Posted on 07/24/2011 5:00:00 PM PDT by mandaladon
He stood up to the radical right when it shut down the government in 1995. Who will do the same today? The government shutdown of 1995, dramatic though it was for the country and damaging though it was to the GOP, looks like the height of Republican reasonableness compared with today’s brinksmanship over default.
So much is different from 1995. The economy is weaker. Experts say the economic consequences of default may far exceed a mere government shutdown. The Republicans are much more, shall we say, ideologically inspired—with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in constant, furious competition to prove who’s more devoted to the Tea Party’s extremist position that the federal government must never, under any circumstances, increase federal revenue by so much as a penny, no matter how catastrophic the consequences. But perhaps the biggest difference is that Bob Dole isn’t in the room. After then–House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s “crybaby” rant about getting a bad seat on Air Force One (by the way, Mr. Gingrich, there are no bad seats on Air Force One) and the ensuing shutdown, it was Senate Majority Leader Dole who stopped the nonsense.
“Enough is enough,” he barked. “I don’t see any sense in what we’ve been doing.” A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, Senator Dole.
Of course, President Obama has been playing this role—even growling the very words “Enough is enough” at the end of yet another excruciating session of negotiation with intransigent Republicans on July 13. But what about on the right? From my vantage point Boehner appears to want to be our Dole. But he may be a leader without enough followers.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
There wasn’t a grain of original or intelligent thought in this communist bilge. Stupid just begins to describe it.
Begala: The most embarrassing product of the state of Texas.
Paul, you wouldn’t have said the same thing back in ‘96. Well, unless you followed it with “...but my aim is improving.”
The Forehead. Writing for Newsweek, the magazine that was sold for $1. Yeah, lots of credibility there.
Bob Dole was gay? Who knew?
I beg to differ kitty. I’d say the most embarrassing product of the state of Texas was LBJ.
Yeah, the only kind of Republican “The Forehead” likes is one who will roll over for the Democrats. Anyone else is an ‘extremist’.
Yeah, and he lost in 1996 because of it, the "radical right" stayed home or voted for Perot.
Dole = Loser
+1
Does Begala actually think anyone reads Newsweek? He’s writing like he thinks he’ll change someones mind. The only average Americans who will read this will be sitting in a doctors waiting room reading it when it’s 3 years old.
*snort*
“the totalitarian cheerleader”
Best description of Begala yet!
Only, I’ve always thought of him as Paul Joseph BeGoebbels.
Similar, ja?
Still though, I would imagine Bob and Elizabeth still get a kick when a Democrat says something nice about them. Jack French Kemp always did too.
Of course the Rats miss him he was the “Tax Collector for the Welfare State”.....
A visual representation of Bob Dole’s accomplishments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWib8GbrIlA
Yeah Dole helped pass Medicare.
Same reason Democrats love Senator McCain, he’s an easy opponent to defeat.
Paul Begala misses Bob Dole because he could walk all over him.
Game over, Forehead. You lose.
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