Seven conservatives who argue for a Democratic victory in November

The Washington Monthly contacted seven conservatives who believe the GOP should get thumped in the mid-term elections. The results, Time For Us To Go: Conservatives on why the GOP should lose in 2006, is a fascinating read. Much of the arguments are the same some on the left (ahem) have been making for years - Bush is a profligate spender, an ideologue to the point of being a trotskyite, and has actively worked to make the constitution weak and the office of the president strong. Conclusion: His ability to ruin the country further must be checked by divided government.

Christopher Buckley: "A more accurate term for Mr. Bush’s political philosophy might be incontinent conservatism."

Bruce Bartlett: "As a conservative who’s interested in the long-term health of both my country and the Republican Party, I have a suggestion for the GOP in 2006: lose."

Joe Scarborough: "This must all be shocking to my Republican friends who still believe our country would be a better place if our party controlled every branch of government as well as every news network, movie studio, and mid-American pulpit. But evidence suggests that divided government may be what Washington needs the most."

William A. Niskanen: "As a life-long Republican and occasional federal official, I must acknowledge a hard truth: I don’t much care how a divided government is next realized. And, in 2006, there’s only one way that’s going to happen."

Bruce Fein: "For the foreseeable future, divided government is the best bet for preserving both the letter and spirit of the Constitution. If Democrats capture the House or Senate in November 2006, the danger created by Bush with a Republican-controlled Congress would be mitigated or eliminated."

Jeffrey Hart: "Successful government by either Democrats or Republicans has always been, above all, realistic. FDR, Eisenhower, and Reagan were all reelected by landslides and rank as great presidents who responded to the world as it is, not the world as they would have it. But ideological government deserves rejection, whatever its party affiliation. This November, the Republicans stand to face a tsunami of rejection. They’ve earned it."

Richard A. Viguerie: "With their record over the past few years, the Big Government Republicans in Washington do not merit the support of conservatives."