a party underwater
As the Republican party finally sinks into that vast ocean of ill-will it has generated over the past 8 years, it’s worth remembering that the elections of 2008 were simply the latest battle in a broader political and cultural war with historical roots reaching back many decades.
While the modern Republican party is apparently looking for a way to escape the toxicity they so adroitly and perhaps permanently attached to their brand, voters would be wise to remember the precedents in Republican governance that led us to this point and be cautious of any re-invention that does not specifically address the historical positions of the party with regards to these particular events:
McCarthyism and the Red Scare, Watergate and Nixon’s use and understanding of executive power, the Vietnam-era anti-war movement, the civil rights movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1964, the Church Committee and intelligence operations conducted by the government upon its own people, the Iran Contra affair and Reagan’s use and understanding of executive power; and George W. Bush’s use and understanding of executive power and the so-called “Bush doctrine” in consideration of the “Downing Street Memos,” the pre-emptive war doctrine, international law and the Geneva conventions, extraordinary rendition, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, warrantless illegal spying, FISA and the granting of retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies who knowingly violated the law.
CEO logic
If we learned one thing from last week’s meeting of the well-heeled and the well-jowled, it would that it’s not always easy to tell the two apart. If we learned anything else, it would be that CEOs of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors love their private jets –possibly more than they love their businesses.
“It would be insane if this country stopped designing and building automobiles and trucks,” said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA). “It would also be insane if the top executives from the three automakers came here on private jets. I’m going to ask the three executives here to raise their hand if they flew here commercial. Let the record show no hands went up. Second, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand if you’re planning to sell your jet in place now and fly back commercial. Let the record show no hands went up. I don’t know how I go back to my constituents and say the auto industry has changed if they own private jets which are not only expensive to own but expensive to operate and expensive to fly here rather than to have flown commercial.”
“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington, D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand, saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, (D-NY) told the CEOs.
“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious…couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class or jet-pooled or something to get here? It would have at least sent a message that you do get it.”
Watch full video of CEO testimony before the House here and the Senate here.
hearts and minds
Let’s face it, most of what’s been politely referred to as ”broadcast journalism” has for the past decade or so been an insult to our collective intelligence, an abandonment of democratic principle, and the overt public corruption of a civic ideal. For all its pattycaking with government spin-meisters in the selling of the Iraq war, its integrity as a government watchdog is highly suspect. For its collective refusal to correct the institutional shortcomings that have left our country in its present condition, it is indictable. And for its reaction to The New York Times’ revelation that it has been infiltrated and willfully co-opted by the military political establishment, networks should have their broadcast licenses revoked and their “broadcast journalists” sentenced to life without a hair stylist.
[UPDATE] April 24, 2008: PBS Newshour featured a debate between Robert Zelnick and John Stauber on the Pentagon’s “info war.” Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC and the Pentagon declined to show for the segment.
[UPDATE] April 28, 2008: “Pentagon halts feeding of information to retired officers while issue is reviewed.” Full story here.
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