For all of you claiming I am ‘falling for a liberal trap’ when I proclaim the religious loonies* have too much control in my party, you should look to this op-ed in the NY Times by ordained Minister and lifelong Republican John Danforth:
BY a series of recent initiatives, Republicans have transformed our party into the political arm of conservative Christians. The elements of this transformation have included advocacy of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, opposition to stem cell research involving both frozen embryos and human cells in petri dishes, and the extraordinary effort to keep Terri Schiavo hooked up to a feeding tube.
Standing alone, each of these initiatives has its advocates, within the Republican Party and beyond. But the distinct elements do not stand alone. Rather they are parts of a larger package, an agenda of positions common to conservative Christians and the dominant wing of the Republican Party…
High-profile Republican efforts to prolong the life of Ms. Schiavo, including departures from Republican principles like approving Congressional involvement in private decisions and empowering a federal court to overrule a state court, can rightfully be interpreted as yielding to the pressure of religious power blocs.
In my state, Missouri, Republicans in the General Assembly have advanced legislation to criminalize even stem cell research in which the cells are artificially produced in petri dishes and will never be transplanted into the human uterus. They argue that such cells are human life that must be protected, by threat of criminal prosecution, from promising research on diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and juvenile diabetes.
It is not evident to many of us that cells in a petri dish are equivalent to identifiable people suffering from terrible diseases. I am and have always been pro-life. But the only explanation for legislators comparing cells in a petri dish to babies in the womb is the extension of religious doctrine into statutory law…
But in recent times, we Republicans have allowed this shared agenda to become secondary to the agenda of Christian conservatives. As a senator, I worried every day about the size of the federal deficit. I did not spend a single minute worrying about the effect of gays on the institution of marriage. Today it seems to be the other way around.
The historic principles of the Republican Party offer America its best hope for a prosperous and secure future. Our current fixation on a religious agenda has turned us in the wrong direction. It is time for Republicans to rediscover our roots.
Why does John Danforth hate all religious people? I guess John Danforth just isn’t a ‘true’ conservative or a ‘good’ Republican. Like it or not, we have become the party of big government, exploding deficits, unsustainable fiscal policies, government intervention, religious dogma, torture, and a whole lot of other nasty shit that should embarass us into a serious change in course.
* Religious loonies, zealots, and radicals are all derogatory terms to descripe people like Randall Terry and other lunatics who want a theocratic state. I am not talking about all religious people. However, if you see eye to eye with scum like Terry, I am talking about you. Hope you are offended.
** Edited for Ricky West’s sanity.
jdm
You know, John, the religious loonies are clearly a problem, but the Repubs have never really, as a party, worked towards reducing the size of government, maintaining small or no deficits, etc.
Exceptions to this like Goldwater or even Reagan (in his way) have only slowed down the process. It has not been stopped; it has certainly not been reversed.
There are simply too many people who think “there oughtta be a law” is the philosophical basis for Good Government. Changing parties merely changes the kinds of new laws. Not the process of their creation.
The Disenfranchised Voter
Hey there John. I am a new reader to your blog. I was directed here because a little birdy told me you were a true conservative and were very opposed to Congress’ involvement in the Terri Schiavo case. Well, as a left-leaning libertarian. I can say that I couldn’t agree more with your analysis of the Schiavo case, the spinelessness of the Democrats and your new opinion of the Republican party.
I have noticed some people in your comments, obviously who opposed Bush, saying “I told you so”. Now while this may be true, it is not helping the situation. I for one will not criticize you for not catching on sooner–I commend you for being able to stand up and speak for what you believe in. I, for one, am thankful that the entire GOP isn’t made up of these fanatics, and I am glad you have taken notice to what is happening to the Republican party.
You said it best with this: “Like it or not, we have become the party of big government, exploding deficits, unsustainable fiscal policies, government intervention, religious dogma, torture, and a whole lot of other nasty shit that should embarass us into a serious change in course.”
I only hope the GOP takes a serious change in it’s course but having noticed this trend continuing over the last years, I expect it only to get worse.
Even though we will probably disagree on some issues, I can always respect a REAL conservative. I look forwarding to reading your blog.
tom scott
From George Felos’ 2002 book:“Felos claims to have used his mental powers to cause a plane he was passenger on to nearly crash. By simply asking himself, “I wonder what it would be like to die right now?” the plane’s autopilot program mysteriously ceased to function and the plane descended into free fall. Felos then observed, “At that instant a clear, distinctly independent and slightly stern voice said to me, ‘Be careful what you think. You are more powerful than you realize.’ In quick succession I was startled, humbled and blessed by God’s admonishment.” No, George Felos is not Randall Terry’s right hand man. He is Michael Schiavo’s lawyer. See if you can gin up a remark about Felos like you did for Falwell, a seriously ill man. John, you’d better wish that this is over soon. The longer it drags on the sillier you look.
jdm
So, tom scott, when people are “seriously ill”, we’re supposed to forget all the stupid things they’ve said and done?
Jeff
Speaking as a moderate Republican, I have no beef with your complaints about the far right-wing loonies in the party.
The part that baffles me is that you’re just realizing it now.
NoIvory
I think what’s being realized is that the “loonies” have taken over.
NoIvory
Our country has jumped the tracks, wait that was in 2000: Laura Bush rings in:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/30/politics/30wills.html
tom scott
JDM: ” when people are “seriously ill”, we’re supposed to forget all the stupid things they’ve said and done?
No, you don’t forget. You wait until the person has recovered enough to defend themselves, apologize or whatever. You don’t burst into their hospital room with your criticisms. I wouldn’t have done it with Pres. Clinton’s recent troubles and I’m disappointed that John chose this incident to snark over Falwell.
By the way, whaddya think of George Felos, esq., pronouncements. Did you go read that article?
John Cole
Tom- you mean the post below, which I admitted was a ‘cheap hot,’ and filed under ‘HUMOR?’
IN the words of Sg.t Hulka- “Lighten up, Francis.”
Brendan
tom,
So, Michael Shiavo’s lawyer is apparently a crazy man.
I guess that means his string of court victories isn’t due to slick lawyering, then. Huh. Must be based on the actual merits of his case or something.
RW
Please.
Stop.
Parroting.
Duncan.
Black.
And his minions.
John Cole
I took out the offending sentence for you, Mr. West.
BTW- The other comment was what people writing me- not mimicing Atrios.
ppgaz
I’m no fan of Jerry Falwell. He deserves all the criticism he can get, for suggesting that 9-11 was God’s punishment of the United States for being soft on gays, and whatever nonsense he and Pat Robertson had to say back in 2001.
Having said that, and as much as I’d like to kick him while he is down … being “down” due to illness doesn’t count. I hope he gets well, lives a long and healthy life, smells many a rose and enjoys many a sunset.
And when he’s better, and can speak for himself, and defend himself, I’d be more than happy to be the first to step up and tell him to go f__k himself for his preposterous moral puffery.
JPS
“we have become the party of big government, exploding deficits, unsustainable fiscal policies, government intervention”
Sounds like the brand of Republicanism Danforth championed while he was in the Senate.
I’m not saying he’s not a real conservative because he criticizes the religious wingers–I just never thought he was particularly conservative in the first place.
S.W. Anderson
John, it’s clear you get it about some very important things. That’s encouraging.
I seem to recall Danforth being one of the less regrettable Senate Republicans.
What’s missing from all this is the scariest part of being politically beholden to the religious right: what they’re about is antithetical to democracy.
Religious right hard liners are all about absolutes, about dogma. There’s no room in their scheme of things for dealing, splitting the difference, compromising.
Democracy requires all those compromise things. Without them, it disintegrates into chaos, usually to be displaced altogether by some all-out despotism, whether a theocracy, religious oligarchy or the proverbial man on a white horse.
Andrei
My only question is what kind of disaster — if not this fiasco — will it take for more fiscally conservative, libertarian leaning GOPers to finally get serious and turn the current Libertarian Party into something for real, or to get their own party started for more moderate social policies while staying tough on conservative fiscal policies for real? Most polls seem to indicate that this is the position a large majority of Americans find themselves, even younger generations. It’s not that risky a power play politically speaking.
I mean, come on. You’ve made your bed, now sleep in it. (And that includes letting intellectual dishonesty run rampant with the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh, Novak and Coulter in the media and voting a guy like Bush into office over someone like McCain in the first place.) For now. But then quickly pick yourselves up and either kick the nuts out of the party in what would be a very public fight for power in the GOP (no way around that I’m afraid), or just ***leave them*** and form a real conservative party. Then watch how the wingnuts flounder trying to garner enough votes to win elections. Government would gridlock in that kind situation probably.
And you know what? Having the government return to inaction due to more evenly drawn up party lines between the extreme factions of Dems and GOP mixed in with moderates ain’t so bad while socially moderate, fiscal conservatives recover and get a real viable third option together.
For as much the Dems seem to have no will or spirit to actually stand up for something they should believe in and fight back in Congress, the current lot of conservatives who have allowed the wingnuts to take over their party are showing they are as equally impotent towards fighting back with any real action or principle.
I find your posts interesting (and agree with you entirely on the whole Sciavo fiasco), even if I feel like your realizations over the religious right in the GOP are about five to seven years late. Now what I’m waiting to hear from the likes of you and other conservatives is when you are actually taking a stand and telling everyone you are truly done with the wingnuts. Then telling us what you are going to actually do about it.
2006 is almost here. There’s plenty of time.
RW
John,
Sorry if I came across as a prick. I just get so tired of that line since it’s present almost every time I try to view a new left-of-center web site.
My sincere apologies for the tone, although the sentiments remain. :)
aw
That’s funny, I got really tired of that line when it was used endlessly by the Repubs after 9/11. Maybe it’s an annoying reminder of that?
Oliver
Why does Ricky West hate John Cole?
Gary Farber
“Like it or not, we have become the party of big government, exploding deficits, unsustainable fiscal policies, government intervention….”
See, the wacky thing about that is that historically there were, have been, and still are some, Democrats who oppose all that, albeit to varying degrees and at different points. But the Democratic Party, being the incoherent, raucous, uncoordinated, thing that it has always been, let that be obscured in recent times. But the debate is still there. Welcome to the club of trying to make a coherent and good set of policies from the incoherence and bad ideas of one’s party.
stickler
So when was the last time the Federal budget was balanced?
Who was President when that happened?
Was he a Republican?
Deeds, not words.
Kimmitt
And, which Party controlled Congress when the tax increases which engendered that balanced . . . hey, look, Paul Krugman! Let’s use him as a whipping boy!
What were we talking about?
jdm
Oh, sure, the Democrats have such a long history of being fiscally responsible. And mouthing all the right phrases would have nothing to do with saying literally anything to beat the Republicans.
Cuz once they get back in power – and they will eventually, they will drop all pretences and return to their tax & spend habits.
RW
The dishonesty never ends.
The spending and projections were high until the Gingrich congress forced Clinton to adopt smaller spending measures.
Please.
The gov’t wasn’t shut down because the Dems were pissed at the high spending, you know.
Please. Honesty, please.
M. Scott Eiland
It’s rather amusing seeing Danforth cited as the voice of reason by left-leaning commenters here–when he was Clarence Thomas’ patron during his confirmation crisis involving Ms. Hill, the opinions being expressed regarding Mr. Danforth from the left side of the aisle were quite different indeed.
The Disenfranchised Voter
“Cuz once they get back in power – and they will eventually, they will drop all pretences and return to their tax & spend habits.”
Ehh, that would be smarter then cutting taxes and continuously spending, which is what Bush and the Congress has done. I wouldn’t doubt it if the Dems. did go back to tax and spend but it wouldn’t be as bad as spending and not paying.
ima
I was almost afraid to post. I’m actually a Democrat who, like you, is disenchanted with aspects of her own party. It’s so encouraging to find others – especially with whom I might disagree politically – calling it like they see it. I find myself in arguments with fellow “liberals” who don’t know the definition of the term, about the many problems with our party. It’s a big country. I think there’s room for everyone’s view, and I just wanted you to know that I respect and appreciate yours. Quite refreshing. Like many people whom I admire, you are what I call True Republicans. (I hope you’ll take a compliment from a commie.)