I ask this question because an esteemed member of our state in a recent post on the best blog in Delaware stated that yesterday he, ” called on a Republican to resign when no one else would.” which on it’s face is an admirable thing I have to admit. What isn’t admirable about that? I mean the day after a lawmaker I have close ties to gets caught lying about his DUI, abusing his power in office and smacking around his wife I too would right a letter asking him to resign. But, you see that didn’t happen. It took a whirlwind by local bloggers at DWA, DE Watch, here and other places to continue to exert enough pressure to get party loyalist to cut bait.
When Atkins became a HUGE liability to the party, then and only then, did some people start to speak out against him in his own party. Wow, huge balls that takes, huh? Gee, what internal fortitude it takes to pen a letter asking for your poker buddy to step down for fear of hurting the party further.
But, I think I got a little worked up when that same esteemed GOP’r in De said that “ Writing that Atkins letter was HARD. I don’t need to justify myself to you or anyone else.“, after one of the best bloggers in Delaware had said, “Atkins again!!! Man that card has been played so much it is see through. “
Wow! Hard?! (that’s what she said*snark*) I think this is an adjective being overlooked in the comments. The face of the GOP in Delaware states that it is HARD to do what is right? That writing a letter to oust a drunk driving, wife beating, power abusing friend is hard? It is pretty disappointing to say the least while very telling of the state of our political leaders at its’ best.
We have a party that thinks criticism = change, I can see how standing up and writing a letter asking someone in your party to step down can be hard, but I can’t for the life of me see how someone can say with a straight face that doing what is right is hard.
I said it before and I will say it again. It may be hard to do what is right on occasion, but the more often you do what is right, the easier it becomes. So I guess I can give someone representing the De GOP some latitude when he says it is Hard to do the right thing.
Give doing right a shot more often, and maybe your party would be doing better these days.
DelawareLiberal.Net 
August 24, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Whereas the Delaware Democrats, when their legislators get arrested for DUI (cough, Richard Cordrey, cough), they are given Cabinet posts. I don’t recall any grand outrage from your side of the aisle then.
There were more than a few R’s circling their wagons around Atkins, for fear of their immediate futures in the House. Burris thought it was better to lose the majority than his dignity, and others followed. Since the grand scope of this blog’s “leadership” is making fun of Mike Castle, this may be a difficult concept to understand.
August 24, 2007 at 2:57 pm
When I read that all I could think of was Bush (with the electronic prompter up his back while debating Kerry) talking about how HARD it was to do his job. It’s HARD WORK. Whine, whine.
Sheesh!
August 24, 2007 at 2:57 pm
my side of the aisle isn’t Democrat…the blog says liberal and last time I checked that doesn’t mean Democrat.
August 24, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Rick – your non sequitur is difficult to understand. How is making fun of Mike Castle not appropriate given his voting record?
And how doe sit relate to Dave taking too much credit for doing something he should have done anyway?
August 24, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Perhaps donviti ( or should I say dimwitty, since name calling is such a cherished tradition on this blog ) would enlighten us about what a Liberal is then? I mean in a political context.
August 24, 2007 at 3:31 pm
well alan, I guess in typical Limbaugh, Hannity, O’reilly, fashion if you want to lump all liberals in with democrats be my guest.
Being democrat may mean liberal to you, but being liberal doesn’t mean democrat was my point.
I am independent I don’t subscribe to one party.
August 24, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Find me another example of an elected official or elected party leader in Delaware publicly calling on one of their own to resign or be fired.
August 24, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Oh, so you should be lauded because the bar has been set so high in the past?
August 24, 2007 at 3:51 pm
So you’re admitting that I did something that has been done rarely if ever in the history of the state, and you think it was easy to do.
DV, what have you ever done in public life to improve the situation around you?
I rest my case.
August 24, 2007 at 3:53 pm
He IS Delaware’s hottest blogger, Dave. Sheesh! That should account for something!
August 24, 2007 at 4:14 pm
sure dave,
as far as scummy politicians, you managed to scrape just a notch up from a sack of crap.
here’s your medal.
August 24, 2007 at 4:33 pm
donviti:
I am in the same boat. I am libertarian, not liberal, not conservative. This election cycle I am registered Republican so I can vote for Ron Paul in the primary. But that is not what I asked.
What, in your view, is a liberal?
Freedom? Individual rights? Limited government? That is what a liberal is to me. I don’t see much of that in either the Repub or the Dem parties.
August 24, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Honestly, for the last seven years years liberals haven’t had the luxury of sitting around navel-gazing about “what is a liberal.” Liberals aren’t really concerned about building a liberal nirvana. We’re more pragmatic.
Unlike conservatives who keep longing for their “Reagan roots” (as if that would solve anything!), liberals are looking forward, not backward. That’s why they call some of us progressives.
August 24, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Ah progressive. So long as you define progress. I understand progressives.
I was wondering what passed for a liberal though.
August 24, 2007 at 5:23 pm
OK, I’ll punt and ask you back – why does there need to be a definition of a “liberal?”
In my view, true liberals are a small niche group in the Democratic party, usually representing urban districts.
It is Republicans who have cast US politics as “conservatives vs. liberals.” The GOP has been beating that liberal strawman for thirty years.
August 24, 2007 at 6:21 pm
MN
I agree about the labeling problem. It helps the dimmer bulbs keep us v them straight.
donviti used the tag and differentiated and defined a position on that basis. I only asked because on a lot of issues libertarian IS liberal. I think there is common ground.
Remember, my man is Ron Paul.
August 24, 2007 at 6:41 pm
it is hard to capsulize MN, but I know that for now and in short you can assume that liberal is the direct opposite of what a neo con stands for these days
August 24, 2007 at 7:05 pm
DV, what have you ever done in public life to improve the situation around you?
August 25, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I’ve immeasurably improved the public situation around me by taking a bath. And I didn’t forget those hard-to-reach places.
August 25, 2007 at 12:50 pm
This comment will go into my cache file for use later. Since Burris often distances himself from elected officials, this sample should come in handy soon enough:
“Find me another example of an elected official or elected party leader in Delaware publicly calling on one of their own to resign or be fired.”