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12/28/2004: "The Theme for the 2nd Term: In Your Face"

The “Uniter not a Divider” is embarking in a program unprecedented in American history, a program of open contempt and disrespect for the “loyal opposition,” to use the British term for the party temporary out of power. Could there be any debate about this? Consider the Administration’s recent submitting of federal judges for the Senate to “advise and consent” as called for in the Constitution. There are numerous rules that have evolved over the course of the two centuries the Senate has existed. These rules have been observed by both Republicans and Democrats for as long as those parties have existed. For example, it is a protocol that a Senator can veto a candidate from Federal district encompassing the Senator’s state. The Administration’s unprecedented move was to resubmit every one of the rejects from the last session of Congress. This is a stunning and grossly partisan act that shows blatant disrespect for the Senate’s Constitutional role. To add insult to injury, the GOP has been openly discussing the “nuclear option” of attempting to implement a rules change to enable ramming through judicial nominees with a simple majority. This shows enormous hubris and outright hypocrisy, considering that Republicans joyously employed these same rules when they were in the minority, much more than Democrats are now. Want another example of chutzpah? About the award of the Medals of Freedom to Tenet and Bremer? Could there be an act any more “in your face?” One can only assume that the Reps have made the following conclusions: 1) the great sweep of history is towards Bushism (Dubya’s unique brand of “Conservatism”), such that there is zero chance that they’ll ever be out of power again and 2) there aren’t any moderates out there that might be put off by displays of raw political power, only true believers cheering each new slight in the same way that Muslims on the Hajj cheer each new stone pitched at the Satan icon. That’s actually an apt analogy, since the Right is dominated by zealots who are utterly convinced that GOP policies provide an unassailable monopoly on sweetness, light, truth, justice, and the very American Way of Life. My personal feeling on this is that they’re being astoundingly foolish, since both of their assumptions are highly questionable. The (slight) GOP majority that presently exists will likely prove to be fragile, considering the degree of risk that GOP policies have subjected us to. Sure, maybe their numbers will all come up on the Wheel of Fortune, but it would take only one miss to push them out of power. They’re betting big that Iraq will settle down, that a new military challenge doesn’t arise to push our overtaxed military over the edge, that the treasury bills that are continually needed to refinance our debt will continually be embraced by China, Japan, and the Saudis at the low rates our budgets require, that their Social Security reform doesn’t fall as flat as Clinton’s shot at universal healthcare, that people will continue to shrug as the deficit continues to head into the stratosphere, that the anemic recovery doesn’t slide back into recession, that housing growth doesn’t turn out to be a bubble…the list goes on and on. I also believe that they’re wrong about moderates. I believe that voters are put off by one-sided partisan gloating, hubris, and overreach. This has been the Achilles heel for the right wing for as long as I’ve known them. To cite SherWright’s Dittohead Dictionary, “If they’re not overreaching they’re not really trying.”