The "shamelessly opportunistic?" vs. "stupid?" vs., of course, "evil?" questions have dogged GOP critics, including myself, for years. Steve Benen, with a big assist from Bush Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, opts for "stupid!" Click the link and read the whole piece, but here's the money quote:
"Tragically, we're dealing with a Republican Party that celebrates ignorance, and has given up on the pretense of substance and depth altogether. As (Treasury Secretary) Paulson found, even during a crisis that risked the future of the global economy (in October of 2008), Republican lawmakers not only had nothing intelligent to offer, but even trying to communicate with them on an adult level was (in Paulson's words) a 'complete waste of time.'"
Oh God, where to begin? That short article by Steven Benen is one of the most devastating pieces I've read in a while. Paulson's notes remembering his meetings with the GOP when the financial meltdown kicked in, totally jaw-dropping.
William F. Buckley most be rolling in his grave.
All of this reconfirms why it's so important to support the Democratic Party. Not to say that the Dems aren't without their own quota of dimwits and feckless leaders. And one should call 'bullshit' when the Dems get policy wrong. But right now, our national politics is really only being engaged by one semi-coherent party. To come to the conclusion that all that stands between slipping into the abyss is Reid and Pelosi is not exactly comforting. But when the alternative is the likes of Cantor, Palin, Pence, McConnell, Boehner...
God save the republic.
Posted by: Rob Grocholski | February 20, 2010 at 09:19 PM