First of all, Michael Steele, new chairman of the RNC, token black Republican, who Fox News described as a “new beginning” for the GOP.
Let’s see about that. Although Steele does not support a Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage, he does not agree that gays should be allowed to marry. In 2006, he compared stem cell research to the holocaust. He is also a strong Christian. So, very much the same as old Republicans. Maybe…
However….. and here’s the shocking part, I quite like him. The GOP is blatantly using him to combat the idea that there is still racial prejudice amongst their elite. Much like they used Palin to counter the Democrats with Clinton. But that doesn’t mean that Steele himself is useless (like Palin). Steele seems sensible, refusing to mix radical religious beliefs with politics, like so many Republicans. He seems refreshing. A real challenge to the Democrat support base. I like his energy policy, I like that he tried to get the Bush administration to call an immediate halt on the Federal Gas Tax. I like that despite his opposition he rates the issue of banning gays getting marriage as not very important. I like that he’s in favour of diplomacy over clenched fist tactics. I like the guy. And I can’t say that about too many Republicans or Conservatives.
“We must represent a transformative movement that speaks with empathy and compassion…” – Michael Steele.
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Tom Daschle has stepped down as nominee for Obama’s secretary of Health, whilst Nancy Killefer was to oversee budget and spending reform. Both, it seems, have a problem paying taxes. Obama made huge mistakes with these appointees. They clearly were not properly vetted. It feeds the Republican bitterness they still hold after losing the election.
That said, since when have Right Wing America become the guardians of all morality? A couple of nominees not paying their taxes is nothing in comparison to the cover ups and lies fed by the Bush administration.
Such as Dr. W. David Hager: appointed to the FDA by Bush, later found to be anally raping his wife, and when questioned about it, said “I missed“. Or Nicholas Morency who not only put a $1.5million bounty on the heads of pro-abortionists, but also admitted to molesting children. Or Elizabeth Dole, manipulating the Religious beliefs of an entire State, by referring to her opponent as “Godless“, just to win an election. Or Dick Cheney the Vice President, who used the War in Iraq to gain lovely new oil profitable contracts for his old company, Haliburton. Which of course, was a few years after Cheney was sued for fraudulent activities with regard to over valuing stock of Haliburton.
Why did these Republican bloggers and writers not stand so strong and filled with eternal rage against all of this? Or when Bush lied about Weapons of Mass destruction? They seem to have become more enraged by Clinton getting a blow job, and Daschle not paying taxes, than they have about thousands of innocent lives lost in the vain hope of acquiring more oil. It’s a horribly critical time in GOP history. They are literally swarming WordPress, finding every little detail to attack Obama on. From turning up the thermostat in the White House (as if he was supposed to let his kids freeze to death just to appease disgruntled Republicans), to not wearing a jacket in the Oval Office, because it “...insults the office of The President…” …. because apparently, taking your jacket off is far more of an insult to the office of POTUS, than it is to sit in front of a camera and take your Country to war on the basis of a lie.
Obama cannot take a shit without Right Winged bloggers finding a problem with it. It’s a bit rich of them to shout CORRUPTION! When their own party has been rife with it for years. It’s as if they’ve been asleep for the past eight years.
Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary is quoted as saying of Obama and Daschle … “They both recognised that you can’t set an example of responsibility but accept a different standard of who serves.” Which echoes the views of all of us. They are showing that they will acknowledge when they have messed up. Which is a good thing. Governments screw up. The difference is, this one seems to be able to admit it with dignity and move on.
Both Daschle and Obama screwed up. Obama admitted he has screwed up. He apologised and moved on. Something the Bush administration found impossible to do. Something our own English Prime Minister, finds impossible to do. Obama and Daschle acted with dignity, following a scandal without dignity. And that’s something new in American politics. Daschle is quoted as saying he would not be able to work “with the full faith of Congress and the American people”, and he’s right. It’s just a pity the previous administration and their supporters who now pick up on every movement Obama makes, didn’t have the same feeling of dignity.
Republicans, You had your chance, you fucked up majorly. Accept it. You do not run America any more. Your concept of “bipartisanship” seems to be that Obama steps to one side, and let’s you have another eight years in power. Fox News may as well just have a few hours of O’Reilly and Cavuoto stamping their feet and throwing a tantrum, like the selfish moronic little children that they are.
Bitterness is a wonderful thing.
Very weak.
First, you can never fault somebody in politics with being politically manipulative. That’s how politicians get elected which is how they feed their families and get their gold plated humvies and such. Never criticize a politician for being Machiavellian it’s like criticizing a baby for wetting their diaper.
Second, the notion that Democrats are the racially tolerant party and Republicans the racists is a distorted fact. Their is absolutely no reason Hillary should not have gotten the nomination but it was very clear the party was pushing people behind the Black candidate. I don’t blame Obama for this but it was very clear that’s what was happening. It’s all prejudice just expressed in different ways. I think the Republicans during the election really did themselves well (for the most part) and went after him for issues while the rest of America may not have cared about but were none-the-less substantive. I heard the race card being pulled much more by the left.
Third, admitting it this case was way too little way too late. He knew about the tax evasion and even as he’s gearing to smack us with more taxes he’s appointing people who feel they’re too good for it. He was only apologizing for getting caught. To his credit though sensitive to public opinion.
Fourth, I denounce immorality on both sides. I am neither Democrat nor Republican just American. Still, it is the Democratic agenda which leans much more heavily toward immorality. Look at the statistics of children under 18 (under 15, under 13) having premarital sex. Then look at the statistics about how many of those kids felt pressured, coerced (raped oh did I say it) and the Liberals say kids will have sex anyway. Yeah, if you construct a date rape society. But there are cultures where religion has more of an effect (controlling for Western influence) where things are not nearly as bad.
Fourth, and the most important, IT’S ONLY THREE WEEKS INTO HIS ADMINISTRATION!!! What other goodies are we in for?
Yes Republicans are bitter. Yes Republicans screwed up. Yes they will attack Obama for everything (not that Democrats don’t do the same thing when the tables are turned) but stop giving them ammunition.
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Had we used “paid taxes perfectly” as a standard, none of Ronald Reagan’s picks would have made it, and few of either Bush’s would have made it.
Recognize what is going on here: Obama has raised the ethical standards so high they make Republicans uncomfortable, and Republicans are fighting back, snagging Obama appointees on the flimsiest of reasons.
Republicans do not want change in health care. Getting Daschle out on any pretense is bad news for health care reform — and if it deepens the recession, that’s okay by most Republicans, so long as their friends’ bonuses are protected.
Voice Of Conservative America just visited your blog
You should have told me earlier, i’d have dressed for the occasion.
I totally agree about Steele. He was the worst thing that could have happened for the Democrats. I think the RNC is kind of a mess, and I don’t know how much one man could possibly help them, but Mr. Whites Only Club or Mr. Magic Negro would have been sooooooo much better, for me at least.
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Thanks!
Amen on the GOP lack of ethics (an understatement), but still, the Obama team could have done their homework. That being said, this tax fiasco may prove that even the smartest have trouble figuring out the IRS requirements, I shudder to think how many stupid errors would turn up on just about anyone’s audit.
Dems have major ethics problems too. Barney Frank has had a prostitution ring being run out of his house and is still in office, ted Kennedy killed a woman while drunk driving and is still in office. The New york governor pays for prostitutes with tax-payer money and he is still in office. Should I keep going? Are you people blind? If Obama sets the standard so high then he should live with it. Why is Geitner still not dismissed? Where is the consistency? Al Franken owes over 50,000 in back taxes to over 17 states. That just came out. Who’s next?
Republicans never let facts get in the way of their rants. The simple fact that more people were convicted of wrongdoing out of Ronald Reagan’s cabinet than in the entire Clinton administration sort of eludes them.
That’s wildly exaggerated, and ignores the fact that the D.C. cops, FBI and House Ethics Committee all investigated, and found that specific charge untrue.
The inquest ruled it an accident. The reality is that it cost Kennedy a legitimate shot at the presidency. But don’t let the facts get in your way.
No, we’re not blind, and no, you shouldn’t keep going. You’re only going to embarrass yourself a lot, lot more. Gov. Eliot Spitzer removed himself from office — a year ago? — and his replacement just delivered his second State of the State address.
Did you notice? There was no raising of the ethics bar during any Republican administration of the past three decades. But even with lowered ethics, more Republicans got caught and went to jail.
Obama should be applauded for his work to improve ethics. Obviously, it’s working.