The Republican Party has drifted so far to the right and become so partisan in recent years that President Ronald Reagan wouldn't even want to be a part of it, former Nebraska GOP senator Chuck Hagel told The Cable. "Reagan would be stunned by the party today," Hagel said in a long interview in his office at Georgetown University, where he now teaches. He also serves as co-chair of President Barack Obama's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Reagan wanted to do away with nuclear weapons, raised taxes, made deals with congressional Democrats, sought compromises and consensus to fix problems, and surrounded himself with moderates as well as Republican hard-liners, Hagel noted. None of that is characterized by the current GOP leadership, he said. In his eyes, the rise of the Tea Party and the influx of new GOP lawmakers in Congress have driven the party away from common sense and consensus-based solutions. "Reagan wouldn't identify with this party. There's a streak of intolerance in the Republican Party today that scares people. Intolerance is a very dangerous thing in a society because it always leads to a tragic ending," he said. "Ronald Reagan was never driven by ideology. He was a conservative but he was a practical conservative. He wanted limited government but he used government and he used it many times. And he would work with the other party." http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/05/11/hagel_reagan_wouldn_t_identify_with_today_s_gop
âMark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party and theyâre sure trying to do so, itâs going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they canât and wonât compromise. I know, Iâve tried to deal with them." ~ Barry Goldwater, November 1994, as quoted in John Dean, Conservatives Without Conscience (2006)
Another embittered liberal republican, desperate to get in the news. Of course, the one sure way for a republican to get media attention is to attack other republicans. Hagel is delusional. I'm sure Reagan would have preferred todays republicans over the scared little girls he had to lead. Anyway, last time I checked we voted for our politicians. Republicans are voting for people who stand for something, not a bunch of wishy washy backstabbers like Hagel and Lugar. So really, Hagel and Lugar are complaining about the voters. Typical. It reminds me of the old pol's concession speech after losing an election: "The voters have spoken, the bastards."
yea. racism,homophobia,subordination of women,needless religious wars,denial of science,anti intellectual. its the something you stand for thats the problem. problem solvers need to be pragmatic leaders like reagan. not closed minded idealoges like republicans today.
sure i am. i have a middle of the road position on taxes, immigration,welfare, defense, abortion,gay marriage. i used to be a republican. the republican party left me i did not leave it.
God said in every home, there needs to be a representation of his glory through manhood and femininity.
that is the biggest problem with republicans. they base what they think on an imaginary concept. critical thinking is not encouraged. You do not need the Bible to justify love, but no better tool has been invented to justify hate. (Richard A. Weatherwax)