My Dinner With Ashcroft

I spent this past weekend bunkered in with 350 movement conservatives and some of their favorite pols and strategists – from John Ashcroft to Tom Tancredo to Jim Woolsey --and let me tell you, even many of these folks are openly worried about Republican chances in the Fall.

The Phoenix gathering was the latest edition of David Horowitz's Restoration Weekend, a traditional gathering of the right-wing tribes. And no, I didn't go native. I was merely a panelist on the future of the Democratic Party along with Matt Bai of The New York Times and Democratic consultants Flavia Colgan and Pat Caddell. You can see my personal blog for the Ashcroft jokes.

But here's the serious part: there's a lot of fear and trembling going on among Republicans. A rich sampler from this weekend's panel discussions:

Conservative Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake: He pleaded with fellow conservatives to take the high road of liberalized immigration reform in the escalating debate and not go down the immigrant-bashing path. "I encourage Republicans to not repeat what happened in California in 1994," he said referring to GOP support for Prop 187. "It works for one cycle and then you pay a price for a decade."

Former Congressman Pat Toomey, current head of The Club for Growth: "We have to acknowledge we have a President who is not popular… The war in Iraq is the 800 lb. gorilla in the room and a major downturn could drown anything we do… We won in 1994 because we promised small government and going into the 2006 elections this is key idea we have abandoned."

Former Colorado State Senator John Andrews: "I feel the Republican Party in my state and nationally is a party that has lost its way… we need to find our way back to a reason to vote Republican."

Missouri Lt. Governor Pete Kinder on the state of the party: "The demoralization of the base is real. I hear it everywhere."

Conservative Arizona Congressman John Shaddeg on the Abramoff scandal: "I believe these scandals are the end of the 1994 Revolution… all this seriously threatens the Republican majority. It might be hard to shrink government as we promised. But it's not that hard to be honest and we haven't."

By the way, I had a terrific time.

Comments (6)

1. Re: 8th Congressional District Race - Illinois: I Read Kate Pollitts comments scewering candidateTammy Duckworth and prasing Christine Cegalis. Some of the comments were really offbase, in particular, the point that Duckworth lives outside of the district. In the first place, it isn't illegal to be outside of the district; she can move if she is elected. Right now she happens to be barely outside of the district because the Republican majority drew her out of the district - she is hardly an outsider. There are some members of the Illinois House of Representatives who have their primary residence outside of the district and then rent an apartment just to make it look good. Duckworth is hardly a "carpetbagger" for God's sake. Friends, family and neighbors helped her in the construction of a home to make it accessible for her with her disabilities. It would be costly for her to move if she did not win the primary. She is by no means wealthy. Yes, Cegalis almost won against Hyde last year, and while the Democrats have a good chance of capturing this district, it is still very much Republican. The big issue with these Republican voters is against abortion and gay marriages. Both of these attractive Democratic candidates are well qualified to serve in Congress and it is pathetic that one is demonized for being "insufficiently" progressive. Let me tell you about the Republican opponent - he is an extremely hard right-winger and it would be really tragic to see him take this seat when Duckworth would be a vast improvement. Duckworth, having served in Iraq, and being the less strident of the two women, would have a better chance of swinging the moderates and Independents from the working class parts of the district over to the D column. Let the Democrat voters in the primary determine the best candidate. We have a struggle on our hands with the governor's race. The first Democratic governor in Illinois in 25 years has been a huge disappointment, but that is another story. The worst thing that could happen is that Tammy Duckworth is told to withdraw before the primary, as was the plight of Paul Hackett in Ohio.

   Let the regular Democratic voters in the district make their choice; not the people from out of state who know absolutely nothing about the district.

   Posted by Trueblue37 at 02/27/2006 @ 12:59am

2. The Lemmings should be nervous, the Republican Party is nothing like what was promised in the "Contract With America". They have lost their way and have only stayed in power due to the hysteria they have mass produced over terrorism. People are beginning to see that the hysteria, is a tool being used to keep the Citizens of the U.S. from seeing the true colors of the Republican Party. The Dubai Port World purchase of six U.S. Ports is biting the Administration in the ass, only because the fear that they have installed in the American People. I'm glad to see the Republicans being nervous; they crapped in their own nest and now they have to live in it.

   Posted by Gumbyman at 02/27/2006 @ 01:03am

3. Yep, easy picking for a political opposition....

   IF that opposition wasn't locked in its own battle between those who appeal to the moderates and independents and have ACTUALLY won Presidential elections...and those who want to push it so far to the extreme, demand "purity" and call the first group "Republican-lties".

   Oh, and have an agenda ready to go for November!

   Posted by Mask at 02/27/2006 @ 06:44am

4. Correction- as I'm sure you know....cuz I'm sure many of you have used the term yourself...I meant "Republican-lites"!

   Posted by Mask at 02/27/2006 @ 06:45am

5. Sun Feb 26, 5:07 PM ET

   Fran Townsend, Homeland Security Advisor to President Bush, was on Fox News Sunday this morning and proudly stated something about as preposterous as anything to come out of the White House this week.

   She reasoned that we weren't alarmed about the British company managing our major ports after the London bombings, so why should we be alarmed about the Dubai Ports deal. Thanks, Fran, for making me spew Cheerios through my nose.

   First, until this past week many of us had no idea our government was in the business of routinely selling management of our sea ports to foreign companies.

   Second, I don't recall anything in the 9/11 Commission Report about British royals meeting with Osama Bin Laden for weenie roasts in Afghanistan. The UAE emirs did. Never mind that Dubai was a conduit for the 9/11 plot. The UAE didn't break ties with the Taliban until September 22 -- 11 days after 9/11. As recently as September 2004, USA Today reported that Dubai continued to be a haven for terrorist plotters.

   http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060226/cm_huffpost/016382;_ylt=A86.I1 TQPQJEvfQAFQ79wxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

   Now in context, I have a theory that says that some within The Bush Administration conspired with Israel and other significant global players to pull off 9/11.

   Even the 9/11 Commission Report stated that UAE played some role.

   If my theory of 9/11 is accurate, then what was to be UAE's reward for playing its part?

   Why is it that Israel conducted its first-ever mission to Dubai in the months preceding this attempted acquisition? Why was UAE desparate to keep its contacts with Israel out of the press?

   Should we just assume that these contacts in this time frame were coincidental? Or should we explore the possibility that Israel is somehow involved in this port deal?

   If Israel is involved in this deal, what conclusions can be drawn? What questions should be asked? Why would Israel send a mission to a country that purportedly aided in the 9/11 attacks - AND denies Israel's very right to exist?

   That doesn't make sense, now does it?

   What does make sense?

   Michael Chertoff was put in charge of Operation Greenquest, an effort purported to track down the funding behind 9/11.

   Ever seen the Operation Greenquest Final Report?

   No you haven't. Why? Chertoff's real job was to coverup the money trail.

   Chertoff is an Israeli national.

   Considering AIPAC's power and control over the US Government, and their purported distain for everything Arab, where is the outrage on this port deal?

   That fact alone should raise eyebrows.

   When things just don't add up, I think it's wise to consider...why?

   Posted by plunger at 02/27/2006 @ 07:38am

6. I cannot tell a lie, Marc: I wish you hadn't had such a great time. Real curious about that panel; is a transcript available, or have the G.O.P operatives declared it confidential? They're obviously pretty serious about holding onto that hill.

   Posted by kelvinw at 02/27/2006 @ 08:56am