An interesting point about Bush criticism, when a liberal like me criticizes Bush these days you mostly get weary sadness and a sort of sardonic cynicism. Sure I was outraged once, back around the time that he got elected the first time, but that steam blew off a long time ago. I have long since reached the poiltical equivalent of a thousand-yard stare. Transportation contracts awarded to criminals who can’t hold on to buses or a transportation license? Throw it on the pile. I know that I should feel pissed but jeebus, they lied about Clinton peeling the W keys off of White House keyboards and the nonsense hasn’t let up since.
It is refreshing to read somebody for whom the outrage is still fresh. Most of the current crop of commenters no doubt arrived after Frist and DeLay’s Schiavo adventure nearly drove John over the edge and the rest (including myself) no doubt came by after abu Ghraib. My feeling was, yeah, I felt like that once. Being a relatively recent Belgravia reader I don’t know when the revelation happened for Gregory Djerejian but it is clear that Donald Rumsfeld’s determined idiocy did for Djerejian what the Schiavo affair did for the proprietor of this site. Today’s rant is characteristically lucid:
Look, I was talking to a partner at a leading private equity firm a few days back about the state of play in DC. He leans strongly Republican. The ‘Decider’ line came up. He said: “I mean, what the eff is this, a banana republic”? Indeed. We’ve had it. The government appears increasingly cretinized and dyfunctional. At this point, despite the bubble-headed idiocy of the Pelosi-wing, I can’t help feeling thinking Republicans should be rooting for the Democrats to take control of the House in November, subpoena power and all. I mean, what are the arguments for Republicans keeping control? $100 oil rebates and other Fristian crapola? Or something else? Seriously, let’s discuss the pros and cons of having the Democrats take the House in November in comments. But let’s do better than the war on terruh will be imperiled,
That seems like a worthwhile challenge. Republicans complain that a Democratic Congress will tie the nation up in investigations and impeachment hearings. Is that such a negative thing? A government that demands the right to invade the personal space of every citizen should act with enough rectitude to withstand a little inquiry of its own. A government that cannot hardly seems to deserve of the powers that they have claimed for themselves.
The hardcore base no doubt fears that Bush’s tax cuts might expire some day, which reflects more of a long con than an actual policy. The con goes like this: Republicans promise to act as a one-way tax ratchet and ride to victory on bread and circuises. Said tax policy drives the defcit to unsustainable levels, which is fine because eventually Democrats will win control of Congress and make the hard decisions to right the fiscal ship of state. FOX News will enrage its base with stories of Democrats raising taxes and cutting government spending, eventually the budget will right itself and some amiable son of priviledge will win the GOP nomination with stories about how a balanced budget means that we can cut taxes again. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I honestly never understood why the GOP ever held an advantage in national security, although it appears that the situation is righting itself. It will forever mystify me why Republicans continually remind people that 9/11 happened on their watch and preemptive wars make no sense as a defense policy. We can invade and occupy basically one enemy in ten years unless we institute a draft (which we won’t), which argues against the policy in general, and we made it worse by choosing the “enemy” who posed the least threat. If Iran feels free to thumb its nose at the world that no doubt has something to do with the US Army tied up uselessly next door.
Anyhow, I am as curious as Djerejian to know what motivates people to continue the current state of one-party Republican government. Let’s hear your thoughts, and make some effort to play nice.