A few days back, I posted a blog praising George W. Bush’s recent speech decrying Trump’s bigotry. The responses were varied–some agreed that such a message coming from a former Republican President whose own tenure was unsuccessful (to put it mildly) was welcome. Others recited the multiple misdeeds of his administration as proof that nothing he could ever do should be considered praiseworthy.
There is a degree of partisanship that makes its adherents loathe to agree with any sentiment, no matter how anodyne, coming from the other “team”–a dogmatism that makes them unwilling to believe that agreement by one of “them” with a position of “ours” could possibly be authentic, let alone grounds for amicable discussion.
That’s too bad, because those partisans will miss an essay in the National Review that is well worth reading. I would be surprised if thoughtful political liberals wouldn’t approve of most of the points made.
A couple of examples:
Conservatives have a weakness for that “acting white” business because we are intellectually invested in emphasizing the self-inflicted problems of black America, for rhetorical and political reasons that are too obvious to require much elaboration…
Republicans, once the party of the upwardly mobile with a remarkable reflex for comforting the comfortable, have written off entire sections of the country — including the bits where most of the people live — as “un-American.” Silicon Valley and California at large, New York City and the hated Acela corridor, and, to some extent, large American cities categorically are sneered at and detested. There is some ordinary partisanship in that, inasmuch as the Democrats tend to dominate the big cities and the coastal metropolitan aggregations, but it isn’t just that. Conservatives are cheering for the failure of California and slightly nonplussed that New York City still refuses to regress into being an unlivable hellhole in spite of the best efforts of its batty Sandinista mayor. Not long ago, to be a conservative on Manhattan’s Upper East Side was the most ordinary thing in the world. Now that address would be a source of suspicion. God help you if you should ever attend a cocktail party in Georgetown, the favorite dumb trope of conservative talk-radio hosts.
We’ve gone from William F. Buckley Jr. to the gentlemen from Duck Dynasty. Why?
American authenticity, from the acting-even-whiter point of view, is not to be found in any of the great contemporary American business success stories, or in intellectual life, or in the great cultural institutions, but in the suburban-to-rural environs in which the white underclass largely makes its home — the world John Mellencamp sang about but understandably declined to live in.
Shake your head at rap music all you like: When’s the last time you heard a popular country song about finishing up your master’s in engineering at MIT?
There is much, much more, and I strongly encourage readers to click through and read the entire essay–not just because so many of the writer’s observations are dead-on, but because those on the political Left who identify strongly with other progressives and with the resistance to Trump and Trumpism need to remember that genuine conservatives also disdain the know-nothings and bigots who have appropriated the conservative label.
Before the GOP was taken over by conspiracy theorists, racists, religious fundamentalists and Big Money, principled Democratic and Republican political figures used to engage in civil conversation and even productive policymaking.
We will never recover the art of civil conversation, let alone policymaking intended to serve the public good, if we refuse to see any merit in anyone who doesn’t agree with us 100%. That sort of political intransigence–prominent among the GOP base and so-called “Freedom Caucus”–is what has destroyed the Republican party. Democrats shouldn’t emulate it.
I remain confident with healthy skepticism that short sited vision will run its course and civil discourse of enlightened bi-partisanship will return to the public forum. The recent announcement by Senator Schumer of a bi-partisan compromise for a healthcare bill is a glimmer of hope even without immediate support from The White House. As for country music, Sheila, ever listen to the lyrics of: “Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys …” ?
Yes dear I’ll read it. I’m thinking of a member of the Freedom Caucus here in Austin who basically sneers at everyone else. I also think of the wide political range of Wind industry folks who don’t worry in public about how to vote. Well, not much. It’s a bipartisan field. They have to get along. We need to do that too.
Thank you Sheila. I was quite discouraged after reading all the commentary the other day about your column, which recognized the importance of George W. Bush’s speech. Extreme divisiveness is one of America’s major problems, both culturally and politically. BOTH sides are capable of stoking the fires of animosity, and unfortunately the practice is all too common. The middle way is the only way forward.
I did not, do not, will never support Bush but I did have to recognize him as president even though he was forced on this country without being elected. Trump is a “horse’s ass of a different color” as is his being in the White House today. Bush did speak some true words; did they come from his heart or was it a political maneuver to remove him as far from Trump and his minions as possible? I believe it was the latter of those two.
Adolph Hitler was kind to dogs. Ted Bundy, prior to becoming a prolific serial killer of unrivaled proportions, volunteered on the Seattle, Washington, crisis line and prevented a few suicides. This information came from his co-volunteer, future writer of numerous crime books, Ann Rule.
Accepting the fact that Bush spoke publicly against Trump’s blatant bigotry is called, “giving the Devil his due”. We don’t have to like it but denying it doesn’t change it any more than Trump’s daily lies change the facts behind those lies.
I’m all for coming clean, but not without admitting to the mess you created. Where was “National Review” all these years?
The day after GWB was elected, I had a long telephone conversation with Dennis Hayes of the N.A.A.C.P. He was their top legal counsel at the time and later became Acting President.
The reason for my call was to warn him that George Bush was going to lead us into FASCISM. I didn’t believe that was necessarily GWB’s intent. His intent, at best, was only to create a BENIGN THEOCRACY.
Our situation in the U.S. has much in common with Nazi Germany, especially the Elites miscalculation as to what their support of Adolph Hitler would eventually bring. They thought the situation could be controlled with their $$$$$. Tough luck.
The effects of Trumpism cannot be stopped unless there is a complete understanding by the AMERICAN PUBLIC of the mess GWB created.
The left in America doesn’t even know how to begin. It has such an anemic political front at this point that is quite easy to see a path to victory for Rs for years to come. Sheila used a word that I have not seen much of lately… “thoughtful”. I suspect most of us are guilty of not being thoughtful enough during the last 9+ months. I think Bush was trying in his speech – really trying – to say that his party has gone too far. The author of the essay in the National Review is trying – really trying – to say that for today’s short term gains, the Rs may be charged a steep price in the future. Liberals cannot expect the occasional “thoughtful” conservative to fight the entire battle for them. But when conservatives do stand up for what is right, we should take notice… and at least say “thank you”. At least they are trying.
A requirement for purity is what brought the Republican Party to this place, but what is this place? They now control both houses of Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court. They are in the process of drastically altering the entire Federal Court system with exteme right-winged judges. This is all the result of long term planning by the billionaires boys club run by the Kochs. The Kochs are not right wingers, they are at heart anarchists who want no government interference with their ability to make money. They started by taking control of local government. Moved on to control of state governments. That allowed them to control elections and that’s how we got here, to the “deconstruction of the administrative state.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are waiting for candidates they can get excited about. They couldn’t get excited about Hillary so they stayed home, or voted for Jill Stein, or worse yet, for 45. How excited are they to have the least interesting man in the world as their President? How excited are they to be on the brink of nuclear disaster? How excited are they to have an EPA that is destroying our environment? How excited are they to have an Attorney General who doesn’t really believe in civil rights for those who are not white males?
The Bernie bros who are seeking litmus tests for all Democratic candidates aren’t patient enough to have a 40 year plan. They’re also not rich enough to implement it even if they had one. If they were smart they would realize that there are 14 points on that ph scale they’re reading and it’s infinitely better to have someone a little on our side of zero, than someone who is a 7 on the other side.
TLentych,
I’m all for “thoughtful” conservatives to speak- up, but not in exchange for FORGETTING THEIR PAST DAMAGING ACTIVITIES. It’s taken GWB almost a year to speak-out. Did he just wake-up?
A defendant who is lucky enough to be placed on probation still has to testify to his guilt. If not criminal justice would be thought of as a COMPLETE MOCKERY. What’s so different in this situation?
National Review? Pffft. So much attention of Bush as of late,what about the recent comments from former President Jimmy Carter? Crickets. I guess he’s been brainwashed by Putin? This post epitomizes what continues to divide the Democrats. This is to be expected from former Republicans. Afterall,it’s only after the Democratic Party became the party of white-flight yuppies did the folks too embarrassed to call themselves Republicans (because of the Jesus People) flock to the Democratic side.
Plenty of Doctors,lawyers and others voted for Trump,are they excoriated? No. This blog has become nothing more than the constant bashing of the underclass. That’s why the Democratic Party is failing. It has become the party of the affluent caucasian who feels nothing but disdain for those they feel are beneath them. Democrats have become much more like Republicans because of this influence.
As for GWB, George W Bush has absolutely no credibility. The man that lied to the country and launched the country into the longest protracted wars in our lifetime. That’s not opinion–but fact. We’re just supposed to shrug at his past accomplishments 9I use the word accomplishments loosely) because he speaks ill of the current president? I disagree with the professor. Embracing the opinion of GWB is the ultimate act of partisanship and willfully ignoring how we got here.
If anyone needed proof as to how the Democratic Party has become compromised because of the influence of white-flight yuppies and Republicans,this post is proof.
Marv, I would only say that GWB wasn’t asking for forgiveness. Your point is valid but irrelevant to the DJT debate.
One more thing.it’s funny and ironic to call-out white-populism…..When this blog and its comments continually resonate of white-privilege.
This is a fun-filled musing, but when you consider the political apparatus is a fraud, there’s really no point in having discussions about “right-left” or “republican-democrat”. My favorite group is those who claim to be centrists. I always ask, “The center of what?”
The Republican Party was always the party of big business. The Democratic Party was the party of the people.
Both parties serve the Donor Class. We don’t have a people’s party. It’s called a corporate-state which more akin to Fascism than the Representative Republic we claim to be.
The Libertarian Front back by the Koch brothers want to “eliminate government” and replace with the “Free Market”.
The opposition party to this assault is nowhere to be found. It hasn’t formed yet. The Democratic Party has no answers because their Donors are profit driven – not people driven.
In 2017, the Democratic Party is nothing more than a corrupt obstructionist organization. The left will rise but not through the #DNC.
Watching Bannon and his Billionaire backers attacking “establishment GOPers” is quite amusing. Democrats better get used to losing…there will be plenty of it in their future.
William,
Be as angry as you want to be but you are making my point. I suspect the left will never figure out how to stop this white populist surge – it could rule the roost for decades because the left will always beat the living crap out of their own candidate. Double digit percentages on the left will always get mad and not participate or drift to a fringe candidate clearing that road to victory for more DJTs or even worse.
When Democrats start admiring the words of GWB…..and accept the writings within the National Review as wisdom (which has been a mouthpiece for the Kochs and their ideology) — you realize the Democrat Party of FDR is absolutely dead.
The new wave of Democrats,always blaming the Bernie supporters for the failures of their party. Only a New Democrat could show outrage over the influence of the Koch brothers whilst praising the National Review.
Reasonable people see what’s going on, it’s only the blind party partisans that don’t get it.
Rodney famously asked “Can’t we all get along,” and the answer is up for grabs. I fully understand that liberals have to give some to get some in legislative tradeoffs, but someone tell me how you can talk to a member of the Tea Party when he or she will not give you the time of day, a Tea Party member who will not give an inch irrespective of who is in charge, including Republicans. Their “it’s my way or the highway” sneering answers to calls for compromise do not allow for being nice and accommodating. Likewise, you can’t be nice to Richard Spencer or Adolph Hitler. How can you compromise with Aryan nonsense, slavery and fascism?
However, there have been instances of compromise in the past worth noting. Thus Yankee abolitionist shipbuilders and Southern slaveholders managed to come up with a Constitution in 1789 and a Bill of Rights two years later, both results of compromises. They did it by ignoring the “peculiar institution” of slavery. I cannot ignore the white supremacy instincts of the neo-Nazi Spencer any more than I can accept a madman’s gas chambers. There is no room for compromise, and while we haven’t come to that point quite yet, Trump’s encouragement of such neo-Nazi antics in Charlottesville and elsewhere have set us on that path of no return.
Count me as what could be called a liberal Tea Partier in that I cannot and will not compromise with racists and homicidal maniacs. Sorry, but the idea of compromise assumes competing positions on the issues of the day that, standing alone, have a rational basis as policy. I don’t think white supremacy and killing people willy nilly is a rational basis for policy decisions.
So what to do? Defeat Tea Partiers at the polls and otherwise neuter them in the give and take of legislating. Stand up for what really made this country great – our democratic institutions bought and paid for by the blood of patriots – without which we are a mere ATM for Wall Street.
William,
Admiration and acceptance are not the correct words to describe how I am receiving the points in Sheila’s blog today. I am simply taking note that the there is resistance to the current direction of the Republican party FROM the right itself. That is all. The fact that some on the right have recognized a “stopping point” is a significant development.
TLentych’s dogmatic dictum; You must support the party no matter what. Because if you don’t, you’re stupid. Moreover,Who cares if a Democrat candidate accepts monies from Monsanto,Golden Rule,Wall St and Eli Lilly? It’s better than a Republican. Even if they both support the very same legislation.
How’s that dogma been working out for you and the party?
No one should support a candidate unwilling to act upon their concerns. A Bernie supporter has the right to support Bernie and withhold their support for anyone else. Think of that withholding as an abstention. Much like the Obama administration did wrt “the indefensible”. https://www.sheilakennedy.net/2017/10/indefensible/
If anyone is angry,it is folks such as yourself, the party-bots. You can ignore the malfeasance of the Bush Presidency because he speaks ill of the current president, I will not. I have a mind of my own. Has everyone forgotten Katrina? Brownie is doing a heckuva job?
T Lentych,
“Marv, I would only say that GWB wasn’t asking for forgiveness. Your point is valid but IRRELEVANT to the DJT debate.”
I strongly disagree. This is the most relevant information that we have. Donald Trump needs to be prosecuted, immediately, IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. The testimony of GWB, under oath or otherwise, is the most damaging. And thus the most important.
For an example of a successful political prosecution IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. See the indictment at http://www.THEALARMREPORT.info.
Implicating GWB’s father in this report was crucial to the victory for 1 man, 1 vote in Dallas.
The VICTORY temporarily set the tone for the whole country. And it was a major cause for President George Bush, the first, to be defeated. His strategy backfired. His only feeble reply was an ATTEMPT to have me disbarred by The State Bar of Texas.
Fortunately, not everyone at The State Bar of Texas was afraid of RETRIBUTION.
I’ll admit these guys know how to play rough. We need to understand how to play their game, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. We don’t have to FORFEIT.
Trump certainly is not a great politician and cannot in any way shape or form be like an Obama. Unfortunately so many people are tired of the racist accusations that even if they are true no one would come to the realization that they are exist. Well people are looking for our things like middle-class tax cuts and how can I better myself in this world other people see as a declining economy. But right now with the stock market throwing off investors because it is overvalued we seem to forget what is truly important to our society. The involvement of our government to bring everybody up by its bootstraps is difficult for some to see. They no longer want to invest in our society.
William,
Let’s reverse your question… how has the dogma been working for the Rs lately?
Seems to be going quite nicely for them actually and we (you and me) will live with DJT Supreme Court for decades to come because the open seat was enough “dogma” to matter for a number of Rs . They seem to be smart enough to know what really matters when it comes to Presidential elections. Dems just seem to enjoy beating the snot out of each other.
John,
“Unfortunately so many people are tired of the racist accusations that even if they are true no one would come to the realization that they are exist.”
The level of hatred is much more intense than you probably realize. And the tide is rising not receding.
Just maybe, the case for making the racist accusations have been in the WRONG HANDS. And those making the argument meant for it to fail from the beginning.
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
~William Butler Yeats, 1920
It seems that in some quarters Bush the Younger emerged from political purgatory by making an oblique speech against Trumpism. I had to recheck, i.e., Fact Check Bush the Youngers speech from last Thursday to be clear: The speech didn’t mention Trump at all. It is like sticking your rifle over the trench without aiming at a target and just pulling the trigger. Not exactly a profile in courage, by GWB.
As a former Catholic I was taught about the concept of “Indulgences”. An Indulgence is a remission of sins. From Wiki >> The recipient of an indulgence must perform an action to receive it. This is most often the saying (once, or many times) of a specified prayer, but may also include the visiting of a particular place, or the performance of specific good works.<<<
So in this particular case Bush the Younger has received an indulgence and is now rehabilitated in some circles.
It should not be forgotten that Bush the Younger started Gulf War 2 based upon lies. Millions of Iraqis killed, wounded, missing or refugees. Torture as method of extracting information was a part of his regime. However, since this all happened over there and was more than a day ago, American Amnesia kicks in.
Read: Liberals, Stop Applauding George W. Bush – https://newrepublic.com/article/145456/liberals-stop-applauding-george-w-bush
Does anyone else think the subject of too many of today’s comments and/or those yesterday agreeing with part of one speech by “W” as reaching a ridiculous level?
Have we lost our sense of reality due to too much exposure to Donald Trump and we are unable to sort fact from “alternate facts” and “fake news”?
Monotonou,
Thanks for referencing the article by the “New Republic Magazine.” Great Summation. They should know all about it.
Why don’t we try a new reality? “The New Republic Magazine” was libeling Bill Moyers back in the late 80’s when George Bush was President. This is a great piece of work, “The New Republic Magazine” covering up their own misdeeds, by criticizing GWB who is only trying to cover-up his own misdeeds. Is this the best we can do in America? I hope not.
We all need to read….”YOU ARE THE UNIVERSE: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why it Matters” by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Mensas Kafatos, Ph.D.(Harmony Books, New York, 2017) p.6:
“No matter how many billions are spent on scientific research, no matter how frequently religionists keep faith with God, what finally matters is REALITY. The case for the human universe if very strong; it’s part of the PARADIGM SHIFT unfolding all around us. The reason we say “You are the universe” is that nothing less than that is the truth.”
It seems “The New Republic Magazine” doesn’t seem to have a problem trying to sort out “alternate facts” or “fake news.” Until we find a resolution to this problem, the direction we’re going in will never change.
I read the article and found it thoughtful, even insightful, but the author falls into the trap of taking the position that, based on his own experience, most people who live lives of depravity (moral, social, cultural, intellectual, or economic) do so as a result of bad choices and not because of the circumstances around them or government polices and social institutions that have conspired against them. I call this a trap because it’s just as over-simplistic as the opposite extreme – that nothing is anyone’s own fault. But you would expect this point of view in the National Review….because their philosophy and that of most (legitimate) conservative writers and publications is one where taking personal responsibility for one’s life and decisions is a no-excuses moral imperative. I get that. Hell, I even AGREE with it!
Where I part with these people centers around one question: What about the children? Exactly HOW and WHEN does a child that grows up in such an environment (black, white or other) magically cross that line in their lives when all of a sudden they are endowed with the ability to cogently evaluate their options and choose the best one? Or display the emotional intelligence to navigate their way through interpersonal conflict, often violent conflict? When? How? Obviously it can happen – the author of the article seems have done it. But as I’ve said many times, anecdotes don’t prove anything – facts do.
But back to Ms. Kennedy’s concerns about my (and others) loathing of GW’s anodyne speech as a degree of partisanship that is dogmatist. I don’t agree. Surprised? 🙂
Here’s why. I do not believe that my reference to George W Bush as a war criminal is hyperbole or character assassination driven by partisan extremism. I truly do believe that he is. Even more bothersome to me is that ANYONE could take GW’s exhortations against bigotry serious when he was personally responsible for invading a country of brown people on completely false pretenses. Moreover, that war, which in its various manifestations is still ongoing, resulted in the deaths of 4,000 American and mostly working-class rural white souls and somewhere between 170,000 and 200,000 Iraqi civilian souls (and 60,000 warriors on both sides).
Anyone who doesn’t believe that the worst kind of bigotry didn’t play a significant role in that war (and many that preceded it over the centuries) is simply not paying attention to history.
It has long been a convenient tool for the writing and chattering classes to bifurcate a complex, organic and messy problem into camps of people. It’s a useful technique perhaps for gaining new insight but I have found that it rarely leads to any real understanding and, absent that, real solutions. I was not a Bernie supporter, but I understood why his supporters were and are frustrated with the current political and economic order. I was not a Trump supporter, but I “kind of” understand why his supporters are also frustrated with the same world order.
So I held my nose and voted for Hillary? Why did I hold my nose? Because she represented the same old tired corporatist-incrementalist-globalism that got us to where were are today. And why did I vote for her? Because 1) I had faith that she understood geo-politics enough to keep us out of a nuclear war, and 2) because I knew in my heart and my mind that Trump was a total fraud. And that has been proven out with every tweet since November 8.
One more thing on Trump’s supporters. If you haven’t seen the new anti-bullying video done by Burger King, I strongly encourage you to view it. It is an amazing and very powerfull piece of work. But the reason I’m sharing it with you is that if you look below the video frame you will see some statistics. One is that there are already over 1.3 million views (a good thing) but look at the number of upvotes – over 7,000. These are people who have Youtube accounts and watch it regularly. Now look at the next number: 417 (and counting) DOWNVOTES! I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of the 417 voted for Trump. They are hateful, irrational miscreants and nihilists, and there are many more of them in our society than we are willing to acknowledge and deal with. The divide between people like THEM and myself is NOT partisan. It is existential. And there is no middle ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnKPEsbTo9s&feature=player_embedded
Cheers
PJ,
Bravo!
ps: William and I must be twins of different parents. He’s spot on. I avoided the whole issue of party-identity in my comments because it’s just a holy mess in both the major parties, with no easy way out for either.
Donald Trump has become an embarrassment to the Plutocracy. He has exposed beliefs and a life style that are better left covered up behind gated communities, and expensive Country Clubs.
The Bush Family is a part of the Plutocracy. Harvey Weinstein for a long time exhibited behavior that only the wealthy and powerful can get away with. Weinstein was able to carry out this behavior as a member of the Plutocracy – knowing full well he could crush anyone who spoke up. His victims knew they could be crushed too.
Trump is the real life portrait of Dorian Gray. I see GWB’s anemic speech as an attempt to put a Concerned Face on Plutocracy for us Proles.
Marv…”George Bush was going to lead us into FASCISM. I didn’t believe that was necessarily GWB’s intent. His intent, at best, was only to create a BENIGN THEOCRACY.”
Gee, Marv, I have long been blaming the BENIGN THEOCRACY on TV evangelism, speech writers, Ma and Laura Bush, churches and, watch out! Mike Pence. Never thought GWB had any ideas of his own.
PJ – Very perceptive piece, though I think a bit overdone in re Hillary, who with all her connections to Wall Street (she did, after all, represent the State of New York) is more liberal than her corporatist husband who rid us of Glass-Steagall and brought Chase and JP Morgan to the boondocks of America. There is a way out of this mess and it’s to be found in a realignment of the principles upon which the modern Democratic Party was founded under FDR’s New Deal and Truman’s Fair Deal. I am far from throwing in the towel on my party, the oldest one in the entire world, in a fit of disillusionment and despair, which is one of Trump’s objectives. Let’s realign our principles, re-include labor of all colors, and agitate for wage equality on a par with Wall Street stock prices, among other such realignments etc. etc. etc. Good writing, PJ. Keep it up.
G.E. Stinson:” Let’s realign our principles, re-include labor of all colors, and agitate for wage equality on a par with Wall Street stock prices, among other such realignments etc. etc. etc. ”
Realignment? Ha! Kinda hard to do when the DNC and its donors do not want as such. If that were possible wouldn’t the Democrats already be doing those things? So,your ideas are not gonna happen. Not at all. Besides,we would no longer be the kool kids if we allowed the hoi polloi a place at our table or under our tent! Can you imagine sitting next to a deplorable? How gauche!!
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-18/democrats-plan-to-name-lobbyists-operatives-as-superdelegates
There goes that American Amnesia…
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/269266-dnc-rolls-back-restrictions-on-lobbyist-donations
Of course,those not satisfied with the party must be shamed into continuing to support the party! Yeah,that’s brilliant! How’s that been working out? It’s almost as if the party wants to lose.
Gerald,
“There is a way out of this mess and it’s to be found in a realignment of the principles upon which the modern Democratic Party was founded under FDR’s New Deal and Truman’s Fair Deal.”
Ditto. That might seem impossible to most, but what other way can we go in this two-party system? Why not take a chance on REAL DEMOCRACY. What do we have to lose at this point?
Why does it matter if Bush the Lesser’s words or those of the NR appeal to us liberals? Such words are not going to make us any more negative to the Trump administration, as we are already at total rejection. No, the words are for those who supported Trump in the last general election, being from sources once accepted by those supporter. Thus, can we liberals at least for once be mute and let the right have their civil war? Our approval of these anti-Trump words will only make them less attractive to heretofore Trump supporters. Of course, commentary, even when we are irrelevant to the conversation, is part of our liberal DNA, I suppose.
I don’t know maybe something is happening! Look at today’s big news. Jeff Flake of AZ (who I did not vote for) made an awesome speech on the floor and announced he will not be running for re-election next year in ’18. Wow. And that speech. Wow. He laid it all out there for the world to see.
The cynical side of me says that he’s been offered a huge salary in the private sector and decided to save his dignity and get out so he can cash in the $$$ available to Congress critters. Makes you wonder why they all don’t resign. Maybe this is where the tide is turning…wouldn’t that be something! All of Congress quitting until this bozo in the WH resigns? I know, I’m just a dreamer.
For almost a year I’ve been rooting for the moderates in both parties to step up together. It’s taken longer than I thought but hopefully it is finally happening.
HollyD, AgingLGrl, Don,
Moderation is a fine virtue, but in this political climate, it’s certainly not the answer. The MODERATION we’re observing in the Republican Party is only coming from the DYING, the DEFEATED and the GUILTY. That’s pretty much it.