“They’ve got a thing about pre-existing conditions. I think they have a
pre-existing condition — that’s why they’re Republicans!
—Randi Rhodes, syndicated progressive talk-show host,
WZAA-AM, Washington, D.C., while discussing progress
of health care reform legislation, Nov. 9, 2009
WZAA-AM, Washington, D.C., while discussing progress
of health care reform legislation, Nov. 9, 2009
Indeed, Republicans regularly demonstrate they have a host of “pre-existing conditions.” Callous disregard for facts and truth, selfishness and a bullying habit lead the list.
Murdoch’s humming and halting interview in Australia, is not surprising. He seemed to be ignorant of what is said on Fox News, but when you own so many networks world-wide, hundreds of newspapers and radio stations, it would very hard to know what is going on and what is being said on all of them. The vast majority of his holdings have a dumbing-down element to them, Fox News is a prime example of that quality.
We sometimes erroneously think that good-thinking people become Republicans for noble reasons and then are somehow corrupted by a party gone bad, but in fact it is true that bullies, racists, religious extremists, and others of their ilk, are attracted now to the Republican party, believing that it expresses their viewpoints. It’s not obvious that the Republican party plans to grow up and adopt a mature stance towards governance anytime soon.
Holte, Murdoch is a perfect example of someone extending his reach beyond his grasp. He’s also a perfect example of someone with no responsibility to the public of any country amassing too much power and influence in too many countries — multiple malignancies for the mindless.
Jeff, there are some good people among Republicans. Alas, far too many are exactly what you describe, and the party is a magnet and empowerment vehicle for them. IMO, that leaves decent ones — Colin Powell and Chuck Hagel spring to mind — with a choice to make.
I think that part of the republican party has always been there, it has just been allowed to become the mainstream of the party rather than the fringe element. Allowing the extremists, on any side, to take over is usually a recipe for disaster.
All this concern for Republicans. How touching.
It reminds me that Republicans want Democrats to leave them alone. Democrats want Republicans to pay for all their utopian socialist experiments that don’t work.
What Democrats would like Republicans to pay for is all the damage they’ve done to our country and the losses they’ve cost most Americans. That not being possible, Democrats would at least like for Republicans to pay for their most recent screw-ups, corruption, incompetence and depredations.
That not being possible, I would like Republicans to pay for a one-way trip to the moon. Oops, sorry, SWA, I think I just turned your place into a hate site, but that’s what us commies are all about according to Fox.
Sheesh, comrade Randal, now you’ve blown our cover.
Add schizophrenia to the list of Republican pre-existing conditions.
One Republican personality thinks “government!” is the root of all evil. Capitalism, free enterprise, rugged individualism, personal responsibility — those are the traits that made America great. Only a worthless parasite wants a bunch of government bureaucrats coming in and meddling in everything.
When the other personality is dominant, the government is our friend. The Patriot Act, elimination of Habeas Corpus, massive spying and surveillance programs, the war on drugs, roadside checkpoints by the Border Patrol even when you’re hundreds of miles from the nearest border — these are all good things. You don’t have something to hide, do you?
And these two personalities don’t seem to know about each other.
…Republicans to pay…
With a $4 trillion budget, a $1.5 trillion deficit, and the dollar turning into monopoly money, I’d say we’re paying plenty for any so called “fix” we’re getting from Change You Must Submit To.
“To save the village, we had to destroy it.”
Tom, the point of division has to do with democracy vs. rule. Republican conservatives are all for democracy giving them the power to rule. When that doesn’t happen, they lapse into spoiler mode.
RSF, the change we had to submit to was George W. Bush and his minions in our Republican-controlled Congress blowing the first budget surplus in decades, on the way to running up more debt than all previous presidents combined, all while merrily enacting huge tax cuts we couldn’t afford, the better, they said, to grow the economy. The better, they believed, to get them selves re-elected. Look where those changes got us.
Funny, but I don’t recall you complaining about fiscal mismanagement of epic proportions back then.
You were complaining enough for all of us back in the Bush years. To remain consistent, you are going to need massive infusions of amphetamines to spool up the proper indignation over the Obama deficits.
My take at the time was that deficit spending is not inherently bad if you are spending the money on projects that will bring in a greater return in the future. Unfortunately, Bush, Democrats, and business interests thought that a good way to invest in the future was to import illegal Mexican laborers to build a bunch of houses, and then make a bunch of no doc loans to these same immigrants and others. You can’t win ‘em all.
Comes now Obama with claims to fix things, but all I’ve seen is patronage spending and renewing current infrastructure. Not much investment in anything new.