Dem: GOP should return to "Party of Lincoln"

Appearing on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley said the GOP presidential primary to date has shown that the Republican Party has moved to the right. While he suggested such a move will help President Obama win re-election in November, he said the GOP's trend to the right is bad for the nation.

"For the election I suppose it's best for the president if they take their hard-right turn - sort of war on unions, war on women, and all these cultural issues," O'Malley said to host Bob Schieffer.

The Democratic governor told Schieffer: "It'd be nice to see that 'party of Lincoln' emerge again, instead of this extreme right control that they submit themselves to in their own primaries."

Schieffer asked O'Malley (who is chair of the Democratic Governors Association) about Santorum's recent comments about education, where he said higher education "indoctrinates" students and for calling the president a "snob" for encouraging college.

"There's much that Rick Santorum says that I don't really get," O'Malley said. "I think that all of us can acknowledge though is that in order for our country to be successful economically and for our children to actually have better opportunities than we've had, we need to educate our children at higher and better levels."

As for Santorum's comments in recent weeks in opposition to contraception, which has become a hot topic on the campaign trail, O'Malley said, "I would've thought that we were past that."

The governor said while the focus on social issues is "good for the president," they're also "bad for the country."

[noloyalisti]

Even if they went back to the party of Eisenhower, it would be much better for America. As it is they are going so far to the right as to make the entire party obsolete. I think we really are witnessing the complete suicide of a major American political party.

That's OK, we have enough radical right wing corporate 1% ers in the Democratic Party. We really don't need a second party like the Republicons.

[tsigili]

Perhaps not.

The civil war was an example of what was wrong, with the party of Lincoln.

[Smokey75]

by bc-1948 February 27, 2012 8:34 AM EST
Pray that you never have to be on the other end of that comment. It happens every day to no fault of the person. Yes, if we are a "Christian" nation, we take care of those with the least.

Your comment suggest just the opposite view of "I got mine to H... with you."
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There is a huge difference between a onetime life crisis and the millions upon millions of people who are generational government welfare recipients.

I promise if you took a poll of everyone in the US and asked if everyone was ok with 6 months to a year of government assistance to get back on year feet. There would be 90-95% approval of it.

The problem is Dems don't believe there should be any limit to government welfare they think once you're on it you should be able to get it for life. Which does nothing but breed more and more welfare queens.

We should have a safety net for people who fall on times but it should not I repeat should not be a lifetime thing it should have an end date and it should not be longer than a year. Once you use up that year you have a o work and be productive a certain number of years before you qualify again.

[dj_chi]

I believe there currently are time limits on how long you can be on government assistance like welfare and food stamps. Obviously unemployment has a limit.

[Smokey75]

It is funny to liberals and democrats say they are for the working class! Can someone explain how democrats are for the working class?

Seriously all I see the in the democrats is more government dependency. The dems don't offer jobs they offer a government check and then tax about taxing the "Evil Rich People" to make the illusion they are paying for the government spending.

Unless you are in the bottom 47% the democrats have nothing to offer you. Just look at the numerous "fees" (or better known as taxes) that have been put into law since Obama took office. Obama had to push for the extension of the pay roll tax because if it had went away he knows people who actually collect a pay check would see how much smaller their paycheck is since Obama to office.

I do not deny the dems favor the lower middle class but for us in the middle to upper middle we get the privilege of paying for the dems promise of government handouts.

Please list one thing the democrats have to offer a family of 4 making $80-100 thousand a year besides the privilege of paying for neighbors health insurance, government cell phone and grocery bill.

[amondo79]

This is not written from a position of knowledge but one of ignorance. None of these statements are valid.

[sjj1222]

What a circus. Republicans condemn condoms! Republicans praise children of rape as a gift from God. Republicans legislate forced trans-vaginal probes. Republicans hate women (and men) who want to plan their families. What's next? Republicans mandate missionary-position only? I hate to admit it, but Newt was right. 'Cause Newt and all his Republican friends SHOULD set up a moon colony.... AND GO THERE! Then, they could tell each other what to do, and how to live, and who to love.... while leaving the REST of us alone, in peace, here on Earth. Newt, I always KNEW that you were a problem-solver. Unfortunately, you and your Republican friends ARE the problem...

[RobAla]

If I was from Maryland I would be embarrassed by this Governor. I expect Democrats to think that Republicans so not be so right wing; I expect Democrats to think that the entire world should have their left wing perspective on things - however, there is absolutely no basis for stating that the Republican party has moved away from the things Lincoln stood for. This Governor threw out this statement and never gave even one example of Republicans moving away Lincoln.

This is the same political crap that I see Democrats doing almost on a continual basis - throw baseless mud and hope some of it sticks. Democrats should take a long hard look at themselves. President John Kennedy believed in tax cuts and a strong national defense - he wouldn't even recognize today's Democrat party. I am not a member of any political party. I never voted a straight Republican ticket in my life until 2010 - because I could no longer find a Democrat that I could support. The Democrat party has given control of it's leadership to radical left wing extremists. Today, there is very little difference between the American Democrat party and the European socialist democrats. This Governor should be looking at his own party. Ex-Democrat Governor from Georgia Zell Miller said, "I didn't leave the Democrat party, the Democrat party left me."

[askagain]

This stuff is coming from a tax and spend liberal who wants to add a 6% sales tax to gasolene as it approaches $4.00 per gallon. This guy has raised taxes consistently during the recession. That is all he knows how to do.

[bc-1948]

Raised taxes consistently???? what rock are you under?

Check the facts - and remember that gas was over $4.00 under GWB.

Fact: Domestic oil production is up the each of the last three years more than it was during the last 4 of GWB

Fact: There are more active drilling rigs now than under GWB.

Fact: - There have been 14 straight months of private sector jobs.

Fact - The job loss started declining in April 2009 (three months after President Obama took office - and took less time to become positive than it fell under GWB in 2007/2008

Fact: In October 2008 (start of the fiscal year), the GAO projected the deficit to be $1.2T (while GWB was still President) - It came in at $1.4T)

Fact - When GWB took office, the GAO projected a SURPLUS - and would have been had GWB not cut taxes and sold the public on going to war on the credit card. The 2000-2008 years should have been deficit reduction years - instead of an additional 5T in debt.

Bureau of Labor Statitics has all the data - research it.

[markag55]

"Hear, hear!" the town crier bellows. If you want the government of our Founding Fathers as well as the first Republican President, then listen to their words and follow what they said.

[ricky_paradox]

Just as many abortions happen under the rep as dems, and in 2001 when the republicans held the congress,senate and white house, look what they did...'NOTHING'..truth is the GOP is not a against abortion, its just a 'DOGWHISTLE' they blow when they want the clueless to vote republican.

[ricky_paradox]

Reagan and both Bushes drove this country into recession, and Clinton and Obama took us out of one...save your drama for your mama, Iam voting for Obama.

[RobAla]

Ricky: Maybe you weren't around during the time of President Carter (I voted for President Carter, and lived to regret it). Democrat President Carter drove the United States into the ground and we faced a huge recession. It was the actions of President Reagan that brought us out of it, and we came out of it fairly quickly.

Forbes 07/27/11: Louis Woodhill
"Whether in Greece or in the U.S., the impact of government policies shows up first and fastest in total employment. Judged by jobs, Reaganomics worked. During the first two years of the Reagan recovery, total employment increased by 7.2 million. Given that Obamunism is the exact opposite of Reaganomics, one might expect that it would produce a terrible jobs situation — and it has.

In terms of total employment, the U.S. lost 0.7 million jobs during the first 24 months of Obama's recovery. The nation has never before had an economic expansion where total employment after two years of recovery was lower than it was at the end of the recession. In June 2011, America had 2.9 million fewer people working than when Obama was inaugurated. (By the same point in Reagan's presidency, our total number of jobs had increased by 0.7 million, equivalent to 1.0 million jobs after adjustment for today's higher population.)"

[shurch4truth]

The Republican party is failing because they no longer allow new members to join unless they are extreme far right.