Olympia Snowe should go rogue. Let's face it, she's a moderate Republican,

[alfredo]

she's as welcomed in the GOP as a cabbage fart in an elevator. She should try to unseat McConnell for Minority leader. Go for the gold. Either she gets the post or she will go independent and caucus with the Dems. Let's face it, the two Moderate Reps in the Senate could be the most powerful Republican Senators if they played their cards right.

Same goes for Susan Collins. They have them by the balls, all they need to do is squeeze.

[maxsolomon]

1. rogue.

she probably already uses rouge.

damn those french.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Too easy.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Rogue.

At her age, rouge will just make her look slutty and slightly crazy. ;-)

[Captain Hilts]

5. That was my first reading too!

[DJ13]

7. At her age, rouge will just make her look slutty and slightly crazy

Crazier.

[SoCalDem]

8. beat me to it

:rofl:

[MADem]

She has lovely skin without it. A very attractive woman, up close! NT

[Captain Hilts]

4. I agree. Ollie and Sue should threaten to walk. Olllie's the brains in that pair. nt

[AndyTiedye]

6. Not Gonna Happen

Jeffords was a one-off. The Repiggies have taken measures to ensure that it will never happen again.

[alfredo]

13. How is that? If she goes indie what can they do?

[AndyTiedye]

18. The GOP Clearly Has Some Kind of Hold Over Its Senators

[alfredo]

29. They didn't seem upset over Vitter and Craig.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Offer them something good. Everybody's got a price or need. Especially Maine. nt

[alfredo]

30. They aren't in the position of offering anything.

[Captain Hilts]

36. The Democrats have nothing to offer?!?!

[alfredo]

43. Not in public.

[Cleita]

9. I get the impression that Snowe is a RINO. She runs as a Republican to

get elected, sort of like Lieberman ran as a Democrat to get elected. I think she will vote on our side of the aisle more often than not. She could become an Independent probably without political loss, but she knows her constituents better than I do, and maybe it wouldn't work for her.

[Gormy Cuss]

23. Snowe is a Yankee Republican.

Fiscal conservative, social moderate. With the way the Republican party has moved so far to the right the Yankee Reps do seem like RINOs these days.

The one thing Mainers would not accept is a declaration of independent status between elections. If she chose to run as one next time she'd probably be re-elected. Collins on the other hand would lose because it's only the loyal Republican base that keeps her in office.

[Cleita]

27. That's the kind of Republicans my parents were, fiscally conservative, but

not against social safety nets for the population. I think if they were alive today, they would have been appalled at the neo-con vision of social Darwinism. Their daughter, on the other hand, is a librul, socialist Democrat.

[Gormy Cuss]

10. What a sexist suggestion.

Snowe can go without rouge if she chooses. It's none of your business.



I'm kidding, alfredo. The typo made me do it.

[alfredo]

12. My edit made you irrelevant.

;)

[endarkenment]

11. She'd look like a clown.

[MADem]

14. I think people like her and Sue Collins are going to be more prevalent in the GOP in the future.

If she sticks with those guys, she (Sue, too) will be seen as an Elder Stateswoman. She doesn't have to do ANYTHING to cross the aisle on key votes. She can stick with her party, stick with her state, and never worry about a thing.

Face facts, the Hatefest Game they've been playing hasn't worked. They'll have to retool, eventually. I think they're already starting.

They could go back to their "Justice for all, Party of Lincoln" paradigm that they discarded under Nixon. Be interesting to see which "tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free" that they pick up on their way. After all, Obama is taking their evangelical base away from them--they're going to have to go elsewhere.

Don't think this is possible? Think again. Colin Powell gave an in-depth interview about it, about jettisoning the haters and retooling. I think it will happen in the next decade, myself.

As for Olympia and Mitch--she has some GREAT Committee assignments. She's not going to want to give up a single one of those for the "joys" of MINORITY administration. She's uninterested in that shitty (not terribly golden) job. And a shitty job it is, when you aren't in control of the agenda.

[rhett o rick]

15. The Dems need more that two republicans to cross over. We have our own DINO's. nm

[YOY]

16. Perhaps the same for Christine Wittman.

Wouldn't surprise me. She did write a book about moderate (fiscal) conservatives getting pissed off at the religious monkeys and neocons taking over their party.

[Captain Hilts]

39. She's not in the senate, so we don't care.

I'll never get over lowering state income taxes but making sure people who used coupons at grocery stores paid tax on the full value of the product they used the coupon for. How regressive can you get?

[YOY]

40. I'd still root for her over crazies like Sarah Palin any day.

n/t

[Captain Hilts]

41. Absolutely. She was in a time-out chair first 6 months as EPA director, then...

but she permitted the White House to edit the air quality report about NYC, post Sept. 11th - NOT COOL.

[YOY]

42. I met her actually. She's not vomit worthy. She related a story to me very casually.

I was at a (rather wealthy) friends casual get together in NJ. She did come across as non-creepy Republican...I thought them a dying breed but folks like her, Olympia Snow, and Micheal Bloomberg exist...

Apparently when she took over the EPM she was told by Republian high-ups "If we hear anything good coming out of the EPM, you will be replaced." She was really not happy about what she did there. She did not last long...

Like I said. She's not vomit worthy...a moderate conservative stuck in a party of Neocons. I wouldn't vote for her, but she's hardly the scum of the earth.

Granted she has a few other things about her (WTC Rescue workers for example) that I dislike...but that came out after I talked to her.

[Captain Hilts]

49. She has good 'party manners'. Something DC could use more of, actually.

It's hard to say what pressures she was under with the WTC thing. My instincts tell me she would have issued an honest report. But, having been shut up the first six months, she was on a VERY short leash. She could have been thinking, "better a silenced me is here than an oil company executive who would likely replace me."

You just can't tell what pressures are on people here in DC.

[NWHarkness]

17. Yeah, about Snowe and Collins...

As a Maine Democrat, I'd like to make one point.

When I read people "from away" talking about courting these "moderates" or expressing hope that they will syand against the GOP leadership, it's a bit disheartening. Those who do not live in Maine are probably not aware that the state GOP here is run by some of the looniest right wing nutjobs you ever saw, and that Snowe and Collins go out every two years and work their tails off to help those freaks try to take over the state.

They may like to strike the pose of moderates, but in their day to day political dealings, they are as much a part of the right wing machine as any of the other GOP Senators.

[Captain Hilts]

21. I know someone that knows Collins that told this story...

early in Gore's presidency, GWB offered the Maine girls a free lift to Maine because he had to go to Maine for some family occasion.
So, they're on the plane and GWB decides to give Snowe the knickname "The Big Oh," without regard to what some connotations of it might be. She said that Collins said you could see the steam coming from Snowe's ears every time he used it and he didn't give a damn or didn't notice. Either way, as Collins told it, he came off like an idiot.

[Captain Hilts]

22. Youse gots to dance with them what brung ya. But I get your point. nt

[LostinVA]

20. She's not a Moderate Republican

She's a Centrist Dem, and a liberal Dem on some issues. I don't care what letter is after her name. I wish she would go Independent, but I doubt she will, because of her family.

I really like her alot although some of her caucusing votes have disappointed me.

[gravity]

24. We just need them to block a filibuster

They already got the republicans by the balls

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

25. I don't think she'd look good in this outfit:

[derby378]

26. Don't let Snowe anywhere near the Dem caucus

Let her twist in the wind until 2012, and then maybe Washington can replace her with a real Democrat.

[alfredo]

33. She has power now because of the 59 seat advantage. She could use the

threat of bolting to get what she wants.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

28. #17 needs to be re-posted until everyone here gets it!

It's the ONLY post in this thread worth reading!

17. Yeah, about Snowe and Collins...
As a Maine Democrat, I'd like to make one point.

When I read people "from away" talking about courting these "moderates" or expressing hope that they will syand against the GOP leadership, it's a bit disheartening. Those who do not live in Maine are probably not aware that the state GOP here is run by some of the looniest right wing nutjobs you ever saw, and that Snowe and Collins go out every two years and work their tails off to help those freaks try to take over the state.

They may like to strike the pose of moderates, but in their day to day political dealings, they are as much a part of the right wing machine as any of the other GOP Senators.
--NWHarkness

Many thanks for telling it like it is, NWH.

[alfredo]

32. She doesn't need to leave the party, just use the threat to gain more power.

[Captain Hilts]

38. Snowe and Kay Baily H got passed over for Veep in favor of Palin. Gotta be pissed.

Hell, KBH would have been a FAR better candidate than McCain.

[alfredo]

44. True, but she's still a turd. She's corrupt, and should have been thrown

in jail, but luckily she drew a very very friendly judge that refused to rule on a admissibility of evidence until the trial began. The prosecutor decided to wait to bring the case, but the judge went ahead and swore in a jury and immediately ordered her to be acquitted. Republican justice.

[StreetKnowledge]

31. I Agree

Why Snowe (and Collins and Kay Bailey Hutchinson for that matter) tolerate the pigs is beyond me. Show America you mean business, ladies, and go take down McConnell.

Also, after the debate over the auto industry bailouts, anybody who votes Republican in the Rust Belt needs to be hit in the back of the head with a 2x4. McConnell and Shelby are hypocrites and idiots.

[Horse with no Name]

34. Hutchison isn't in the same class as Snowe and Collins

She is a tried and true fuck-you-in-the-face republican stalwart. Make NO mistake about that.
That asshat won't even email responses so I can post them on here to show you what a republinugget she really is. Snail mail all the way...wasting as many tax dollars as she possibly can.

[Captain Hilts]

37. But she has taken some progressive stances, on women's issues, for example....

But KBH and OS have to be totally PISSED at being passed over for Veep by McCain.

[FLAprogressive]

46. Definitely. KBH is only marginally better than your average GOP Senator. Which isn't saying much. nt

[leftofthedial]

35. she's basically to the left of Obama and the DLC

[alfredo]

47. I've never studied her positions on the issues, but I think she has an

opportunity to create havoc in that good old boy club.

[FLAprogressive]

45. Snowe yes Collins no

Snowe has bucked her party on Iraq....Collins hasn't.

Snowe is also to the left of Ben Nelson (and is more principled than him )....

[northernlights]

48. to be honest...

Although I don't really understand the nuts and bolts of politics, and I voted against Collins the dim bulb, I think it's to Maine's benefit (transplant Mainuh heeyah) for them to stay with the rethugs. Then maybe they can trade "vote with dems to reach the magic 60" in exchange for some $$ to float our way. Whereas if they jump ship, they might be taken for granted from one side and written off by the other. Just sayin'...

[alfredo]

50. They don't need to jump ship. The leadership might have to make

big concessions to them to keep them on the plantation. The only concessions that mean anything are positions of power. They should milk it for what it is worth.