* Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) was the original sponsor of the “kick Cook County out of Illinois” bill and is a member of the Illinois Freedom Caucus, which is a bitter enemy of House Republican Leader Tony McCombie. Halbrook spoke on the floor today to celebrate Ronald Reagan’s birthday. It was quite something…
Reagan had a rare gift. He brought people together. He knew that unity, not division, was a key to lasting change. There was his famous 80/20 rule that comes into play. Reagan once said, ‘The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20 percent traitor.’ In today’s political climate, we would do well to remember his wisdom.
He knew that conservatives, while sometimes differing in approach, must understand together in pursuit of shared values. He didn’t demand perfection. He sought progress. Reagan’s ability to unite people was evident in his landslide victories, his ability to work across the aisle and his unwavering belief in the American people. He didn’t dwell on what divided us, he focused on what could bring us together.
That was either a complete surrender announcement or one of the most self-unaware floor speeches I have heard in 35 years of doing this.
- King Louis XVI - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:44 pm:
I’m going with self-unaware.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:45 pm:
I vote for…”the most self-unaware floor speeches I have heard in 35 years of doing this.”
Maybe he bumped his head before the speech or something?
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:45 pm:
Well, My vote is he is very self-aware of what he said - self being the operative word.
From his perspective, he’s the 20 percent everyone else should want to be an 80 percent ally of.
- Norseman - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:48 pm:
JS + 1
- Perrid - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:48 pm:
I’m sure he thinks HE is the reasonable one and it’s everyone else that needs to treat him better.
- OneMan - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:49 pm:
Going to agree with JS on this.
He likely thinks that the 80/20 rule means yo have to agree 100% with him.
- ModerateGOP - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:51 pm:
President Reagan would be a RINO by today’s MAGA standards.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:54 pm:
Why is it that whenever Republicans wax poetically about St. Ronnie of Reagan they omit he signed, what was at the time, the largest tax increase in U.S. history?
- Squib Kick - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:55 pm:
Just wait til he sees what Reagan said about immigration.
- Telly - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:56 pm:
We should give him some quotes from Reagan on immigration. He’d think it was AOC speaking.
- Just Me 2 - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 12:57 pm:
Just wait to see what Reagan said about Russia.
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:01 pm:
=He knew that conservatives, while sometimes differing in approach, must understand together in pursuit of shared values=
“which is a bitter enemy of House Republican Leader Tony McCombie”
Perhaps he does not consider McCombie a Conservative.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:08 pm:
My money is on him not actually understanding percentages.
- Facts Matter - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:10 pm:
I vote for self-unaware.
- Anon324 - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:20 pm:
==President Reagan would be a RINO by today’s MAGA standards.==
Counterpoint: there’s a pretty clear and direct line from his pronouncement that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help” and the current views, policies, and goals of the Freedom Caucus, MAGA, and DOGE.
- Pundent - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:21 pm:
=Perhaps he does not consider McCombie a Conservative.=
Regan’s original quote made no mention of conservatives. He was only referring to “persons.” I don’t know if Halbrook sees McCombie as a person.
- Colin O'Scopy - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:28 pm:
“And now back to regular programming” said the Freedom Caucus.
- Hopeful - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 1:51 pm:
This is notice that they’ve agreed to disagree 20% of the time.
- Annonin' - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 2:01 pm:
Shiny new nickel to the first Capt Fax’er crew who dials up his office to ask if he support what he just said …. an reports back here. Ready, set, go.
- JSI - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 2:10 pm:
If Reagan were running today, he’d be primaried by Bailey and sued by DeVore for not being Republican enough.
- Colin O'Scopy - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 2:17 pm:
I have what I think is a serious question: what does the Freedom Caucus and m.a.g.a. people really want? Republicans used to stand for less taxes, smaller government, less regulation, pro-business before all of the social issues took root. If someone can articulate, in 3-4 bullet points what these people stand for that the GOP fails at, please let me know. Because, as John Mellancamp told me once, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
- Apologies - Thursday, Feb 6, 25 @ 2:21 pm:
With apologies to Gil Scott-Heron,
“Ronald Reagan ain’t nuttin’ but the name of an airport, now.”