Lamar Alexander

Moderate Centrist Republicans In Senate May Be Crucial Voting Bloc!

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It used to be that Senator John McCain of Arizona was considered a moderate, centrist Republican, but no more.

But now, there are a group of moderate, centrist Republicans who look prepared to cross party lines and sometimes back the Obama Administration, although as the year 2011 develops, we will see just how often they will be willing to do so.

With the rise of the Tea Party activists, such a decision will require courage and statesmanship, so it will be one of the most interesting political signs to watch in 2011.

Among the centrist moderates would be the following:

1. Olympia Snowe of Maine, who is likely to face a Tea Party challenger in the primary in 2012.
2. Susan Collins of Maine, who has often seemed willing to cooperate, although she tends to “drive a hard bargain” for her vote.
3. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who despite his win with early Tea Party backing in January, now seems to be moving toward the center in liberal Massachusetts, but will almost certainly face a Tea Party challenger in the primary in 2012.
4. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who has become liberated by her independent win over Joe Miller, and voted for every part of the Obama agenda during the recent Lame Duck session of Congress, and has made clear she will defy the rightward trend in her party.
5. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the most respected Republican in the Senate, usually conservative, but still with an independent streak, who faces a likely Tea Party challenge in 2012.
6. Mark Kirk of Illinois, newly elected, but already showing signs of independence, as he was defined as a moderate Republican in his years in the House of Representatives.
7. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who has shown signs of moderation in his four years in the Senate, and may face Tea Party opposition in the primary in 2012.
8. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who is moderate sounding sometimes, although he seems to work at having a right wing image at times, as well.

Along with Independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, this bloc of Senators will play a likely historic role in dealing with the many domestic crises and foreign policy controversies facing the nation over the next two years!

Senator Lamar Alexander’s Prediction Of “Armageddon”!

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Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, formerly Secretary of Education under the first President Bush, and two time seeker of the Presidency in 1996 and 2000, always had an image of being reasonable and decent among fellow Republicans in the Senate until now, when he is opposing health care reform in irresponsible ways.

Alexander seems unwilling to understand how important health care reform is, and has been flirting with the far right in his party, and in the process, harming his moderate reputation from the past.

He now predicts that if health care reform passes, it will be “Armageddon” for Democrats, leading to the loss of both houses of Congress by the Democrats, and immediate action to repeal the legislation.

This is hyperbole, which has no basis. Could the Democrats lose control of both houses, as they did in 1994? Yes, in theory, but highly unlikely, although certainly the party out of the White House DOES gain a lot of seats, typically, in a midterm election.

Would there be immediate action to repeal what had passed both houses and been signed into law by the President? Again, theoretically yes, but when the people get away from the hyperbole and hysteria and realize how much good will come out of the extension of health care, and reforms in areas such as preexisting conditions and lifetime limits, it will lead to growing support for the reforms.

Of course, there will be opposition, but that does not mean that the hysteria and propaganda will lead to repeal, as it is rare to repeal legislation once passed into law, and besides, the President could veto repeal, and to imagine a two thirds override in both houses is beyond any sense of reality.

In truth, the GOP could very well suffer for their refusal to cooperate in necessary reform, as there could be a counter reaction against them.

So, Lamar Alexander, you are much too loose in judging Armageddon, as if we need more religion context in government! How about leaving religion out of government context, except to point out that a truly religious person would wish to deal with a basic human right, to decent health care, not fight against it and show lack of concern for those who suffer from lack of such coverage!

Republicans And “Reconciliation”: The Truth!

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Republicans are acting like hypocrites on the issue of using the “reconciliation” method to pass health care legislation. They claim that it is, as Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander states, a “kamikaze mission”.

This is irresponsible rhetoric, and based on lies! Alexander has voted for “reconciliation” five times in his years in the Senate. He has had a reputation of being a moderate, but based on this ridiculous statement, and his comments at the Health Care Summit last week, he has moved over to the far right!

The Republicans have used this 51 vote majority in the Senate sixteen times, compared to six times by Democrats.

One must remember that Republicans controlled Congress for twelve years, and it was certainly alright for them to overcome filibusters for massive tax cuts that bankrupted our national budget!

But now, for health care, they act like Puritans who have never utilized or believed in the tactic, and that is pure bull!

Senator Alexander and the whole Republican caucus in the Senate should be ashamed of themselves for being negative and obstructionist! The party is a shell of the old, traditional Republican party that once stood for some real principle, instead of willingness to exploit an issue for political gain and show no concern for the millions of Americans who have no, or inadequate health care!

Lamar Alexander And Three Year College Degrees

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Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, former Education Secretary under George HW Bush, has written an article in Newsweek Magazine, advocating the promotion of a three year college degree as a way to encourage savings for college students, and also as a method to advance careers for students more quickly.

Of course, this is only good for that small sliver of students who are mature enough, motivated enough, and intelligent enough to be able to work harder than most do today who attend college.

Since so many students need to work to stay in college, and since so many, at the same time, want the “full” college experience of social life and development of “relationships”, this will not work for the vast majority of college students. The fact is, right now, only five percent of students manage by working, at an accelerated pace, to finish in three academic years.

So this proposal might work for the top graduates of high schools across the country, who are accepted at top private and public universities, and are mature enough to be willing to sacrifice and work to finish and move on to graduate degrees or the world of work. But again, it will not work for the vast majority of college students who, not only need four years to finish, but in most cases need six or more years to complete their undergraduate education.

So, Senator Alexander, I give you credit for motivating the very best students among high school graduates, but your idea will never be realistic for more than ninety percent of college students, sorry to say!

Is Obama Becoming Another Nixon?

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We are reaching the silly season when we have two Republican senators claiming that there are signs that Barack Obama is becoming another Richard Nixon.

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee worries that Obama is forming an “enemies list” because of criticism of Fox News. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, who briefly planned to be Secretary of Commerce under Obama before changing his mind, stated that he was wondering if Alexander was correct in his judgment.

The fact that Obama is coming out swinging against his critics after many months of being overly gentlemanly and bipartisan in tone does not mean that he is pursuing the worse instincts of Richard Nixon. His response was long overdue.

What can be said is that IF Obama can be as successful in diplomacy as most historians perceive Nixon was, and IF Obama can accomplish the passage of major domestic reforms as Nixon presided over, then indeed it would not be a bad thing if Obama is compared to Nixon in these positive ways, rather than the negative ways that led to the Watergate scandal and the resignation of the 37 th President in 1974.

Lamar Alexander And Health Care Legislation

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Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is one of the more distinguished member of the Republican caucus in the Senate.

He has had an impressive career, including being Governor of his state, Secretary of Education under the first President Bush, President of the University of Tennessee, faculty member of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and Presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000. He has been a Senator since being elected in the year 2002.

I have always had respect for Senator Alexander, and thought when he sought the Presidency twice that the nation could be far worse off with many other GOP candidates than Alexander.

That is why I am so disgusted with Alexander by his recent statement in opposition to health care legislation, in which he says that if it is passed by the Democrats without GOP support, then there will be a “minor revolution”.

Senator Alexander, what are you doing, encouraging bloodshed and violence because your party members, including yourself, refuse to cooperate on a bipartisan bill on health care? Your background and career make it hard to understand WHY you would issue such a statement.

I think you need to reconsider your outrageous assertion, and retract it promptly. I doubt that will happen, but it SHOULD!