Snowe threatens to quit Republican Party?

[kpete]

Breaking: Snowe threatens to quit Republican Party?
by calchala
hare This
Thu Sep 17, 2009 at 08:08:12 PM PDT

Or is it a leveraging tactic to be used against those who are trying to stop her from voting for Healthcare Reform?

Honestly, I have no idea, but this video is causing lots of speculation.

Snowe threatens to quit Republican Party?

She doesn't come out and threaten directly to leave but her words could not be more clear. It's evident the party is getting to her, and she's feeling lots of pressure from Mitch McConnell. Is this a way of threatening to leave the party if they put it on too much? I honestly don't know. Here's her exact quote:

"I've always been a Republican for the traditional principles that have been associated with the Republican party since I became a Republican, when I registered to vote. And that is limited government, individual opportunities, fiscal responsibility, and a strong national defense. So I think those principles have always been a part of the Republican party heritage. And I believe that I reflect those views and I haven't changed as a Republican. I think more that my party has changed."


http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/video-snowe-on-health-care/?hp
more links, video and transcripts:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/17/783702/-Breaking:-Snowe-threatens-to-quit-Republican-Party

[LynnTheDem]

1. So let's look at the Democratic platform, Olympia;

911? On a REPUBLICAN watch.

"No war for Monica!1!!"

Which party has CUT defense the most? REPUBLICANS.

Which party is the most fiscally responsible, proven by the GAO's own charts? DEMOCRATS.

Your "republican values" simply aren't, Olympia. You're a very intelligent person; you must already know the above facts.



So...WTF are you still a republic?

[laughingliberal]

2. The words of a Republican thinking of jumping ship, IMHO

"my party has changed." They usually say, "I didn't leave the party. The party left me," after they change.

[Chipper Chat]

3. Exact quote from Arlen Specter the day he switched parties:

"The party has changed so much since I was elected in 1980," he said.

Snowe could just do it. :bounce:

[BlooInBloo]

4. No, thanks Olympia. The last thing we need in our party is more republicans.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. +1 nt

[surrealAmerican]

33. She could just decide to call herself an independent.

[Renew Deal]

38. I'll take her.

They can have Lieberman.

[discocrisco01]

5. WInguts

That is happen when your party gets full of wingnuts. Sad. Sad. Sad.

.

[rpannier]

6. Joe Lieberman in a dress

Mo thanks

[TomCADem]

7. Snowe Is Actually More Liberal Than Some Of Our Conservadems

If someone can make an argument that Senator Nelson is more liberal than Olympia Snowe, I would love to hear it.

[Davis_X_Machina]

22. DW_NOMINATE...

...has her voting record in the last Congress differing from his by only .03, which is a negligible difference.

[orleans]

27. which senator nelson? (both!) n/t

[Davis_X_Machina]

37. NE, not FL n/t

[Zodiak]

35. No, you are correct

Nelson is a true neanderthal. I scored Senators' votes a couple of years ago and came up with Snowe at about 25% progressive. Nelson scored 5% on the same scale.

[LiberalAndProud]

8. The neocons are leaving their real base behind.

My uncle has been a lifelong Republican, but has no use for the mad ravings for Rush Limbaugh. He has no desire to see our current president fail, simply because he belongs to the other party. Sane Republicans have been disenfranchised. I wonder how this will end. I think is will not end well for the neocons in the end.

[Mz Pip]

16. Sounds like my cousin

He's kind of a rw libertarian type gun nut but he knows it's in his best interests for Obama to be successful. He doesn't like Obama, but didn't care much for Bush either, or McCain for that matter. He thinks the birthers are nuts and that Obama is playing them. He's old school and seems at odds with what is happening but not willing to put behind him a life time of Republicanism.

[PatGund]

25. Yep

Friend of mind is proud to be a 5th generation Republican.

She voted for Obama, wants national health care reform and a single payer option, and can't stand the wingnuts infesting her party.

[wroberts189]

9. The rats always know when a ship is going to sink I am told.

on edit

By a friend who heard it from another friend who heard it from his cousin's housekeeper.

[lpbk2713]

11. Is there still a Republican party?

I thought that all there was left was OxyRush and a few remaining Shittoheads.

[wroberts189]

13. There is this thing called TV and MSM that keep propping them up.

It is quite irritating. I agree ..why are they even still mentioned?

[HillbillyBob]

19. That is about the most disgustin pic I have seen in some time

nt

[Enrique]

12. waiting for Harry Reid to make her an offer n/t

[HillbillyBob]

14. Has every one on 'their' side become nuts?

It seems the craziness is infectious and I want to lock them up! or maybe lock myself in somewhere safe. Olympia Snow seems to have a little sanity left..maybe she is tryin to keep from being iced too?

Edit(my preview button seems to keep posting rather than preview....

[Cha]

15. Go Indie if you don't like the lying facists

anymore.

[MisterP]

17. 17th: I'm considering leaving

18th: I've left
19th: I have the party's full support, mindless applause bots, and money
2011: I'm considering leaving
2012: I've left
...

[HillbillyBob]

18. Considering hell, I am thinking a new progressive party

nt

[kentuck]

20. Why shouldn't she?

She realizes she is on the wrong side.

[Hutzpa]

21. The Price is Right

Olympia Snowe....come on down.

[Davis_X_Machina]

24. She'll never jump.

She made her bones under Bill Cohen, her husband is the state's last Republican governor, and she considers herself the keeper of the non-loony GOP flame. Usually the claim "I didn't leave the party, the party left me" is rubbish -- I'm looking at you, Zell Miller -- in her case, it's quite literally true. Instead of changing parties, she'll remain a nominal Republican, and wait for the current fever to burn itself out. It's her Party, and some day all those loonies will go away, and it will be her party again.

She won't switch, ever. I don't expect her to even become an independent.

[StreetKnowledge]

23. 61 Democratic Senators, here we come......

Now, I know that Snowe is not the greatest senator, but at least e'll know where she stands, unlike the %!*^$& Baucus.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

34. The conservadems are worse than useless. They make us all look like incompetant assholes

when working with them is about as fruitful as working with Republicans.

[bleever]

26. Oh, the weather outside is frightening,

and the "Fired up!" is so delightning...

[Libertas1776]

28. Hey Snowe,

the grass is really greener on the other side.

So why don't you pull a Mae West

and come up and see us some time.

[lamp_shade]

29. This isn't the first time she has made that statement.

[bluestateguy]

30. Great. So we can have another pain in the ass DLCer

nt

[Enthusiast]

31. Come on down!

And vote for the ROBUST public option.

[NecklyTyler]

32. I hope she just quits politics

I don't have any use for politicians that want to be in the center so everybody will like them. Politics should be about issues, debate, exploring all sides, and compromise for the best solution. A politician that takes all sides takes no side and is less than useless

[DFW]

36. You THINK your party has changed??????

I remember guys like Everett Dirksen, Jake Javits, Nelson Rockefeller, Gerry Ford.

Yeah, I had disagreements with them, but I never thought they were bat shit crazy.

Dear Sen. Snowe,

MOST of your current Republican Senate colleagues, I am sorry to say, ARE bat shit crazy. Now, it's your choice
to choose what company to keep, but if what they say about lying down with dogs has any truth to it, I suspect
you are getting tired of reaching for the flea powder every time you come out of the Senate Republican caucus.
Some of us may seem a bit far left to you, but if we can tolerate (albeit just barely) the likes of Max Baucus
and Ben Nelson, there sure as hell is room enough for you if you want to join the party. If not, well the salary
of a U.S. Senator does pay for a lot of flea powder..........