Paul Krugman on the Monster Years:
What I mean by that is that for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.
And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people. To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was “shrill.”
See Also: Leaving Palinism Behind, Two Paths To Reform, Spreading leprosy and joy wherever they go…, Young Republicans Push Internet Organizing Priority, A Farewell To Arms, The Great Repudiation: Why voters have had enough of conservative rule, Right-Wingers Seething over Election Outcome, What a Difference Four Years Makes, and Neocon Bunker Hunker.
Technorati Tags: paul krugman, dick cheney, 2008 election, overthrow of bush, tom delay, karl rove, liberal perspective, end of the monster years, monster years, national dialogue, republicans
Before any move to revamp/reshape the Republican Party, there must be a complete overhaul and major house cleaning of the RNC and other self-serving Republicans who used the RNC as their “Candy Store”. It needs to be made openly and LOUDLY CLEAR who these people are. With their “What’s in it for me?” attitude, and their Carl ROVEAN mean-spiritedness, they all need to be placed on the ‘trash heap of dismal failures’. Some of the “snakes-in-the-grass” are: John Boehner; Mitch McConnell; Mel Martinez; Carl Rove (who is now pandering at Fox News) and “No Rove it was not cute on election eve when you brought the Fox News staff packets of cookies with the Fox News Logo”, and if Fox News has any smarts, which I believe they do, they should send you packing! I have been a fervent supporter of President George W. Bush, and still hold him in esteem as he did much, while under considerable strain and pressure, to keep us and our country well protected from serious threats to our way of life, literally, as we enjoy it. I have worked as a GOP Team Leader, Grass Roots Leader and member of many RNC advisory groups over the past 8 years or so. I was also a member of President Reagan’s Transition Staff. I have attended many meetings,dinners and galas at RNC functions for the past several years, however, I have never witnessed such ‘bombastic vacuity’ as I did during the past 2 1/2 years at these functions/meetings. Activists, major donors and grassroots leaders at these functions, begging for guidance on what directions to take in the GOP primary, what GOP candidate to support during the 2008 Presidential elections, etc., only to be given, and I am repeating this phrase “ample doses of bombastic vacuity” leaving the GOP Grassroots leaders in a state of total confusion and utterly rudderless. Mel Martinez (slick Mel) at one meeting stated “Don’t worry right now about receiving any directions on what GOP candidate to support, we have to stop Hillary Clinton from getting the Democratic nomination, that is our prime objective”… and “We need more money to keep the RNC strong, viable” … etc. Slick Mel was one of the first to jump ship and go to the McCain camp, with out even saying “Adiós”… Just prior to this, at a major fundraising dinner in Washington, where I was in attendance, supposedly for the top GOP Primary Presidential candidates, and where only Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul spoke, this was a $1,000 plus a plate dinner, packed with GOP Party faithful coming from all across the US, again hoping to hear all the candidates and to develop some sense of direction and cohesiveness. Of course Ruddy Guiliani and Fred Thompson were present but snubbed the party faithful by not speaking at the sold out dinner (they spoke to a very, very small group over a few cocktails, and left). McCain never even showed up but ’slick’ Mel then addressed the packed house saying Thompson and Governor [sic] Ruddy Guiliani left due to prior commitments, (C’mon Mel this major fund raiser was planned well in advance, and maybe the two that left smelled the rat)… McCain, according to Mel, was tied up in the Senate, really Mel?? You see folks, right from the beginning, people like ’slick’ Mel Martinez (General Chairman of the RNC), were deceitful and playing with a ‘marked deck of cards’, as they were all for McCain, secretly. ‘Slick’ Mel and the other “cronies” who milked the RNC for all they could, misleading party faithful with their “sleight of hand rhetoric” by not furnishing any sense of direction as to a GOP candidate, only keeping up the Carl “Rovean” mantra to defeat Hillary Clinton, duh Carl you succeeded there!! Yes, the RNC was a “playground” for Mel Martinez, Rove, Boehner, McConnell et al, they milked it, manipulated it and alas totally brought the RNC crashing down. Well, in closing I will miss Boehner stumbling to the podium with a glass of wine in his hand (yes, two years ago at a private RNC dinner) and Mitch McConnell, answering a question about working with a Democratic Senate majority, this was at a very select, invitation only, RNC luncheon, during 2007. Mitch said that it really was not that hard as Senators are elected for 6 years, that they enjoy a “unique friendship” between Republicans and Democrats, and that eventually someone needs a favor from either side of the aisle, with the balance of power being not too skewed, so “We all get along pretty well”, according to Mitch. Well dear Mitch, after the November 2008 elections, I think the balance of power is more skewed than ever, but if it is “the country club” atmosphere that you allude to, I just wonder, what are you doing there? Is it for your self-aggrandizement? Do you really, and truly represent the true ideals of the GOP or are you self-serving?
While listening to Laura Ingraham on Fox News this morning, I learned of a new web-site, http://www.rebuildtheparty.com , and here is a gist of what directions it wants to take:
[2008 made one thing clear: if allowed to go unchecked, the Democrats' structural advantages, including their use of the Internet, their more than 2-to-1 advantage with young voters, their discovery of a better grassroots model -- will be as big a threat to the future of the GOP as the toxic political environment we have faced the last few years.
The time is now to set in motion the changes needed to rebuild our party from the grassroots up, modernize the way we run campaigns, and attract different, energetic, and younger candidates at all levels.]
For all Republicans interested in re-building a viable, vibrant Republican Party, please visit:
http://www.rebuildtheparty.com.
We need new, fresh leadership at all levels of the GOP, and for all the GOP faithful, Independents and Reagan Democrats who feel that you were “punched in the gut and kicked to the curb”, please send your comments to http://www.lauraingraham.com, she has it together and again, visit and support: http://www.rebuildtheparty.com.
Anonymous:
Please break up your block comment with paragraphs. I didn’t even read it because of that alone. Count every 5-7 sentences and then put a paragraph there or put a paragraph for less or more when a change of emphasis comes.