conservative, it is a difficult thing to be in today s republican party. and so steve latourettte is leaving congress. he s quitting. stepping down, unexpectedly announcing he will nonrun again. we first got news of this yesterday on the same day that another not that partisan, not that conservative republican congressman from new york told his home town paper that his own republican party is quote, rendering ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides. congressman richard hanna telling the post standard of syracuse, quote, i have to say i m frustrated by how much we, the republican party, are willing to give deferential treatment to our extremes in this moment in history. he also called his fellow republicans essentially just plain mean. he said, quote, i would say that the friends i have in the democratic party, i find much more congenial. a little less anger. it is not an easy thing to be not the most partisan, not the most conservative republican in today s
newspaper, and the newspaper was not a lie. here is what prompted the line from congressman latourettte. ross perot when he ran for president in 1992 talked about the giant sucking sound. well, today there s another giant sucking sound going on in washington, d.c., and that s the tightening of sphincters on both sides of pennsylvania avenue as people are having to explain who put into the stimulus bill this provision of law. see, the headline was not wrong. he did actually blame a d.c. sucking sound on politicians sphincters. congressman steve latourette. what ended up having the most impact on steve latourette s long-term career prospects was not that he criticized politicians sphincters and what sounds they could make, but when he levied it, he levied it at politicians of both parties and politicians in the white house and in the congress. steve latourettte was not the most partisan or the most
conservative republican in the world, and if you are not the most partisan and not the most conservative, it is a difficult thing to be in today s republican party. and so steve latourettte is leaving congress. he s quitting. he s stepping down, unexpectedly announcing that he will not run again. we first got news of this yesterday on the same day that another not-that-partisan, not-that-conservative republican congressman from new york told his hometown paper that his own republican party is, quote, rendering ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides. congressman richard hanna telling the post standard of syracuse, quote, i have to say 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 also called his fellow republicans essentially just plain mean. he said, quote, i would say that the friends i have in the democratic party i find much more congenial, a little les
president in 1992 talked about the giant sucking sound. well today there s another giant sucking sound going on in washington, d.c., and that s the tightening of sphincters on both sides of pennsylvania avenue as people are having to explain who put into the stimulus bill this provision of law. see, the headline was not wrong. he did actually blame a d.c. sucking sound on politicians sphincters. here s the thing, though. what ended up having the most impact on steve latourettte s long-term career prospects was not that he criticized politicians sphincters and what sounds they could make, but when he leied it, he levied it at politicians of both parties and politicians in the white house and in the congress. steve latourettte was not the most partisan or the most conservative republican in the world, and if you are not the most part season and not the most conservative, it is a
difficult thing to be in today s republican party. and so steve latourettte is leaving congress. he s quitting. he s stepping down, unexpectedly announcing that he will not run again. we first got news of this yesterday on the same day that another not-that-partisan, not-that-conservative republican congressman from new york told his home town paper that his own republican party is quote, rendering ourselves incapable of governing when all we do is take severe sides. congressman richard hanna telling the post standard of syracuse, quote, i have to say 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 also called his fellow republicans essentially just plain mean. he said, quote, i would say that the friends i have in the democratic party, i find much more congenial. a little less anger. it is not an easy thing to be not the most partisan, not the most conservative republican in today s rep