early 1980s, for instance, The Washington Times hired the New Right's direct-mail whiz Richard Viguerie to conduct a pricy direct-mail subscription drive. The business boosted Viguerie's profit margin.

Another element of Moon's strategy is to approach a conservative leader when he's financially down. Moon quietly infuses money and gains the leader's gratitude. Again, Viguerie is an example of that tactic. When he fell on hard times in the late 1980s, Moon directed more business his way and had a corporation run by Moon's lieutenant, Bo Hi Pak, buy one of Viguerie's properties for $10 million. < Orange County Register, Dec. 21, 1987 / Washington Post, Oct. 15, 1989>

With Moon's timely intervention, Viguerie survived financially and remains an important fixture in conservative political campaigns to this day. When Iran-contra figure Oliver North ran for the U.S. Senate in Virginia in 1994, his principal direct-mail contractor was Viguerie's company, according to Federal Election Commission records.

I posted Viguerie's op-ed in Editorials and Other Articles this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x211973

[still_one]

15. I don't think this group wants a "Christian" party

and I do believe it is positive for the Democrats generally

I also believe that the Democrats MUST clean up our party also. NOT by forming a third party, but by what we are attempting to do in certain key elections in Ohio, and Connecticut

If a miracle occurs, and Ned Lamont wins the nomination, shock wave may be felt throughout the party, and we may have a chance to go back to our roots

[saltpoint]

3. I hope Viguerie goes ahead with this movement, builds the party and

splits Republican votes in 06 and 08 and beyond.

But I don't want it to succeed so far as to ever become the dominant party.

Viguerie's contingent in this country tends toward the psychotically reactionary. Frightening group of folks.

[CoffeeCat]

5. It sounds like you know about this group...

Who are they?

Are they the arch-conservatives who believe in less government, tight spending and abolishing social programs in favor of corporate welfare?

Are they more concerned about economic issues--as opposed to social issues?

They aren't part of the Religious Right are they?

I'm wondering if this is George Will and ilk.

Thanks for any info...

[Bossy Monkey]

11. Dick Viguerie pioneered direct mail in American politics

Not so much a group as a person. However, he's always been heavily in bed with the religious right and the Republicans. Rather a charming fellow personally, at least in his appearance on The Daily Show, but not a positive force in the US.
Here's his bio from one of his sites: http://www.conservativehq.com/?p=2
A more balanced view from Moyers:
http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/viguerie.html

[UpInArms]

13. see my post #10

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2298362&mesg_id=2298398

[CoffeeCat]

4. Are the Aspens turning?

I swear that it's the anti-Bush conservatives--who are the ones leaking about his spying and other crimes--in an effort to destroy him.

I still can't figure out who these "conservatives" are who oppose Bush.

Rush Limbaugh and the other hate-radio-mongers--are still toeing the BushCo line.

Is it George Will and ilk?

I'm glad to see that their own party is turning against him. Junior is not a conservative. He's a complete disaster...a political train wreck. What he is doing to our country, to our Constitution and to our civil liberties is not the formula of any political party in the United States. Junior is a complete, 14-karat screw up--leaving a wake of devastation where ever he goes.

[ck4829]

7. The Conservatives who oppose him are the powers behind the throne

Paul Weyrich, Richard Viguerie, Morton Blackwell, etc.

[CoffeeCat]

14. Wow, I feel like I missed a party or two...

...because I don't recognize those three names.

Yikes.

I always thought that the powers behind the throne--the ones driving this out-of-control
train wreck--were the neocons/PNACers.

(On another note, I am amazed at how Libby's note to Judy Miller really did turn out
to be code. Those "Aspens" really are "turning" and they are "turning in clusters."
Scooter truly was telling Miller to talk and get out of jail--because Junior wasn't worth
protecting anymore--because the elite/establishment conservatives were no longer on his
side...they were "turning." Daaaaaamn....)

[ck4829]

20. You can learn all about them here

Secrets of the Free Congress Foundation

The Neo-Cons are important, but they have the ears of the leaders, and nothing more.

These Socio-Cons, they can get the ears of the leaders, and they have control over the Freepers and their ilk.

[sadiesworld]

8. Let me see if I have this right...

Conservatives upset with * over illegal immigration and big spending are going to find relief with the guy behind Reagan (and Bush I)?! These guys crack me up.

[IChing]

9. Divide and conquer, great idea but who is this guy but another Reaganite

Conservatives have been a disaster to the American People and will always get their strength from corporations.



Let them eat their own.

[femrap]

33. If * gets assassinated, I'd be looking at

these guys. Wonder who they like to be prez?????

[Vogon_Glory]

12. Connie Self-Absolution and Bush-world

Of course, what I find thoroughly entertaining is the way that Richard Viguerie and Company are seeking to absolve themselves of what Gee Dubya Bush and his fellow Banana Republicans have done to the USA. The new right-wing meme looks to sound something like "George Bush and the Republican Congress weren't really conservatives. We conservatives aren't really responsible for what happened..." this, despite the fact that these (euphemisms follow) lovely people claimed him as one of their own, campaigned for him, slimed any opposition to Banana Republican candidacies or campaigns, staffed Gee Dubya's bureaucracies, and have spent the last six years and more covering up for him.

The right wing must not be allowed to wriggle away from their responsibility for what they've done to us. These people should be held accountable.

[UpInArms]

16. exposed, stripped of all assets and allowed to go fallow, any space

they have occupied should be salted so that no more may grow - ever.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

17. Richard Viguerie...

... was on one of the news shows in January of 2005 (two months after the election of 2004), saying they were already sick and tired of GW and the current GOP. As I recall, that was the "PaleoCons" throwing down the gauntlet at the "NeoCons" for what they had wrought.

[sallyseven]

22. Viguerie and company are all old time

conservatives. Really dislike the middle and poor class. They are not nice people and never have been. They have been around for forty years or more. Really nasty people.

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. EX-cellent...

The snake is beginning to eat its own tail. :popcorn:

[Rex]

19. The party of dirty politics is fed up with itself?

Richard Viguerie sounds like a real dummy. :eyes:

[Johnyawl]

21. Good luck to you...

...an idealogically pure conservative party will always be a minority party. If that fantasy had any real appeal to the American voter, the Liberatarian Party would be drawing more than 2%.

[blm]

23. Hmmmm.... are Moonies not getting as much as they wanted from BushInc?

BushInc USES EVERYONE they can for power - and then will fock over everyone they have to to stay in power. But, they have allowed Moon to reach so far, how can BushInc cut them out without hurting themselves?

[Stinky The Clown]

24. Now THIS gives me hope

Factionalization is a good thing. This guy is in close leasgue with the Christofascists and the various religiously insane hordes.

The Republican miasma that is today's party is a coaltion of these nutties and the necons. The old time repubs long ago were reduced to near-outsider status.

Should this schism go foward, it will rip assunder the current house of cards known as the Republican party. As some are predicting us being reduced to permanent miority status, this schism is the start of their reduction to that same status.

[gordianot]

25. Oh No now they are starting to sound like Democrats.

The end must be getting near.


:rofl: :spray:

[Cha]

26. Where's our

..I can't think of his name..the one who ran against Clinton and poppyschlocky?

[robbedvoter]

27. I heard Viguerie is in talks with Nader

It could happen :shrug:

[hippiechick]

28. Perot ?

Clinton didn't win a majority in 02 - but Perot was just enough of a spoiler to confused Repubs that Poppy was mathematically incapable of 'victory'.

Hell yeah - I think we should do all we can to encourage a 'new branch' of Republicans ... there's no better way to defeat them than to tear their ideology asunder. 'Real' Republicans don't give a rat's ass about prayer in school, Terri Schiavo, gay 'marriage' or wiretapping their opponents. All they want is an unfettered market so they can rake in obscene amounts of cash. The Christo-Repubs don't matter a to them ... Bushco just used the fundies to shore up their electoral base because they were on extremely shaky policy ground (The economic growth under Clinton/Gore could NOT be questioned), and they should rightly be pissed to realize they've been used, and bail to start their own party.

:evilgrin:

[Cha]

29. Can finally say..

"BACKFIRE"! Yeah, "Perot"..that's who, thanks!

[degreesofgray]

30. I'm sure Ross Perot is available

unless aliens have abducted him (again).

[Acadia Blue]

31. We also need a "new party" because the DLC has gutted the

core values of the democratic party. Clinton, A DLC guy, pushed through NAFTA and now we see the slow death of the middle class.

[Hekate]

39. Ahem. Progressives are trying to reform the Dem Party--3rd parties lose

See, that's the point of being happy at any potential schism in the Republican Party. If they split off too many voters, they will LOSE. Perot did that to them -- Nader did that to us. Lesson learned (I hope).

Welcome to DU! :hi:

Hekate

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

32. True fiscal conservatives without a neocon agenda?

If they ditch the rampant corruption they could end up remaking the Republican party. What a concept!

[damntexdem]

34. LOL!

Let's hope it works -- well, the stop-supporting-the-GOP part, that is.

[jazzjunkysue]

35. I have one question:

What can I do to help!

:hi:

[Robbien]

37. I wonder how much of this is a power play?

They are not happy with the guest worker proposal and want to get a better deal. If the guest worker program is tightened up a bit, will these guys back off?

[sofa king]

38. I'm guessing all of it.

Maybe there's a shred of decency left in some of those people, but the fact of the matter is that if they don't play along together they stand to lose their money, their power, and in many thousands of cases, their freedom.

They're all part of it. The bible thumpers are down with the white collar criminals who are tight with the gangsters and thugs who keep the prostitutes lined up for the defense contractors, Congressmen and spooks. That's what we can all see on the national scale, but it's the same thing at the state level, and all the way down as far as one wishes to go.

I suppose the decent ones who somehow haven't been paying attention these past several years can split off and form their own party, and I'm sure their candidate will challenge Yoda's traditional place in the Presidential results.

As far as each subgroup's hatreds and perversions go, usually they all nestle together relatively peacefully like rattlesnakes in a burlap sack. It's just that right now one of the snakes wants to be on top of the pile, so there's a little bit of squirming in the bag.

[TrogL]

40. Go for it! Split the right!

This happened in Canada. The far right schismed the Progressive Conservatives and split the vote, leading to a Liberal majority.