Musings on the Conservative Movement and Today's GOP

I look at conservatism more as a personal blueprint for livings ones day to day life. I wonder if the problems of the republican party emanates ultimately from the notion that this personal choice can be institutionalized in a political party for the purpose of being implemented on a national scale for governance. Attempting to do such a thing fly’s in the face of practicality in a country whose founding document was formed toward creating a liberal democracy. That doesn’t mean that rugged individualism, personal responsibility and the other tenants of the so called conservative movement should not be suggested as noble goals for every American, but to force fealty to this by public policy has proven to be a disaster, IE Katrina, Fema and other failed bush management of agencies designed to do things people cannot do for themselves. It is ironic to me, the fact that in many ways as a person who lives their life conservatively on a personal level, approaching minimalism in some respects, is a pretty liberal politicital person on issues of national policy, especially socially and economically.

IMHO> When the GOP realizes this and conservatives begin to accept a role of competent government that can service the country in a positive way, then they can become a party that may be capable of governing this liberal democracy. What that means is developing ideas that may be a kind of conservative philosophy that is frugal in it’s approach but meets the threshold of supporting a government that does stuff people can’t do for themselves. Call it liberal conservatism, though Malkin would not doubt be not impressed with such RIONism heresy. To me it is the only thing that might work to restore the viability of the GOP. I doubt it will happen any time soon though.

Lessons in Fail

Looks like the Gop is shoveling the pooh fast and furious to find that Magic Electoral Pony to win back the House and Senate in 2010. It's the old/new smear and fear though not on National Security this time. Dial back to 1993 when Newt Gingrich took the NO road on Clinton's effort at health care reform , doubling down with money scandals by dems in Congress to paint a picture of big spending al a corrupt democrats should be thrown out.

One problem, actually several problems with this tact in 2009. The republicans have broken all records in scandals that make those by dems in 1993 look like child's play. Plus, running the economy into the ground the past eight years, two costly and largely failed wars, and a nation ready for change not of the kind the GOP provided. So they pull out the old playbook for some Deja Vu and spin the wheel again. Jeanne Cummings expand the trouble with the new conservative comeback using old ideas.

First the take from GOP strategist (cough) Grover NOrquist.

There are two models that Republicans are looking at,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “One is 1990, [President George H.W.] Bush gets together with the Democrats at Andrews Air Force Base, raises taxes and loses the next election,” he explained. “The other is 1993, Democrats have a series of proposals to spend and tax. Republicans vote no and regain the House and Senate.”

Jeanne Cummings from Politco

It’s not 1994 anymore

For one thing, Obama isn’t Clinton.

President Bill Clinton never won a popular majority in his two elections. Obama did. His vote margin exceeded 9 million votes, the largest ever for a nonincumbent presidential contender — including Ronald Reagan’s 1980 win over President Jimmy Carter.

And another thing: Republicans aren’t in the ascendancy as they were in 1994. After two victorious election cycles, the Democrats have puréed the Republicans into their purest conservative caucus.

In a way, that made it easier for Republicans to vote against Obama’s stimulus plan. But a repeat performance on health care could be more complicated.

Health care is a personal issue for many voters. Reforming the current system ranks as the public’s third top priority, according to a January Kaiser Family Foundation poll. And many of those advocates aren’t traditional Democratic constituents.

“We are in a different game, and they are playing by the old rules,” said Stan Greenberg, a Democratic political strategist and former Clinton adviser.

Ordinary families and businesses, big and small, are struggling with health care’s rising costs. Insurance companies and drug makers that stood by Republicans in the last debate are now cozying up to the Obama team, hoping to influence a final reform bill.

Everything old is new again.

The Doobie Brothers - South City Midnight Lady

Hummingbird Nest Documentary - High Quality

Nervouse Wingnuts Postpone Holder Vote

It seems like Senator John Cornyn is on a one man mission to concern troll or make it safe for George Bush and Cheney to retire in this country. Earlier, on the Senate floor Cornyn held up Hillary Clinton's nomination because he was afraid that "future" conflicts of interest could arise between Bill's Global Initiative fundraising and Hillary's duties as Secretary of State, and particulaly with the Middle East. At one point Cornyn went full on Concern Troll, saying he told Hillary, he was blocking things for her own good. LOL.

It struck me as odd for a couple of reasons, first that we heard no such concerns from the GOP about George W. Bush's and his papa George SR. about their deep and intricate financial and personal ties to the Saudi's and others in the region. The infamous and largely secret workings of the Carlyle Group come to mind. And secondly, funny that wingnuts are concerned with problems down the road, when we consider Iraq and other Bush adventures such as the neglect of involvement with the Israel/Palestinian troubles that have led to what we have recently seen.

But the most obvious nervous concern is over the Holder nomination, and Cornyn's and others holding up the vote for a week to get assurances that republicans won't be prosecuted for their crimes during the Bush Administration. All the hand wringing over the Marc Rich pardon and other trivial actions that Holder took that wingers don't approve of, are just a smokescreen for what they really want. A "Get out of Jail Free Card " for republican actions the past 8 years. Especially since Holder has stated flatly that waterboarding is, in fact, torture. By committee rules they can delay it for up to a week, but no longer. I seriously doubt the new Attorney General is going to grant a pardon he's not authorized to grant, before he even gets confirmed. This little Kabbooki dance will be repeated many times the next four years as wingnut convulse themselves into the powerless widjets the American voter has mandated.

The Loyal Opposition, NOT

If this is any indication of the tone of the coming GOP "loyal opposition", I wonder what the unloyal kind might sound like.

Katon Dawson, the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, promised in a new a YouTube message to be Obama's "worst nightmare" and said it would be the party’s mission for the next four years to "expose" the Democrats for what they "want to do to this country."

And this is before Obama has been sworn in as President. Welcome to the land of wingnut civility Obama. It will only get worse as Dawson explains;

"Whether you're the chairman of the state party or the national committee, your job is to hold Democrats accountable in every way," he told CNN. "That doesn't mean you have to do it in a mean tone of voice or in a way that doesn't offer solutions."

Mean is relative, I suppose.

Sarah Palin Queen Wingnut

Our right wing adversaries have been working hard to resurrect the Republican brand and have anointed a new "Conservative of the Year.
And who better to bestow such a dubious honor than Ann "kill them all" Coulter, who has a few words to say toward bucking up the troops for the big comeback.

The entire presidential election year was kind of a downer for conservatives. Once the “maverick” John McCain won the nomination, the rest of the year was like watching a slow motion car crash. Except at least a slow-motion car crash is occasionally entertaining. So it was going to be a long yea

If Sarah Palin was the highlight of the this years Presidential election, then democrats can breath a sigh of relief that the GOP will remain a minority for some time to come.