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The Man Who Gave Us Souter

[ 23 ] November 20, 2012 | Scott Lemieux

Warren Rudman, R.I.P.

Hopefully the New York State museum will be putting together a display on the moderate New England Republican — it can go right next to the Wooly Mammoth.

Comments (23)

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  1. howard says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:03 pm

    it’s been a remarkable evolution: when i was a mere lad in the ’50s and ’60s, the thrifty yankee republican voter was a stock type, with a lunatic fringe in new hampshire.

    now the lunatic fringe is the republican party in new england, and that formerly thrifty yankee republican voter now votes democratic (or for angus king).

    Reply
  2. John says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    There’s still Susan Collins, I suppose. It’s certainly remarkable, though. Lowell Weicker and Jim Jeffords and Lincoln Chafee became independents. Chris Shays and Rob Simmons were unable to win primaries against a woman who is best known for participating in staged cat fights on television. Massachusetts hasn’t elected a Republican to the House since 1994.

    Reply
  3. Sherm says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    Sounds like you’re running out of things to see in Albany.

    Reply
  4. liberal says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    As in all such matters, there’s always this question: was he moderate, or “moderate”?

    Reply
    • liberal says:
      November 20, 2012 at 12:44 pm

      E.g. in 1984 (to pull a random year), Amer for Dem Action gave him a 30/100. OK, it’s not necessarily scientific, but…

      Reply
    • Incontinentia Buttocks says:
      November 20, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      I believe that, like Bob Dole (not a New Englander, obviously), Rudman was considered a conservative for most of his career. By today’s standards he might be a moderate. But he was no Lowell Weicker or John Chafee. To put that ADA score from 1984 in a little perspective, here are the scores of other New England Senate Republicans that year:

      Lowell Weicker (CT) 90
      William Cohen (ME) 80
      John Chafee (RI) 60
      Robert Stafford (VT) 60
      Gordon Humphrey (NH) 15

      Rudman was a lot politically closer to his (clearly conservative) NH colleague than he was to any of the actual New England moderate / liberal Republicans of the day.

      Reply
      • Scott Lemieux says:
        November 20, 2012 at 4:42 pm

        Although in 1984, a 60 from a RI Senator is probably pretty comparable to a 30 from NH senator.

        Reply
        • Incontinentia Buttocks says:
          November 20, 2012 at 9:00 pm

          Rudman was certainly moderate for NH Senator. But it’s still worth noting that eleven GOP Senators that year scored 50 or higher on the ADA’s ratings.

          Meanwhile, six Senate Democrats scored fifty or lower.

          Two things worth noting about this: 1) the real ideological overlap between the parties and 2) the fact that the GOP was arguably a bit more ideologically diverse than the Democrats (even with the latter party still including some old-fashioned Boll Weavils).

          How things have changed!

          Reply
  5. c u n d gulag says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Anyone who’d allow Gramm to attach his name to his own on a piece of legislation, isn’t worthy of much respect – even when we’re not supposed to speak ill of the deceased. Sorry.

    Reply
  6. Johnny Sack says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Ah, Souter, giving the Rs some good old Stevensing. But then we got Thomas, and then his son gave us Roberts and Alito. Is our children learning?

    Reply
  7. Johnny Sack says:
    November 20, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    I obviously didn’t mean that Thomas was the father of Alito and Roberts. Although that might make a good Cronenberg movie.

    Reply
  8. The Dark Avenger says:
    November 20, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    it can go right next to the Wooly Mammoth.

    As with the shaggy pachyderm from the past, there are revival efforts underway:

    WASHINGTON—Saying the now critically endangered species of politician is at high risk for complete extinction within the next 10 years, Beltway-area conservationists announced plans Monday for a new captive breeding program designed to save moderate Republicans.

    According to members of the Initiative to Protect the Political Middle (IPPM), centrist Republicans, who once freely roamed the nation calling for both economic deregulation and a return to Reagan-era tax rates on the wealthy, are in dire need of protection, having lost large portions of their natural terrain to the highly territorial Evangelical and Tea Party breeds.

    “Our new program is designed to isolate the few remaining specimens of moderate Republicans, mate them in captivity, and then safely release these rare and precious creatures back into the electorate,” said IPPM’s Cynthia Rollins, who traces the decline of the species to changes in the political climate and rampant, predatory fanaticism. “Within our safe, enclosed habitats, these middle-of-the-road Republican Party members can freely support increased funding for public education and even gay rights without being threatened by the far-right subgenus.”

    Reply
  9. Njorl says:
    November 20, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    The difference between moderate Republicans and woolly mammoths is that the mammoths may return via cloning.

    Reply
  10. laym says:
    November 20, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    “New York State museum [...] Wooly Mammoth”

    Heh. I think that thing has been there since I was in grade school, in the late 70′s.

    Reply
  11. Reader Feeder Bits for (Tue. 20-Nov-12 1630) | Boulder Dude says:
    November 20, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    [...] The Man Who Gave Us Souter: Scott Lemieux [...]

    Reply

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