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Home Front: Politix
Signs point to possibility of Sen. King caucusing with Republicans
2014-04-11
[ONLINESENTINEL] Sen. Angus King prompted a flurry of political speculation in the nation's Capitol on Thursday, a day after he parted ways with the Democratic majority and voted with Republicans against the Paycheck Fairness Act.

King, who has caucused and voted reliably with Democrats since his election in 2012, was asked whether the vote was a sign that he might consider caucusing with Republicans if the landscape of the Senate changes with the midterm elections in November.

Keeping his cards close as he often does, King did not rule it out.

"I'll make my decision at the time based on what I think is best for Maine," he told The Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based publication.

The headline in The Hill became "King may flip to GOP in 2015," but in reality, his comments do not represent any shift.

He's been saying for the last two years that he is not beholden to either party, even though he often sides with the majority Democrats -- who have made the paycheck legislation a political priority for the November election.

"Sen. King only told The Hill newspaper what he's always said -- that his guiding principle is, and always will be, to do what is right for Maine," his spokeswoman, Kathleen Connery Dawe, said Thursday.
Posted by:Fred

#16  You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows..
Posted by: tu3031   2014-04-11 21:16  

#15  "Sen. King only told The Hill newspaper what he's always said -- that his guiding principle is, and always will be, to do what is right for Maine,"


Well I think King is representing a Blue State, which has been in a jam, for at least 50 years.

No genuine economy to speak of mired in high number of welfare recipients, and is a backwater for liberal burnouts.


Posted by: Blackbeard Hatrack3672   2014-04-11 18:09  

#14  . He couldn't have been too sharp. One of his intermediate objectives was Atlanta.

Heh. Seems a little unfair to blame present-day Atlanta on the General.

No doubt he was... thorough, but his rep as a madman seems undeserved. His letter to Atlanta seems to indicate otherwise.
Posted by: SteveS   2014-04-11 17:53  

#13  His tactics were very damn sound, Joe Johnson's tactics in defense above Atlanta were sound too (a mobile defense in depth)taking out near 3K a day till that idiot in Richmond found a Jawn Bell Hood and wasted it all in a stupid counter attack on Nashville.


But that's just me, I don't keep score. Never did. Nope.
Posted by: Shipman   2014-04-11 16:23  

#12  Read a book by Liddie Hart that had a big section on Sherman's tactics. Apparantly in the run-up to WW2 Hitler's staff also took lessons from that book and used them on the Russian front which was very successful initially.

Sherman might have been crazy but his tactics were sound (if hellish).
Posted by: rjschwarz   2014-04-11 14:52  

#11  The way I see it, Sherman only killed people, he never expected anyone to CONFESS! like the modern Yankees do.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2014-04-11 14:32  

#10  I dunno, meneer. He did make an impression; I understand there's still some... strong feelings*... about William T. out your way.


*Like the college kid, pulled over for speeding and admonished that "nobody drives through Georgia that fast," replying that it only took Sherman three days on horseback.

He never made it to Spring Break in Florida.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-04-11 14:29  

#9  Y'know, there are days when I think William Tecumseh Sherman did a half-assed job.Posted by Pappy


I certainly agree. He couldn't have been too sharp. One of his intermediate objectives was Atlanta.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-04-11 14:01  

#8  I don't want to be President, I want my army back.

Or, War is Hell, but it's the only war we got.

Or, Tah well with 'ye all bastards, I say it looks like spinnach and I say to hell with Columbus.

Sherman was a damn mensch, I think we might'a handled Grant, but Sherman was out-of-the-box crazy.
Posted by: Shipman   2014-04-11 13:54  

#7  Oh, I don't argue the point. Then again, many of the New Englanders who were of Revolutionary War stock moved West by the time the Civil War kicked in.

Native Mainers, however, have always been a pretty cantankerous lot. Southern Maine is home to refugees from Massachusetts (like Californians are to Texas) and such; that doesn't really count as 'Maine'.

And I don't disagree about 'converts'.

I think "John Carter William Tecumseh Sherman from Mars" would make a heck of a movie.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-04-11 13:45  

#6  Oh, sure, Pappy, blame MY family. Sometimes I think you Yankees need to learn to burn stuff down for yourselves instead of leaving it to whatever college administrator from Louisiana y'all dupe into the job.

OTOH, I could explain in two words why I think B. might have a point about being suspicious about "converts" to Republicanism.

Richard Shelby.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2014-04-11 13:26  

#5  King and many of his like minded, New England brethren still hold Tory monarchists sentiments.

Y'know, there are days when I think William Tecumseh Sherman did a half-assed job.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-04-11 12:57  

#4  I agree with Pappy. Anything that increases the acid burn in Harry Reid's duodenal ulcer is a good thing...
Posted by: Steve White   2014-04-11 11:51  

#3  I dunno. I didn't realize there was a requirement that one had to be either be a Republican or a Democrat. Personally, the more one can peel away from the latter on given issues, the better.

And it's also funny how many commenters here lauded (now former) Senator Joe Lieberman, when he often did the same thing.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-04-11 10:00  

#2  If the Reps don't actually need his unreliable vote for a majority, they should tell him to FOAD. He's Arlen Specter all over again
Posted by: Frank G   2014-04-11 08:15  

#1  Why would he 'flip' when he can enjoy the best of both worlds? King and many of his like minded, New England brethren still hold Tory monarchists sentiments. Unfortunately, it's in the bloed. I suspect he'll stay where he's most comfortable.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-04-11 04:17  

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