Rep. Hanna: Fellow Republicans indulge the party's extreme members too much
Syracuse -- U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna took his own party to task today, saying the Republican Party is too willing to accommodate its most extreme members.
“I have to say that I’m frustrated by how much we — I mean the Republican Party — are willing to give deferential treatment to our extremes in this moment in history,” he told The Post-Standard editorial board.
Hanna, R-Barneveld, pointed specifically to Michele Bachmann of Minnesota — particularly her suggestion that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin be investigated to see if she has ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood that would compromise her loyalty.
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“We render ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides...” he said. “If all people do is go down there and join a team, and the team is invested in winning and you have something that looks very similar to the shirts and the skins, there’s not a lot of value there.”
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“I would say that the friends I have in the Democratic Party I find ... much more congenial — a little less anger,” he said.
Wow. There've been plenty of FORMER Republican members of Congress who have made statements to this effect, but this is the first time I can think of that a current member has done so.
I'm sure that Rush Limbaugh will unleash his flying monkeys any minute now, and a walkback/apology to the GOP will be forthcoming from Hanna.
Update: Since this diary has hit the Rec list, forgive me for pimping my previous one (although, in my defense, it's semi-related):
MI-11: Cassis REFUSES TO SUPPORT Primary Opponent
Here's a hint: MI-11 is otherwise known as Thad McCotter's Epic Meltdown district. The latest developments are...surreal.