The Republican Party was a favorite target for Obama, speaking at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner the other night.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney couldn't make the dinner, Obama joked, because he was writing his memoir, "How to shoot friends and interrogate people." It was a reference to Cheney's support of harsh interrogation and his accidental shooting of a hunting companion

The president directly addressed Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who was in the audience.

"Michael for the last time, the Republican Party does not qualify for a bailout. Rush Limbaugh does not count as a troubled asset, I'm sorry," said Obama, referring to recent economic steps of the White House and the radio personality's public criticism of the GOP party leader.

Take a look at the videos in The Huff Post.

I am putting together a couple of links from the New York Times. The first comes from Olympia Snowe, a moderate republican and one of the very few republican senators remaining in the Northeast.

We Didn’t Have to Lose Arlen Specter

says Olympia Snowe. The question everyone is asking is if she may be the next one to drop the bomb. That will mean a total implosion for the already seriously wounded elephant. She is feeling the pain of been part of a party becoming, more and more, a right wing paradise. Read her opinion piece here.

The other article deals with the coices facing the G.O.P. To be or not to be.

G.O.P. Debate: A Broader Party or a Purer One?

Big question. But it seems that the elephant knows the answer:

a purer party it is. Not my cup of tea, but certainly their choice to make.

Progressives like me are elated at the turns of events. After 8 years of rampant abuses, (plus decades building the Reagan party) is good to know that they will be out of commission for a while.
Will a third party come out of all this G.O.P debacle. A moderate center right party? or will Obama and the democrats convince the moderate right to set quarters on the blue side of things.

It looks like a strong possibility to me if we just think of the younger generations squarely planted on the right side of history on social issues, civil rights and more. And they voted for Obama by a 30 percentage points of difference!. If we add the urban classes, professionals et al., you get the picture.

The article is by ADAM NAGOURNEY and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and you can read it here