GOP needs to do penance

I ran across this a couple of days ago. It is an op-ed piece based upon an e-mail from Bruce Bartlett, a veteran of the Reagan and elder Bush administrations...

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019503.php

Here's Bartlett's e-mail...

Quote :

I believe that political parties should do penance for their mistakes and just losing power is not enough. Part of that involves understanding why those mistakes were made and how to prevent them from happening again. Republicans, however, have done no penance. They just pretend that they did nothing wrong. But until they do penance they don't deserve any credibility and should be ignored until they do.

That's what my attacks on Bush are all about. I want Republicans to admit they were wrong about him, accept blame for his mistakes, and take some meaningful action to keep them from happening again. Bush should be treated as a pariah, as Richard Nixon was for many years until he rebuilt his credibility by more or less coming clean about Watergate with David Frost and writing a number of thoughtful books.

One reason this isn't happening is because the media don't treat Republicans as if they are discredited. On the contrary, they often seem to be treated as if they have more credibility than the administration. Just look at the silly issue of death panels. The media should have laughed it out the window, ridiculed it or at least ignored it once it was determined that there was no basis to the charge. Instead, those making the most outlandish charges are treated with deference and respect, while those that actually have credibility on the subject are treated as equals at best and often with deep skepticism, as if they are the ones with an ax to grind.

I am truly baffled by this situation, as I'm sure you are.

The rest of the piece is well worth a read, especially if you agree with Bartlett.

Great link. Thanks.

I agree with that 100%. Just look at the Repubs that have been involved in scandals,like David Vitter,Larry Craig,John Ensign,and Mark Sanford. None of them resigned. In fact,Vitter recently even had the gall to start talking about conservative values. Did he mean those "values" where he was visiting hookers to satisfy his diaper fetish?
Fox News is another great example,where creeps like Dick Morris who let a hooker whose toes he was sucking listen in to a phone call from Clinton,become their political commentators.

Equally bad things can be said the Demos. Bad apples from both sides...

UrRight wrote:

Equally bad things can be said the Demos. Bad apples from both sides...

The difference is that Democrats get caught they do the right thing and resign,like Elliot Spitzer did.

Artie60438 wrote:

UrRight wrote:

Equally bad things can be said the Demos. Bad apples from both sides...

The difference is that Democrats get caught they do the right thing and resign,like Elliot Spitzer did.

Or, go on stage/radio, etc., like Blago....

What about that nut job from South OR North Carolina...the guv who flew to Argentia to screw...was he a Repo or a Demo. Artie?

What about Rudy Clay, the "We're Poor Distressed, Board!" But managed to fly in and pay Jacko's dad to visit his own son's memorial. Man, what a low-life parent, wanting to get paid to attend his own kid's memorial. Them two nut heads (Clay & Joey-Bling-Jackson) should have asked the citizens to donate money for a one way ticket to Timbuktu/that would have been more meaningful to Gary. Gary would no longer be distressed or depressed.

What did that numbo-jumbo what's his name, the former mayor of Detroit do? Oh yeah, carried on with his sec'y? He's no longer mayor.

Can't agree more about Bush being a bad president, but ya know, it's not just the parties, i.e., Repos and Demos, it doesn't matter. I'm sure we can name a bunch from both parties. You need to quit thinking there are the Repos and the Demos....just pick the best banana out of either side. Then again, that doesn't matter. Once in office the bunch rot. :bball:

UrRight wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

UrRight wrote:

Equally bad things can be said the Demos. Bad apples from both sides...

The difference is that Democrats get caught they do the right thing and resign,like Elliot Spitzer did.

Or, go on stage/radio, etc., like Blago....

Blago has never been convicted of anything,but he was impeached by both D's and R's.

Quote :

What about that nut job from South OR North Carolina...the guv who flew to Argentia to screw...was he a Repo or a Demo. Artie?

Republican,Mark Sanford.

Quote :

What about Rudy Clay,
What did that numbo-jumbo what's his name, the former mayor of Detroit do? Oh yeah, carried on with his sec'y? He's no longer mayor.

Those are local and don't necessarily reflect on the national party.

Artie60438 wrote:

UrRight wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

UrRight wrote:

Equally bad things can be said the Demos. Bad apples from both sides...

The difference is that Democrats get caught they do the right thing and resign,like Elliot Spitzer did.

Or, go on stage/radio, etc., like Blago....

Blago has never been convicted of anything,but he was impeached by both D's and R's.

Quote :

What about that nut job from South OR North Carolina...the guv who flew to Argentia to screw...was he a Repo or a Demo. Artie?

Republican,Mark Sanford.

Quote :

What about Rudy Clay,
What did that numbo-jumbo what's his name, the former mayor of Detroit do? Oh yeah, carried on with his sec'y? He's no longer mayor.

Those are local and don't necessarily reflect on the national party.

They do reflect on the national party. All or at least most have eyed the national stage. Although I am a Democrat, I am outraged at how our public servents have acted in the past 8 years. 9-11 certianlly changed the whole landscape of our political process, and mostly not for the good IMO.

I was referring to Rudy Clay and the mayor of Detroit when I said they don't necessarily reflect on the National party. Governors,Senators,and House members do.

Artie60438 wrote:

I agree with that 100%. Just look at the Repubs that have been involved in scandals,like David Vitter,Larry Craig,John Ensign,and Mark Sanford. None of them resigned. In fact,Vitter recently even had the gall to start talking about conservative values. Did he mean those "values" where he was visiting hookers to satisfy his diaper fetish?
Fox News is another great example,where creeps like Dick Morris who let a hooker whose toes he was sucking listen in to a phone call from Clinton,become their political commentators.

Yeah. Well when you consider all of the damage that was done to our nation by the Bush administration and its allies in Congress, all of this "scandal" stuff is pretty damn trivial, don't you think?

If you actually read Bartlett's e-mail statement and the op-ed piece, it's pretty clear that the sex scandals were not what the writers were trying to emphasize when they indicated that the GOP should do "penance" for their mistakes.

Scorpion wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

I agree with that 100%. Just look at the Repubs that have been involved in scandals,like David Vitter,Larry Craig,John Ensign,and Mark Sanford. None of them resigned. In fact,Vitter recently even had the gall to start talking about conservative values. Did he mean those "values" where he was visiting hookers to satisfy his diaper fetish?
Fox News is another great example,where creeps like Dick Morris who let a hooker whose toes he was sucking listen in to a phone call from Clinton,become their political commentators.

Yeah. Well when you consider all of the damage that was done to our nation by the Bush administration and its allies in Congress, all of this "scandal" stuff is pretty damn trivial, don't you think?

If you actually read Bartlett's e-mail statement and the op-ed piece, it's pretty clear that the sex scandals were not what the writers were trying to emphasize when they indicated that the GOP should do "penance" for their mistakes.

I'm talking about their whole party and their actions in general. I mentioned the sex because it's a perfect example.Whether it's sex,Bush,Iraq,katrina,legislation,or anything else they've FUBAR,they never accept responsibility for _anything_ and their followers act the exact same way.