It's not the Grand Old Party anymore - BY LEWIS THURSTON

[Roland99]

Don't have a link but here's part of his article (from The Star-Ledger):

The party I proudly served in high-level positions in New Jersey government was a party of integrity, true conservation, enlightened government regulation and, above all, fiscal soundness and responsibility. It elected Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. In our state, it produced successful candidates and excellent officeholders such as Sen. Clifford Case and Govs. Bill Cahill and Tom Kean. Republican presidential candidates carried New Jersey in each election over the 20-year period from 1968 to 1988.

The Republican Party of today is very different, however, especially at the national level. Unfortunately, our hopes that President Bush might really turn out to be a social moderate have been dashed and the catchy slogan "compassionate conservative" revealed to be largely empty political rhetoric.

The president brings his Texas-style "conservative" ideology to the leadership of a party unduly influenced by supply-side economics and religious zealots, practicing excessive corporate protection and embracing a new international doctrine of pre-emptive war. Pat Robertson has a seat at the table. Tom DeLay and the Soutnern Republican congressional leaders aggressively pursue an agenda detrimental to New Jersey and the nation.

Sadly, the Republican Party I knew has abandoned other moderates and me and been hijacked by these neoconservative ideologues.