Slapping Obama in the Face

Not that we needed any more proof of Republican hypocrisy, but their refusal to go along, even with a few symbolic votes, with the Democratic stimulus plan belies previously announced intentions of reaching across the isle. The reasons for this refusal, given by Republican leader Boehner, also indicate that Republicans have not realized the utter failure of their mainstream governing philosophy: Privatization, massive tax cuts for the wealthy, and the trickle down effect did not work! In fact, these ideas were never conservative to begin with, at least in the true sense of the term conservative. There’s an interesting op-ed piece in today’s (Jan 29, 2009) Atlanta Journal Constitution by Mickey Edwards, former congressman from Oklahoma and author of “Reclaiming Conservatism”, in which he argues that the current GOP cannot claim the label conservatism nor the mantle of Reaganism. While I have some reservations about his characterization of Reagan as a reformer of government, his piece is, overall, a pretty sober analysis of the ruinous state in which the GOP finds itself.