The GOP's Grand New Strategy: Kill time http://buzzflash.com/articles/carpenter/293 Just how spacey will the GOP get before it reenters the breathable atmosphere? No one really knows -- especially no one in the GOP -- but another fair measure of its orbiting silliness and creeping derangement came this week in its downright goofy postponement of a confirmation vote on Mr. Eric H. Holder, the inexorably next attorney general of the United States. What in the hell were they thinking? and please excuse the casual abuse of that verb. Sure, some Republican senators are up for a tough reelection fight in 2010 and therefore need to bare their chastened fangs for the benefit of the reactionary homefolk; and yes, undoubtedly the loyal opposition must routinely oppose. But it might be wiser -- or at minimum, saner -- to wait until the new administration is actually in place before they start opposing it.
In lieu of sanity or wisdom, however, they really shouldn't flaunt sheer amateurism, which was precisely the case when they held up Holder's appointment by demanding to know in advance just who the next attorney general would prosecute -- you know, for little things, like human torture and Fourth Amendment violations -- and who he wouldn't. Oddly enough, the only thing that would actually disqualify Holder from another stint at Justice would be his acquiescence to such an improper and procedurally daft demand. But that's today's GOP for you -- way, way out to lunch in galactic frivolity. What's more, by landing on the Holder nomination as an opportunity to flex their atrophying muscles, Republican senators only managed to highlight the most corrupt doings of the most corrupt department under their Republican president, George W. Bush. One would think they'd prefer to just silently lift the rug and start sweeping -- to which, most unfortunately, the Obama administration appears agreeable -- but no, they had to invent an altogether empty political issue of it. Why? For the same reason mangy dogs lick themselves, I guess. Even the normally unflappable Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the entire Judiciary Committee but leads only its adults, was perplexed and put out beyond verbal elaboration but nevertheless resigned to the Republican procedural game: "I am extremely disappointed, but they have that right, and this historic nomination is held over," he bellowed in angry disgust as he slammed the gavel down. Is this the way it's going to be? Is this how the GOP intends to uphold its minority duties? -- by obstructing for the mere sake of obstruction? Of greater significance, however: Is it really true that Republicans have learned nothing from their epic humiliation at the polls? Only one thing is surely indicated: All those huddling strategic retreats they've been holding may have been splendid sojourns for their bodies, but their brains apparently remained idle and untaxed. Perhaps they haven't noticed or perhaps it simply hasn't soaked in, but Republicans have alienated virtually every column and category of the contemporary American electorate -- youth, minorities, women, the educated; regions east, west and north -- except, of course, grumpy old white guys, who remain pluckily defiant as waves of modernity and enlightenment wash over and drown them. This latter group is otherwise known as ... the base. And these are the odds for its majority resurrection: zero. So naturally, to whom do Republican pols now continue catering, by, for instance, making nitwitted demands to an African-American nominee and staging macho displays of tortured sensibilities? You got it. But you know, I'll admit a failing of my own, too. Naivete. Because I really did think, way back on November 5, that the GOP, in the immediate aftermath of the electorate's unmistakable repudiation of the GOP's everything, would pause and reflect and, in time, conjure something new and different and even smart. So much for that. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
