The Republican Party is the party of Bush by Glen Greenwald at Salon

Wednesday June 6, 2007 11:44 EST
The Republican Party is the party of Bush
by Glen Greenwald
at Salon



"....SNIP .....

It is worth recalling how common it is -- especially in recent times -- for a political movement to mount primary challenges to sitting Presidents when that movement believes the President has strayed from the movement's defining ideology. Liberals were dissatisfied with Jimmy Carter, believing he did not embody liberal principles, and thus backed Ted Kennedy's 1980 primary challenge. Many conservatives did the same in 1976 by backing Ronald Reagan over Gerald Ford, and again in 1992 by backing Pat Buchanan against George H.W. Bush.

But the idea of mounting a primary challenge to George W. Bush in 2004 never crossed the mind of any prominent conservatives, at least not publicly. The consensus among them was that he was one of them, a True Conservative, someone to be hailed and revered and built up -- and that consensus remained undisturbed until now, when political considerations compel them to pretend that they have been dissatisfied with Bush because he is something other than a "conservative." And with that behavior, this movement reveals itself to be as dishonest and free of principles as they are destructive.

The "Republican base" has become virtually monolithic and easily recognizable -- it is the swooning crowds cheering for torture and a doubling of Guantanamo, threatening war with Iran, urging still more surveillance and limitless government power in the name of the All-Consuming, All-Important Glorious War with the Scary, Dangerous, Never-Before-Seen Muslim Terrorists. Anyone who opposes that vision -- The Bush Vision -- is not considered to be a Republican at all, let alone a "conservative." Just ask the tax-opposing, spending-hating, small-government-advocating Ron Paul. Or Bruce Fein. Or Andrew Sullivan.

The Republican Party that gathered last night for their latest ritualistic displays of faux-"toughness" is, in every sense, the Party of George Bush (and it is worth comparing how desperately conservatives are fighting to distance themselves knowing how toxic is an association with that President, versus the desire of Democrats to align themselves with the still-popular Bill Clinton, a set of facts which are typically reversed completely by the press). To the extent conservatives had differences with Bush, those differences have been marginal (a Harriet Miers here and a Dubai Port deal there), virtually always premised on the theory that he was insufficiently extreme and uncompromising, and most of all, muted. One of the few things more dishonest than the administration itself is the conservative movement which built and sustained it and now wants to pretend that it didn't.

...SNIP"

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/?last_story=/opinion/greenwald/2007/06/08/disappearances/

They stand exposed naked to the world in all their revolting splendor.

All stand and puke to their glory.

And now that their values have shown what they lead to when implemented?

They run and hide and pretend it is not their values but the chimp that is the problem.

they also want Scotter Liby pardoned.

The whole idea of using patriotism as something to get the masses to vote for conservatives was his idea. It worked for a time.

Now they run and hide. Don't let them get away with it.

Don't let them off the hook; they voted for him, they knew what they were getting, and they wanted it. Now that the toy isn't quite as much fun as shown in the commercials, they want a new toy. Believe in regret ONLY if they're going to change their behavior. Otherwise, it's just a another tantrum from a bored, spoiled child.

photo of Paris.

Don't let them get away from the chimp.

Republican = Loyal Busies

but the Bush legacy is THEIR legacy and Dems would be remiss not to remind the American people of that at every opportunity.

The Republican party has been captured by it's ideological extremists. It is fair to point this out. It is now high time to make right wing ideology the issue, not the candidate.

We must find a way to move the "center" back to where it belongs.

up until the time it became clear that he was going to cost them seats in 2006.

The Republicans told us the 2004 election was going to be the most important election ever because they believed no one could run this country as well as Bush could.

Now the people have figured Bush out and the Republicans are trying to distance themselves from him, but it is too late. They are all George Bush, they all repeated his every word for so long that his words are their words. His actions are their actions. The Republican Party is represented by George Bush. Period.

Every single GOP operative or incumbent whoever appeared in an ass-kissing photo or video with the little feller needs to see that on TV come election time. McCain is especially doomed. He let Bush get to third base on multiple occasions.

continue to show a lack of attachment to *. And I hope it is commented on in the MSM every time. We can only hope.