" The Politics of Spite "

[FOTD]

OP-ED COLUMNIST
The Politics of Spite

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05krugman.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: October 4, 2009

"There was what President Obama likes to call a teachable moment last week, when the International Olympic Committee rejected Chicago's bid to be host of the 2016 Summer Games.

"Cheers erupted" at the headquarters of the conservative Weekly Standard, according to a blog post by a member of the magazine's staff, with the headline "Obama loses! Obama loses!" Rush Limbaugh declared himself "gleeful." "World Rejects Obama," gloated the Drudge Report. And so on.

So what did we learn from this moment? For one thing, we learned that the modern conservative movement, which dominates the modern Republican Party, has the emotional maturity of a bratty 13-year-old.

But more important, the episode illustrated an essential truth about the state of American politics: at this point, the guiding principle of one of our nation's two great political parties is spite pure and simple. If Republicans think something might be good for the president, they're against it — whether or not it's good for America.

To be sure, while celebrating America's rebuff by the Olympic Committee was puerile, it didn't do any real harm. But the same principle of spite has determined Republican positions on more serious matters, with potentially serious consequences — in particular, in the debate over health care reform.

Now, it's understandable that many Republicans oppose Democratic plans to extend insurance coverage — just as most Democrats opposed President Bush's attempt to convert Social Security into a sort of giant 401(k). The two parties do, after all, have different philosophies about the appropriate role of government.

But the tactics of the two parties have been different. In 2005, when Democrats campaigned against Social Security privatization, their arguments were consistent with their underlying ideology: they argued that replacing guaranteed benefits with private accounts would expose retirees to too much risk.

The Republican campaign against health care reform, by contrast, has shown no such consistency. For the main G.O.P. line of attack is the claim — based mainly on lies about death panels and so on — that reform will undermine Medicare. And this line of attack is utterly at odds both with the party's traditions and with what conservatives claim to believe.

Think about just how bizarre it is for Republicans to position themselves as the defenders of unrestricted Medicare spending. First of all, the modern G.O.P. considers itself the party of Ronald Reagan — and Reagan was a fierce opponent of Medicare's creation, warning that it would destroy American freedom. (Honest.) In the 1990s, Newt Gingrich tried to force drastic cuts in Medicare financing. And in recent years, Republicans have repeatedly decried the growth in entitlement spending — growth that is largely driven by rising health care costs.

But the Obama administration's plan to expand coverage relies in part on savings from Medicare. And since the G.O.P. opposes anything that might be good for Mr. Obama, it has become the passionate defender of ineffective medical procedures and overpayments to insurance companies.

How did one of our great political parties become so ruthless, so willing to embrace scorched-earth tactics even if so doing undermines the ability of any future administration to govern?

The key point is that ever since the Reagan years, the Republican Party has been dominated by radicals — ideologues and/or apparatchiks who, at a fundamental level, do not accept anyone else's right to govern.

Anyone surprised by the venomous, over-the-top opposition to Mr. Obama must have forgotten the Clinton years. Remember when Rush Limbaugh suggested that Hillary Clinton was a party to murder? When Newt Gingrich shut down the federal government in an attempt to bully Bill Clinton into accepting those Medicare cuts? And let's not even talk about the impeachment saga.

The only difference now is that the G.O.P. is in a weaker position, having lost control not just of Congress but, to a large extent, of the terms of debate. The public no longer buys conservative ideology the way it used to; the old attacks on Big Government and paeans to the magic of the marketplace have lost their resonance. Yet conservatives retain their belief that they, and only they, should govern.

The result has been a cynical, ends-justify-the-means approach. Hastening the day when the rightful governing party returns to power is all that matters, so the G.O.P. will seize any club at hand with which to beat the current administration.

It's an ugly picture. But it's the truth. And it's a truth anyone trying to find solutions to America's real problems has to understand. "

[FOTD]

GOP conducting its own foreign policy

Oct. 5: GOP in Exile: Rachel Maddow is joined by Washington editor of The Nation magazine, Chris Hayes, to review the startling number of Republican members of Congress like Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, who are travelling abroad in contradiction of the purposes of the U.S. government.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33185390#33185390


SHAMEFUL! Anarchists....anti American

Can you imagine if the Dims had taken this route during the Bush lies?

[Conan71]

GOP conducting its own foreign policy

Oct. 5: GOP in Exile: Rachel Maddow is joined by Washington editor of The Nation magazine, Chris Hayes, to review the startling number of Republican members of Congress like Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, who are travelling abroad in contradiction of the purposes of the U.S. government.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33185390#33185390


SHAMEFUL! Anarchists….anti American

Can you imagine if the Dims had taken this route during the Bush lies?

Uhhhh, ever hear of this person named Nancy Pelosi?  As in "Speaker Pelosi"?

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_104971.asp

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/pelosis-middle-east-trip-seen-as-an-end-around-bush#

Did you remember that former POTUS candidates Dudd and Kerry did virtually the same thing?

[guido911]

Uhhhh, ever hear of this person named Nancy Pelosi?  As in "Speaker Pelosi"?

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_104971.asp

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/pelosis-middle-east-trip-seen-as-an-end-around-bush#

Did you remember that former POTUS candidates Dudd and Kerry did virtually the same thing?

What about Baghdad Jim McDermott and his two fellow dude dem reps that went to Iraq in 2002?

[FOTD]

Uhhhh, ever hear of this person named Nancy Pelosi?  As in "Speaker Pelosi"?

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_104971.asp

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/pelosis-middle-east-trip-seen-as-an-end-around-bush#

Did you remember that former POTUS candidates Dudd and Kerry did virtually the same thing?

Dumbya had lost all credibility by this time due to being caught in his war for oil....

next

[FOTD]

What about Baghdad Jim McDermott and his two fellow dude dem reps that went to Iraq in 2002?

This is a global environmental crisis denial by Inhofe as opposed to several progressives out to stop war and discover the truth. Big diff....

[Conan71]

Just as expected:

"Dumbya" and "That's different".

No difference.

It was a diss on the President.

There is precedence set by rogue Dim-o-craps.  How's that going, stopping the war and all?

Own up to the truth, big boy.

[guido911]

This is a global environmental crisis denial by Inhofe as opposed to several progressives out to stop war and discover the truth. Big diff....

Did you type that nonsense with a straight face? Bwahahahahaha

[we vs us]

If it's a precedent then that means it's perfectly good and right behavior and we should continue with it, right?  Is that what we're agreeing to here?  Because it might actually be bad behavior, and worth disavowing. 

I keep running into this amazing willingness to race to the bottom with a lot of the Republican political tactics.  "The Democrats did this, so it's ok," shows up a lot.  The best part is that the Democrats often didn't do what's being held up as suddenly acceptable.  It's just one of many handy excuses for the current GOP's situational ethics. 

/Sorry.  A lot of this seems to be penny ante excuse-making about crappy partisanship.  Regardless of who does it, it shouldn't continue.  And it's continuing regardless.

[guido911]

If it's a precedent then that means it's perfectly good and right behavior and we should continue with it, right?  Is that what we're agreeing to here?  Because it might actually be bad behavior, and worth disavowing. 

I keep running into this amazing willingness to race to the bottom with a lot of the Republican political tactics.  "The Democrats did this, so it's ok," shows up a lot.  The best part is that the Democrats often didn't do what's being held up as suddenly acceptable.  It's just one of many handy excuses for the current GOP's situational ethics. 

/Sorry.  A lot of this seems to be penny ante excuse-making about crappy partisanship.  Regardless of who does it, it shouldn't continue.  And it's continuing regardless.

You are confusing "following a precedent" with "hypocrisy", which is plainly the point I was making. I am happy you are finally getting around to looking at "penny ante excuse making", just in time for after Bush left.

[FOTD]

Love it....defending Bush is like defending immorality.

The devil knows "the key point is that ever since the Reagan years, the Republican Party has been dominated by radicals — ideologues and/or apparatchiks who, at a fundamental level, do not accept anyone else's right to govern."

That's what it's all about...

[guido911]

Love it....defending Bush is like defending immorality.

The devil knows "the key point is that ever since the Reagan years, the Republican Party has been dominated by radicals — ideologues and/or apparatchiks who, at a fundamental level, do not accept anyone else's right to govern."

That's what it's all about...

You cannot be serious. 

[guido911]

GOP conducting its own foreign policy

Oct. 5: GOP in Exile: Rachel Maddow is joined by Washington editor of The Nation magazine, Chris Hayes, to review the startling number of Republican members of Congress like Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, who are travelling abroad in contradiction of the purposes of the U.S. government.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33185390#33185390


SHAMEFUL! Anarchists....anti American

Can you imagine if the Dims had taken this route during the Bush lies?

You are sounding like those college kids who run around asking:

http://www.moviesounds.com/animal/buypot.wav

[cannon_fodder]

Guido, FOTD . . .

Really, both of you.  Do either of you actually think your party is scandal free and acting entirely altruistic?  They both pull the exact same crap.  5 years ago the Democrats claimed everything was Bush's fault and they were practically begging for failures and war deaths to point at.  5 years before that the Republicans were pulling all the cards they could to screw Clinton (pun intended).  Today the Republicans are doing the same thing to Obama and the Democrats are pretending they simply can't believe there would be such disrespect for the President.

Republicans say the Democrats are:  dominated by pinko socialist ex-hippy radicals who are really sold out to corporations and big government control of about everything (for equality/mother Earth).

Democrats say Republicans are: dominated by war mongering Christian radicals who are really sold out to corporations and government intrusion into everything we do (for safety).


Same coin, different sides.  Either both parties are completely daft or they really understand what is happening on-stage and are just putting on the play for the masses.  Meanwhile, Limbaugh, Huffington, FOTD and Guido pretend like it's reality. 

This is why no one votes.

[rwarn17588]

Guido, FOTD . . .

Really, both of you.  Do either of you actually think your party is scandal free and acting entirely altruistic?  They both pull the exact same crap.  5 years ago the Democrats claimed everything was Bush's fault and they were practically begging for failures and war deaths to point at.  5 years before that the Republicans were pulling all the cards they could to screw Clinton (pun intended).  Today the Republicans are doing the same thing to Obama and the Democrats are pretending they simply can't believe there would be such disrespect for the President.

Republicans say the Democrats are:  dominated by pinko socialist ex-hippy radicals who are really sold out to corporations and big government control of about everything (for equality/mother Earth).

Democrats say Republicans are: dominated by war mongering Christian radicals who are really sold out to corporations and government intrusion into everything we do (for safety).


Same coin, different sides.  Either both parties are completely daft or they really understand what is happening on-stage and are just putting on the play for the masses.  Meanwhile, Limbaugh, Huffington, FOTD and Guido pretend like it's reality. 

This is why no one votes.

I'm convinced guido and FOTD are lovers ... kinda like Carville and Matalin.