Replace Rush with Meghan McCain and you got yourself a party.

You know, the word "Party" has an obvious connotation; hanging out with people you would actually want to hang out with, possibly with some subset of "fun" involved. I would not mind running into Meghan at a party. She's witty and looks like she'd know what fun was. Rush Limbaugh and Anne Coulter - well, they are the the antithesis of fun. Each in their own way are the sort of people that are notorious for cornering the innocent and helpless and making inappropriate political advances.


Republicans having fun!
I'm not one to belong to any political party; I'm not at all interested in politics as a social endeavor, I don't think of it as something that is inherently fun or interesting. But between the win-at-any-cost mentality, the clear evidence that principles within the party are honored mostly within the breach. The current party darlings could make a Lawrence Welk Tribute Evening With Faux Elvis seem classy and original, as Meghan McCain observes.

I am sure most extreme conservatives and extreme liberals would find me a confusing, walking contradiction. But I assure you, there are many people out there just like me who represent a new, younger generation of Republicans. It took me almost two years of campaigning across this country and hanging out, on a daily basis, with some of the most famous and most intelligent Republicans to fall in love with the Republican Party. If it took that much time and exposure for me to join the party, how can GOP leaders possibly expect to reach young supporters by staying the course they have been on these past eight years? Where has our extreme thinking gotten us? President Bush will go down as one the least popular presidents in history. I constantly hear stories about Republicans who previously worked for President Bush and my father feeling ostracized, unable to get jobs in D.C. right now.

On Monday night Ann Coulter and Bill Maher kicked off a weeklong debate tour. Maybe they will prove me wrong, but this seems more like a traveling circus than a serious debate about the ideological differences between these individuals. I hope viewers understand Ann Coulter is not the woman we Republicans need representing us right now. The GOP is at a crossroads. I love the Republican Party, but if it turns out I am somehow not conservative enough to please its leaders, it makes me wonder—am I then not worthy of even being a member?

You have it backward, Meghan. What have they done lately to be worthy of you? A party circling the drain - and they are - is in no position to be excluding anyone, and certainly not anyone with significant name recognition and name appeal. That's just stupid. Stupid people don't throw good parties - or make good policies.

You know, there is a party name with a fine old tradition in North America. It's not being used right now, and I bet Joe Clark would know where the old letterhead was stored. It's called The Progressive Conservative Party. I think there might be room for a Center-Right party of that sort in the US now.