Bush-GOP ferocity alters American politics

The Seattle Times ^ | 5/30/03 | E.J. Dionne

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Huh? What's this guy been smoking?

[laredo44]

Faced with an administration intent on moving the political center to the right

Or, put another way, moving the political center back to the center after 60 years Democrats moved it left...

[laredo44]

But Washington has become so partisan

And Bush did that in less than 2.5 years? Wow, Republicans really are evil!

[laredo44]

conservatives such as presidential adviser Karl Rove

What's with all the liberal references to Karl Rove lately? Something's up with Democratic "talking points." Anybody know what?

[laredo44]

But in holding together, said one Democratic senator, his colleagues were only responding to a dynamic Bush himself created. Unlike his predecessors, Bush has boldly tied his own fate to the fate of his party.

Guess ol' EJ forgot that Clinton's 1993 largest tax increase in the history of the world passed by one vote, all Democrats, in the House, and 50 Democrats plus Al Gore in the Senate.

To coin a phrase, EJ suffers from liberal amnesia.

[q_an_a]

This proves how effective President Bush is in getting what needs to be done through the system. In the second term watch for government to look like it is cleaning house by getting rid of waste and abuse.

[Sonny M]

And because Democrats have such a diverse congressional party, the price they pay for unity is the blunting of differences. That means the party is often forced to deliver fuzzy messages.

He's got a point, in any other country, they would be 5 political parties, here they just represent all malcontents. There are many contradictory factions in the Rat party. The private sector unions have a different agenda then the laywers and enviornmentalists, and the enviornmentalists have a different agenda then the minority part, etc. There are huge conflicts of interests here, thats why the RATS can't tip there hand for what they are for, they have to say what they are against.

[sam_paine]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[sam_paine]

What's with all the liberal references to Karl Rove lately?

He's to be the new evil Gingrich-Rasputin conservative sorcerer. The dims just haven't figured out who their hero in tights is going to be.

[metesky]

I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying the show. :-)

A big "Me too" bump.

[austinite]

Cry me a friggin' river......................

[votelife]

what, the Dems told me this was a big compromise for Bush, even a loss. Couric all but said so!

Now you're telling me this is a win for Bush???

[hellinahandcart]

"GOP ferocity"?

E.J. Dionne lives in an alternate, parallel universe.

In his America, the sky is orange, the Statue of Liberty is red, and congressional Republicans are pit bulls, one and all.

I'd almost like to live there too.

[AlGone2001]

Elected democrats and their media/Hollywood accomplices are liars. They get away with it because most of the dem base are too stupid to investigate what they say.

[AlGone2001]

To coin a phrase, EJ suffers from liberal amnesia.

Make that selective amnesia.

[Freee-dame]

The "comity" displayed toward the Republican minority was slightly above the level a mangy cur with gas gets--Democrats did allow Republicans inside the building. But that was the extent of it.

Back then too many Republicans were happy just to be part of the congressional elite. They were meek as the minority and thoroughly unprepared for the constant nastiness of the Rats when they became the minority.

[DPB101]

Credit should go to those Republicans who stuck it out when the Democrats had a two to one or better majority in the House and a filibuster proof Senate. RATS ran both chambers like the Soviet Politburo. Bills appeared out of committee (whose proceedings were secret) and were presented to Republicans for an up or down vote with limited or no amendments allowed. If Republicans objected, there was virtually no national media in which they could get a fair shake. The mistake RATS made was being AWOL on national defense after 1968. Had they not so openly sided with the Soviet Union, they could have created communism in one country.

As you mention, RATS didn't get it when they lost power. The election of 1994 was, to them, illegitimate. Only in the last month or so have I noticed rhetoric coming from the left which indicates RATS are aware they truly are minority party and Republican sucesses not a fluke.

[Gunder]

"A narrow Republican majority will work its partisan will, no matter what."

Paging Miguel Estrada, Priscilla Owens and Charles Pickering. Your table is ready. Oh, wait...

[Let's Roll]

"This is absolute baloney."

And unlike the dims we still can't count on total support - do the names McCain, Chaffee, Snow etc. ring a bell? But I'm sure the "progressive" readers of the Seattle area won't even question this latest talking point.

[Kingasaurus]

"A narrow Republican majority will work its partisan will..."

Except for when the Democratic minority works its "partisan will" with Miguel Estrada, et al.