[TheRealVille]

Rep. Allen West, a Florida Republican, was recently captured on video asserting that there are “78 to 81” Democrats in Congress who are members of the Communist Party. Of course, it’s not unusual for some renegade lawmaker from either side of the aisle to say something outrageous. What made West’s comment — right out of the McCarthyite playbook of the 1950s — so striking was the almost complete lack of condemnation from Republican congressional leaders or other major party figures, including the remaining presidential candidates.

It’s not that the GOP leadership agrees with West; it is that such extreme remarks and views are now taken for granted.

Congrats, or something: Looking back, who has won Chris Cillizza’s worst week in Washington?

We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.

The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.

When one party moves this far from the mainstream, it makes it nearly impossible for the political system to deal constructively with the country’s challenges.

“Both sides do it” or “There is plenty of blame to go around” are the traditional refuges for an American news media intent on proving its lack of bias, while political scientists prefer generality and neutrality when discussing partisan polarization. Many self-styled bipartisan groups, in their search for common ground, propose solutions that move both sides to the center, a strategy that is simply untenable when one side is so far out of reach.

It is clear that the center of gravity in the Republican Party has shifted sharply to the right. Its once-legendary moderate and center-right legislators in the House and the Senate — think Bob Michel, Mickey Edwards, John Danforth, Chuck Hagel — are virtually extinct.

The post-McGovern Democratic Party, by contrast, while losing the bulk of its conservative Dixiecrat contingent in the decades after the civil rights revolution, has retained a more diverse base. Since the Clinton presidency, it has hewed to the center-left on issues from welfare reform to fiscal policy. While the Democrats may have moved from their 40-yard line to their 25, the Republicans have gone from their 40 to somewhere behind their goal post.

What happened? Of course, there were larger forces at work beyond the realignment of the South. They included the mobilization of social conservatives after the 1973Roe v. Wade decision, the anti-tax movement launched in 1978 by California’s Proposition 13, the rise of conservative talk radio after a congressional pay raise in 1989, and the emergence of Fox News and right-wing blogs. But the real move to the bedrock right starts with two names: Newt Gingrich and Grover Norquist.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/l...story.html

[Old School]

Glenn Beck interviewed Allen West about his comments on his radio show. There is an audio of this interview at the end of the article.

West said that around 1900 the group that called themselves American Communist started calling themselves Progressives.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/west-ref...y-country/

[TheRealVille]

Glenn Beck interviewed Allen West about his comments on his radio show. There is an audio of this interview at the end of the article.

West said that around 1900 the group that called themselves American Communist started calling themselves Progressives.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/west-ref...y-country/

I don't see a retraction of what he said in your link.

[Old School]

I don't see a retraction of what he said in your link.

Why would you be expecting one?

[TheRealVille]

Why would you be expecting one?

You played it like your post counter acted the OP.

[Hoot Gibson]

I hope West runs for president in a few years. A strong leader who is not afraid to call a socialist a socialist or a communist a communist is what this country will need to recover from the Obama-Reid-Pelosi big spending era of social engineering.

West has nothing to apologize for. Anybody who has heard sleazy Democrats like John Conyers address union groups knows that there are many Communists in Congress. Whether they number 20, 81, or 200, the number is way too high. Whether they carry membership cards indicating that the are dues paying members of the Communist Party USA does not matter.

[the other guy]

You played it like your post counter acted the OP.

The post-McGovern Democratic Party, by contrast, while losing the bulk of its conservative Dixiecrat contingent in the decades after the civil rights revolution, has retained a more diverse base. Since the Clinton presidency, it has hewed to the center-left on issues

The writer states that the democrats have basicly run off conservatives and have becme more diverse(HOW DO THEY BECOME DIVERSE BY PUSHING OUT CONSERVATIVES AND MOVING LEFT?) by moving center lrft. Tthat seams like the democrats have become more left than the repubicans have become right.

of course democrats never say anything stupid like Chris Matthews calling the republicans GRAND DRAGONS---Micheal Steele should have puntched him.

[the other guy]

compromise; You use this word a lot when talking about the republicans. I have a question for you the next time your car needs gas why don,t you compromise and fill it half way with water. That would be a true compromise and show your willingness to get along with both the gas and water dealers.

[Truth]

Those who are always pushing compromise have no principles.

[Truth]

Since the great majority of Democrat voters contribute nothing to the fiscal welfare of the country but continually drain the national, state, and local coffers garnering their various and sundry handouts, it is difficult for me to see where the Republicans are the ones at fault. Keep in mind that the great majority of Republican voters are the ones who finance this country.

Wonder where we would be if the Republicans quite working, quite paying income taxes, and joined all these Democrat voters in the welfare lines?

[TheRealThing]

^ The dems are rigid in their political DEMANDS. They won't give up a dime's worth of spending. They can't cut because they need to keep buying the votes to stay in power. It's the same jabberwocky they used to paint a respectable face on the socialistic "Occupy Main Street Movement". Dems know it is beneficial for them to give credible or plausible talking points to establish a 'cover story', so that they may assure those that support the ruse, either knowingly or unknowingly, that the votes for dollars sceme will continue to happen. Buying the support of special interest groups and minorities through lavish entitlements has run it's course and we now face some hard decisions. At some point the money will run out and, for America, it has.

So, because the republicans want to stop, or at least significantly slow our national descent into ruin, the dems accuse them of not compromising. Let's see, the two choices are 1. spend ourselves into ruin or 2. cut back a little bit. Let's just say it, it's the Democrats that refuse to compromise. They're the ones who block every attempt at passing a federal budget. They're the ones who have resorted to vilifying their cohorts across the aisle.

[vundy33]

This is why our country is in the shitter. We can't agree on a damn thing...even for the greater good.

[Granny Bear]

It's like Richie Farmer but bigger. Everyone appears to be self absorbed and working for themselves or some minority group that has them in their back pocket.
I get so frustrated with this kind of crap.

[TheRealThing]

Still, it's mind blowing to consider that a guy can actually get enough votes to win the presidency and, have legions of supporters in the form of labor. Even though he openly admits he will cater to individuals and special interest groups. He's saying in effect, "I'll make things special for special interest groups and minorities while I screw the rest of you guys out of every nickle I can." Which I suppose, constitutes a government of some of the people by, some of the peole for, some of the people. I don't get it, why does labor put their own necks in the noose for this madness? And one more thing, IF you call them out on this stuff you got people accusing you of being unwilling to comromise. That's like getting ridiculed for not volunteering to up before the firing squad.

[TheRealThing]

Glenn Beck interviewed Allen West about his comments on his radio show. There is an audio of this interview at the end of the article.

West said that around 1900 the group that called themselves American Communist started calling themselves Progressives.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/west-ref...y-country/

Forgot to mention, thanks for posting the link. It has to be one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading/watching. West will have my vote if I ever get a chance to vote for him at the national level. An exceptional scholar-statesman, and a partriot.

[WideRight05]

^ West knows his stuff, that is for sure.

[Hoot Gibson]

^ West knows his stuff, that is for sure.

West is one of the most impressive public speakers among politicians that I have ever seen - without the benefit of a teleprompter. Aside from Ronald Reagan, West's ability to think on his feet with concise, eloquent speech reminds me more of some of the great British Prime Ministers than a U.S. president. Most of our recent presidents tend to look poorly informed, vague, and evasive when they stray away from tightly scripted speeches.

I hope that Washington does not morph West into a typical politician before he hits the presidential campaign trail.

[TheRealThing]

West is one of the most impressive public speakers among politicians that I have ever seen - without the benefit of a teleprompter. Aside from Ronald Reagan, West's ability to think on his feet with concise, eloquent speech reminds me more of some of the great British Prime Ministers than a U.S. president. Most of our recent presidents tend to look poorly informed, vague, and evasive when they stray away from tightly scripted speeches.

I hope that Washington does not morph West into a typical politician before he hits the presidential campaign trail.

So true, but, not having to be careful to hide your hidden agenda frees one to be spontaneous. :biggrin:

[Old School]

Forgot to mention, thanks for posting the link. It has to be one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of reading/watching. West will have my vote if I ever get a chance to vote for him at the national level. An exceptional scholar-statesman, and a partriot.

If Mr. West ever decides to run for president he will have my vote.