“They Want Failure”
Andrew Sullivan nails it – as clearly, succinctly, and fearlessly as it can be said.
The GOP Has Declared War On Obama
This much is now clear. Their clear and open intent is to do all they can, however they can, to sabotage the new administration (and the economy to boot). They want failure. Even now. Even after the last eight years. Even in a recession as steeply dangerous as this one. There are legitimate debates to be had; and then there is the cynicism and surrealism of total political war. We now should have even less doubt about what kind of people they are. And the mountain of partisan vitriol Obama will have to climb every day of the next four or eight years.
That’s it in a nutshell.
After 8 years of war on the Constitution and basic American values, and decades of unremitting hostility to the very notion of government (a hostility wholly immune to their simultaneous lust for power), they are now at war with the nation itself, simply because they hate Democrats, hate the idea of creating a society that takes care of its own members, and are full-gonzo insane about Obama. They are willing to destroy the country, economically and politically, rather than see their ideas proven wrong – and they are no longer just drifting in that direction, but actively working to harm America and its citizens in order to prevent the success of their chosen enemies.
He’s got this right, too:
When Judd Gregg approached the Obama administration to see if he could be a part of it, he was assuming that his own party wasn’t going to adopt a policy of total warfare against the newly elected president in a time of enormous economic peril. . . .
I have to say even I am a little taken aback by the force of the Republican assault. Even in a downturn as swift and alarming as this one, even after an election that clearly favored one approach over another, even after the most conciliatory efforts by an incoming president in memory, these people have gone to war against the president. The president should stay cool. The rest of us should realize what motivates the GOP: the opportunism of selective ideology.
For the GOP, prinicple is just a posture, or at best a convenient tool for self-aggrandizement. It does not require consistency, coherency of thought and action, or any commitment to something greater than self. The party is essentially childlike: vastly self-absorbed, ignorant, superstitious, aversive to the hard work of disciplined thought and the acceptance of difficult truths, prone to sulks, petty slights, and resentful trouble-making, and at bottom amoral – insensitive to others’ feelings, needs, or rights, and convinced that only its interests matter. They are happy to destroy what they cannot have for themselves, and they’re doing it now . . . to America.
[UPDATE: Fixed garbled quote.]
I think that’s been obvious for a while. The Republicans have put party and power ahead of country.
The Republicans only care about their image, money, and power. President Obama is thinking about the people and the recovery of the country. In spite of all his hard efforts it is so obvious to the citizens of the US that the people we put in office (republicans) never cared about us. In addition, they forget so easily that we, who put them in office, can vote them out of office.
Yes, believe it or not, there are conservatives in NY. And it’s about time Republicans started speaking up about the joke you want to call the “hope for change”. All I see coming is more government involvement in my personal decisions and infringement on my rights as a U.S. citizen. I don’t need this government to save me from anything; I need this government to quit meddling in my God-given rights. Our Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves at the size of government today and the interference it runs on its citizens. All in the name of change – well, the only change I’d like to see is the government getting their hands out of my pocket. I believe it’s about time for another Boston Tea Party and wake this country up. What is wrong with you people that you can’t see this “stimulus package” is just another way for the government to spend your tax dollars on their favors owed. It’s not about stimulating anything except big government’s imagination on what the heck they can make up next to spend money they don’t even have. Our children will be left with the biggest debt in the world’s history. And what the heck is the hurry anyway? Just because B. Hussein Obama says it will be catastrophic if we don’t act quickly, doesn’t mean that it will be. He’s only a man, not a Messiah, thank God. I’m totally disgusted with big government’s agenda; it’s definitely not what I want. I’d rather vote for an imperfect Republican than a perfect socialist and I did. And I will say “I told you so” after Obama’s 4 years in office.
This is the utmost betrayel of the American People
committed by such little men in the Republican party
it should create an uproar of disgust and resentment which can be heard around the world. Theyse reckles idiots are dedicated to themselves only and not to their Homeland. A shameful bunch of little gnoms pretending to be leaders. The world looking to the USA will feel abandoned not only we the people of this betrayed Country.
gnoms
Yes, how could the dastardly GOP do such a thing after all the good will, respect, and cooperation George Bush received from the Democrats for eight years? If you want this kind of BS to stop, EVERYONE has to stop doing it, including liberals. But you won’t be able to. Partisan blindness is in your blood, in your genes, in your mother’s milk, in your hearts, in your minds, in your souls. You can’t help yourselves, it’s so deeply ingrained you can’t even see that it’s there.
I’ve found that the longer people are in power, the more they put power and party ahead of country. The Republicans are more obvious about it now, but old school Democrats are no different. I get the impression the difference is that Obama has opened the door to many more young Democrats who have not become drunk with the lust for power. I would guess that as the old warhorses in the Republican party get turfed out and young blood comes in, the party will once again start to care about the country. That seems to be what has happened here in Canada before.
However, I could be completely out to lunch so feel free to ignore me.
The absurdity of the Republican whining during the process of this stimulus bill, after totally ignoring and attempting to put the dems in a box and out of business during the last eight years.At the same time our President reaching out them, only to repaid by a punch to the gut. Anyone who can look at this, stand on the sidelines and say this is just business as usual in this two party system, just doesn’t get it. This Republican Party is just plain evil. I can’t think of a more apt description.
Why did Obama and Rham pick this guy? What were they thinking?
Perhaps Obama is getting a little to close, for the GOP’s comfort, to the unveiling of age old corruption in WA and this is the beginning of the unraveling of the military complex that President Ike warned us about. These are dangerous statements being made by the GOP. “Willing to go to ANY length”, wow, this is truly scary stuff. I believe that Obama is more than anything else a threat to the wealthy that control the military complex in our country. The fingers in the military pies go way beyond the borders of the USA and into the worlds wealthiest arms producers and dealers that profit off of war and have for decades. Of course they want Obama to fail. Did anyone really think that the bigots that control this country would really allow a black man succeed?
BU, I like your idea, but it is worth noting that the Democrats (at least in Congress) became corrupt over the period of ~1954 to 1994, while Republicans became slightly more corrpupt over the period 1994 to 2006. Compare, fourty years, twelve years.
It’s obvious… the Republican party needs to be disbanded altogether… they have totally ruined this country int he last 8 years the bozo has been in office… 2 non winable wars, debt as high as the country has ever been, gas and oil off the charts, economy in dire need of help and all they can do is oppose any bill that would help to bring us back from all the job loses, forclosures, loss of retirement plans, etc.
Time for a change was great… let us act on it and get rid of the Republican party once and for all!