"Conscience" Republicans

In the years before the Civil War, America tore itself apart politically (before it tore itself apart geographically) over the issue of slavery. Political parties split. Some didn't survive.

Amongst the Whig party- the party that Abraham Lincoln originally saw as his- this split proved fatal. The Whigs split between 'Southern' Whigs, who were proslavery, and 'Northern' Whigs who were at least opposed to the spread of slavery, if not actually abolitionists. These 'Northern' Whigs were often referred to as Conscience Whigs.

Today, we may be seeing the development of the 'Conscience' Republicans.

The President is pushing for legislation which would allow for military tribunals to try terrorism suspects, and for legislation that would allow him broad latitude for his wireless wiretapping program (which was recently declared a violation of the Constitution by a federal court).

The Conscience Republicans are refusing to go along. The believe the President's proposals are at best a threat to the US position in the world and the overall effort to deal with terrorism.

This is a blow to the White House mid-term election strategy ('The Threat is Always Greatest Before an Election'). The White House would like to put the "War on Terror" rather than the Iraq War on the front pages, and paint the Democrats as soft on terror. Conscience Republicans muddy the waters and make this a hard sell for the White House.

Among the Conscience Republicans I have seen: McCain, Sen. Warner of VA, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Sec. of State Colin Powell. (See Powell's letter here.)

I'm sure there are others, because such a small number would not be causing the Administration such difficulties.

Do you know of others? I'll happily take nominations for the 'Conscience Republican Party.'

It takes courage to follow conscience over party. After all, following conscience killed the Whigs, cost the Republicans the election of 1912, and may even have cost the Democrats the White House in the last election (with Nader bleeding off Kerry supporters). It's not an easy choice.

The people who make the choice (even if we don't agree with them in some cases) deserve our admiration for doing so.

GP