Will The Real Mike Castle Please Stand Up?
Mike Castle is trying to have things both ways. He’s trying to reassure the rightwing the he’s their guy while trying to maintain his cred as a moderate Republican. Even the News Journal doesn’t really know what to think, running an article in Saturday’s paper with the headline: “Castle’s Moderate Reputation Questioned”. The subtitle of the article was “Often bucks GOP, but not on central votes.” Mike Castle only votes against the GOP when it doesn’t really matter. He’s voted against the stimulus (while taking credit for it at the same time), against equal pay for women, against abortion rights (Stupak), against health care reform and against financial reform. He’s the ultimate status-quo candidate.
Down With Tyranny is also watching this race and notes that Castle is so confident in his Republican base in Delaware that he’s refusing to be sucked into the craziness that other so-called moderate Republicans are.
Castle, who has not exactly endeared himself to the extremists in his own party– and is absolutely loathed by birthers, deathers, gun-nuts and teabaggers. He’s not likely to pass any meaningful purity test being demanded by the right-wing of his party and the Club For Growth is already complaining that he’s refusing to sign their latest crazy pledge to repeal healthcare reform. Although Club For Growth has bamboozled 11 Republican candidates in 5 contested primaries– including another self-proclaimed “moderate,” Mark Kirk– to take their rather extreme pledge, Castle hasn’t buckled yet.
Castle even used his time in the GOP’s weekly radio address to praise Obama’s Afghanistan plans.
“Particularly since the surge in Afghanistan began, we have seen progress toward helping establish a country that can govern itself, defend its borders, and be an important ally in fighting terrorism,” Castle said in the Republican weekly radio address.
A group of House and Senate Republicans traveled to Afghanistan, the site of protracted U.S. military involvement since 2001, to assess the progress of war efforts there.
Castle praised Obama for elements of his national security strategy, particularly heeding military commanders’ wishes, keeping on Robert Gates as secretary of Defense, and showing a degree of flexibility in decision-making.
I think it’s pretty clear. Castle is going to run as a moderate Republican. We just need to remind voters that when push comes to shove Castle votes with the party of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
Tags: DE-Sen, Mike Castle
How many more years will we be “assessing the progress” in Afghanistan.
Holy shit…I never thought I’d live to read these words printed in the NJ: ” (Mike Castle) Often bucks GOP, but not on central votes.”
Reading the whole thing you can sense the Biden machine beginning to stir. I’m sure Castle will have an emergence messaging conference call with Celica Cohen today to make sure she turns out 600 words on how much of a maverick Castle is.
That’s the Jason I miss.
you can sense the Biden machine beginning to stir
Pete du Pont is in for a shock when he calls his contacts at the News Journal and finds they are all in nursing homes or laid off.
Great idea for a billboard:
Picture of Castle and the text reads:
Rep. No
wants to be
Sen. No
Tell him, NO WAY!
What amazes me the most about ANY and MOST Politicians today is that their are still citizens that are willing to be advocates and evangelist for ANY OF THEM!!!!!!! I am not say that there are not good people in politics I just need them to prove it. HOw many citizens can work for 4 or 8 years and have a life time retirement package like this? Members of the House and Senate who earn $162100 a year haven’t taken a hard look at their own pension program since 1983 when Congress brought lawmakers into the Social Security system for the first time.
While congressional payouts are puny compared to some corporate executives — Franklin Raines recently ousted as head of the Federal National Mortgage Association gets a pension of $114393 a month — many Americans would eagerly welcome the pensions available on Capitol Hill.
It is time for a REAL CHANGE!
Did you ban Protack? Like a puppet he always supports Mikey Castle, what does he say about the Congressman wannabe Senator?
Protack always says the same things – Obama sucks and Castle will win. He never engages but just does hit and run posts that rarely have to do with what’s written.