This from the Southern Political Report this morning:
US Rep. Tom Cole (OK), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), acknowledging that “a large segment of the American people doesn’t have confidence” in the GOP, urged his party’s candidates for Congress to put forth a bold agenda for change. In a telephone conference call with reporters today, he cited the example of presumptive GOP nominee John McCain for establishing his own identity and running substantially ahead of a generic Republican in opinion polls. Cole said voters like candidates “who are bold, take strong positions, and are honest with the American people,” qualities he associated with McCain. He urged Republican congressional candidates -- incumbents and challengers alike -- to run with and to emulate their presidential nominee.
Cole, however, did not urge any major change in policies by either the White House or Republicans in Congress. Specifically, he did not agree that the President should be more receptive to Democratic proposals. “I don’t think the President should be blackmailed into signing legislation” he does not believe is in the nation’s best interest. He also stated that the people did not disagree with Republican values, but there was “a loss of confidence in the American people that we will do what we say we will do.”
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Odd two paragraphs, eh? One cancels the other, but that ought not be too surprising to anybody who has been paying attention. I'm reminded of that stunning GOP defeat in the 1st Congressional District of Mississippi on Tuesday. The 'safe' GOP seat held since 1993 was taken by the Dems even though [because of] Vice-President Cheney flew down there to campaign for the GOP incumbent. Seems the people there have been paying attention too.
Bamboozled by the GOP ought to become the catch-phrase this election year. Some of us weren't bamboozled at all back in 2000; for others, it was 2004. Slow learners. However, after 8 years of bamboozlement, the citizens at last figured it all out.
There are still some sad sacks who think that the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld junta was the best thing since sliced bread. Of course, they really aren't true Republicans in the Eisenhower-Taft-Rockefeller tradition. They are neocon slugs who have hosted on the GOP like a parasite.
The GOP rolled out its same bag of dirty political tricks in this Mississippi election, but the voters already watched that tired old B-movie. The race card and the liberal card were trumped by the bamboozle card. 'Get out of town, clown!'
GOP pundits are wringing their hands these days wondering what they can do to stop the landslide that is forming against them this November. One of them on a talk show this morning touted 'values' as the key. Values. Right.
The odd thing about the word, value, is that one man's treasure is another's junk. Folks ain't buying junk these days; been there, done that, lives more miserable than ever. No, the con man, the charlatan, the snake oil salesman have all visited the town and scammed the folks once maybe twice. But, they ain't buying it for a third time.
