The Obstructionist Republican Party

What's left of the Republican Party has a new motto. It's "Just Say No" again, and again to anything proposed by the current administration. It could be argued that the Republicans are fulfilling their role as the loyal opposition. However, that argument is terribly thin because it is hard to know what the Republican Party stands for, if it stands for anything at all.

The main mission of the Republican Party seems to be to prevent President Obama from implementing any plan in any area. The Republicans voted against the stimulus package, and offered very little in the way of an alternative that made sense to anybody but fellow Republicans. They were against the bailout of the big three automakers which ought to be interesting the next time they're trying to get votes in Ohio and Michigan.

The essential nature of the current Republican Party position was eloquently stated in July, by Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina. When talking with Republican activists regarding efforts to stop the current health care initiative he said, "If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him." If Senator DeMint were interested in serving the interests of the people of South Carolina, he might remember the large percentage of his constituency, which has either no health insurance or inadequate health care coverage. The senator from South Carolina may be prescient in his prediction of Waterloo, but it may be about his own party rather than the president.

The Republicans rightly raise concerns about the amount of money being spent by the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration. Unfortunately, the Republicans are adept at raising concerns, but short on offering realistic alternatives to solving the critical problems facing this country today. The continued absence of meaningful leadership within the Republican Party has allowed Sarah Palin to develop delusions about her ability to run for the presidency in 2012. Perhaps the Republican Party will get its just reward after all.

Rush Limbaugh Head of the GOP

It's now official. Rush Limbaugh is the head of the Republican Party. When Republican Party chairman Michael Steele genuflected to Rush Limbaugh the coronation was official. Abraham Lincoln just turned face down in his grave. Teddy Roosevelt gave up San Juan Hill. The party that once ushered in the end of slavery now ushers in slavery to narrow-mindedness, perpetual anger, shortsightedness, hate, and everything you shouldn't take with you to church on Sunday or synagogue on Saturday.

Rush Limbaugh's conservatism has no room for tolerance of the other person's opinion. For that matter, Rush Limbaugh's conservatism has no tolerance for the other person period. He is a narcissistic man full of anger, hatred, and self-doubt who has risen to a position of power which should make all Americans shudder, not just Republicans. Why would anyone be surprised that this man would wish Obama's policies to fail? It is easy for him to stand and say what ever he wants because he has never been in a position of accepting responsibility for other people. No doubt, if he were elected to Congress this spiel coming out of his mouth would still be the same. But at least then, he would have to face the voters.

Limbaughism is a new brand of McCarthyism. Censorship, meanness, condemning people without trials, and spreading fear wherever he can will be the hallmarks of this man's reign of terror. It was far easier to make a joke of him before the Republicans handed him the reins to power in their party. The Republicans have made many mistakes in their history, as have the Democrats, but this one will haunt them for many decades to come. Rush Limbaugh's flawed nature was clearly evident in the whole OxyContin incident. He committed several crimes and got away with them. Now he is about to commit murder on the body politic. Hopefully someone will hold him accountable.