Sunday Roundup

Hot on the heels of his Reversal on Rush, RNC Chairman Michael Steele this week delivered his U-turn on Choice -- first saying women "absolutely" have the right to choose abortion then, after having his knuckles rapped, asserting his pro-life bona fides: "always have been, always will be." At a time when there is a serious discussion around the world about the future of capitalism, including a must-read series in the Financial Times, the GOP is so devoid of actual ideas that spineless lightweights like Steele -- and cartoon characters like Rush Limbaugh, Joe the Plumber, and Sarah Palin -- are able to step in and fill the intellectual void. Bill Buckley must be spinning in his grave.

Comments

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Arianna- What a great way to describe them. If they could only see themselves the way others do. The HuffPo is a window for all to look into.

The old school of Repubs have missed the boat. The media is not what it use to be in today's world-
there is:
NOWHERE TO RUN NOWHERE TO HIDE!
CHENEY, ROVE, RUSH AND THE OTHER JOKESTERS DON'T SEEM TO GET IT- The internet is bigger than they are.

Cheers,

Ed

[kurtlockwood]

Forget Bill Buckley, Barry "Mr. Conservative" Goldwater's Republican party went the way of the Dodo Bird a lonnngg time ago.

[Matthew Benzor 1]

Arianna I am great fan of yours it takes a women to tell like it is.Praise God that you seen the light and came over to the right side cause the other side is so twisted and shameful hyp[ocrits.

[Klimb]

AriannaH,
This article is superbly written...so spot on, again! We are in globalization and thinking narrow-mindedly will be our downfall...the sooner we realize it the better for US.

[shane b1968]

Can't arrest them because congress and Bush made what they did legal? Fine.
Can't take bonuses because of their contract? Sure, OK.

But why aren't we suing them for negligence? Certainly it would be a slam dunk case that they were completely reckless, right? If you can't take the bonuses then take EVERYTHING THEY HAVE!

There are plenty of victims with standing who could file a lawsuit against them personally, including taxpayers if you can prove that AIG execs knew there was a risk that the government would have to bail them out. WHY AREN'T THEY BEING PERSONALLY SUED?

[iblogleft]

Because AIG is the insurer of the very people we would sue.

[SwampeastMike]

Thank you Arianna for twice now providing a link to my best reading of the week.

Fine philosophy with a common denominator: change--real change--*r­evolutiona­ry* change in the capitalist model.

Changes of this magnitude occur at cyclical peaks when *everyone* begins to think that they can cash in on the comparative good life and the law of limited resources comes crashing down from above.

If the economic experience of my lifetime (b. 1963) holds true, we will continue to prop up a down-time economy with top-down stimulous via deficit spending the debts of which have already come due. We ARE the *next* generation.

[Fremon]

It was interesting that Ann Coulter wrote a book entitled "If the Democrats had any Brains they Would be Republicans". In fact the opposite is true as we now witness an intellectual void within that party. I understand Coulter and Fox news commentators et al in the Republican party. They are getting paid to have a partisaview and speak to issues from that point of view like "tax cuts will solve America's problems, trickle down economics, the govt is bad, gays are bad, deregulation is good, etc (one has heard it all). There is another group that don't want to recognize the failure of their positions because they have become intellectually wedded to them and cannot face the facts as presented to them that their theories have not worked. Kind of like changing religions that one has obided by for so long. Intellectual thought has always rested with the Democrats even though many were in fact pretty dumb. Progress of our society has rested with the party. If you think that the economy has done better under Democratic stewardship and that Reagan and the Bush's created more national deficits one can see the bankruptcy of Rep;ublican thinking that they have anything to say re the economy. Witness that the poorest welfare states are mostly in the south and Alaska. How does that keep the Republicans afloat save only having wedge issues like guns/God/G­ays/aborti­on/creatio­nism/etc. The Republicans are intellectually bankrupt regarding moving this country ahead.

[Dredd]

Yep, Buckley would be turning over in his grave if he knew "American" Int. Group (AIG) was originally formed in China and has big presence in Dubai ... where the sheiks are neighbours to Halliburton and are getting TARP money:

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/03/american-international-group-aig.html

[kalliope33]

I was appalled to see that CNN's John King, had former Vice-President Dick Cheney as a guest on his show State of the Union today. This show should be boycotted for inviting Mr. Cheney as his exclusive guest, and to allow him to warn of the dangers of the Obama Presidency. Really, how much more can we Americans be endangered then we are in the aftermath of the Bush-Cheney regime?

The man who could not even get himself to STAND for the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

I truly believe in my heart that Mr. King has underestimated the anger of the American people at what was done to our country over the past eight years. Our anger is extraordinary. Many of us, or at least I, believe Cheney is a criminal.

http://ichkalliope.typepad.com/ich_kalliope/2009/03/a-criminal-platform.html

[smileatfear]

Cheney is the worst sort of criminal. A total sociopath with grandiose beliefs in his own righteousness. He doesn't care about anything but himself - including his own country. He belongs in jail for what he and Bush did to this country.

[Mugzi]

We all know dc, what he's about, what he values, we aren't fooled by trusting this criminal...

[grey32]

A shame that these fools just don't get it. To them it's all about control and winning and they have lost both.

The notion that they have all the answers and the only answers and anyone who has a different perspective is bad or evil just isn't flying anymore, not even to their own. Isn't it heartening to see people didn't vote against themselves this time.

That in it's self should be a major wake up call. They just don't get it. You can no longer tell a lie over and over pretending its the truth.

Now their trying to use new buzz words to scare people. The latest the dem's are trying redistribute the wealth as though this is bad thing!! And the old saw "socialism", give us a break and just go away.

If health care for every "AMERICAN" is socialism, sht!!! sign me up!!!!

[EasyCheese]

Read a book called "Mig Pilot".

[schicklett3]

So now it's Cheney to the rescue - to be the new attack dog since all their others have failed.
Anyway, Bush will probably be next.
911 happened on their watch (despite all the warnings) both wars happened on their watch (they started them) - the economic crisis happened on their watch - the housing bust happened on their watch, etc. etc.... need I say more?
Anyway, the republicans need a new attack dog, one that will keep people in "fear mode" and keep people suspicious of President O.
The republicans are a pathethic bunch of losers and I refuse to listen to their rhetoric.
It's an easy bet that Cheney's words will be all over the airwaves this week - and people will start building bunkers in their back yards. ;)

[smileatfear]

Cheney left office with an approval rating of 9%. There is nothing that he can say or do that will influence the American people. Even the crazy ideologues ignore him.

[Mugzi]

He's still dangerous...with the accusations of terrorism, he will the first person I point my finger at if we are attacked....

[iblogleft]

Thank you for the link to that fantastic series.

The argument is really about how much of our economy will be pubic profit, and how much will be private. The conclusion was more public than now, but less than what is really required.

Long, but great series.

[bakerjm821]

Does anyone remeber some of the GOP radio heads(Ingram/Bill O) making fun of the Obama middle class tax breaks? I heard them making fun of the $12.50 more money they would see each week from their paychecks. I feel this proves how out-o-touch they really are. In the REAL world thats enough to buy bread, milk, rice, potatos and get you buy till next payday. I just noticed an extra $20 in my paycheck on Friday and thats about 2/3 of a tank of gas.
Thank you Obama!

[thepianodiva]

So true, Arianna. I'm not sure though conservatives ever stood for anything but "conserving" the wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many. Time is passing them by. A new era is dawning and they are not part of it. Capitalism may indeed be dead-as well as Soviet Communism. Is not the world allowed some new ideas now as the future unfolds?

[greysells2]

OMG, Ariana, America actually needs a competent opposition and there is no competency in sight in the Republican Party. They don't even get the self preservation bit and sadly the GOP getting worrse by the week. The "push back" is on the American People and that is not a healthy sign.