The Audacity of Nope: The GOP Channels Groucho Marx: "Whatever It Is, I'm Against It"

The lead story in the WashPost today is "GOP Focuses Effort To Kill Health-Care Bills." But really, the story could be about climate and clean energy (see "Hill conservatives reject all 3 climate strategies and embrace Rush Limbaugh") -- or anything else.

The article notes, "William Kristol, editor of the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard, implored Republicans to 'go for the kill.' "

The GOP reminds me of Groucho Marx in Horsefeathers -- though more Groucho than Marx brother, I'm afraid:

I don't know what they have to say, It makes no difference anyway, Whatever it is, I'm against it. No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it.

Your proposition may be good,
But let's have one thing understood,
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
And even when you've changed it or condensed it,
I'm against it.

I'm opposed to it,
On general principle, I'm opposed to it....

It is a certainly a consistent philosophy, if ultimately self-destructive.

Related Posts:

• Honey, I shrunk the GOP, Part 1: Conservatives vow to purge all members who support clean energy or science-based policy


• Rep. Barton: Climate change is 'natural,' humans should just 'get shade'.


• Gingrich sums up GOP ethos: "I am not a citizen of the world! I think the entire concept is intellectual nonsense and stunningly dangerous."

Comments

[maineorbust]

How is it any different from the Democratic congress rejecting practically everything Bush wanted to do? Reforming social security for example. The hypocracy here is laughable. Partisan politics have not changed at it's core. Both parties have become the party of no when it comes to the ideas of the other party. In the end it's we the people of America who turn out to be the real losers in that deal.
It has put our congress on pause for years and little has been accomplished. Note the dismal approval rating of congress. This has stood true for the last few years. The Democratic congress AND the Bush administration have held dismal approval ratings for the last few years. Now the Obama administration is slipping in the polls for not listening to the people. The lobbyist are still in control of BOTH parties in our government. To quote Joe Biden "that's not change, that's the same".

[imfedup]

Privatization of Social Security was a HORRID idea, and thank goodness it didn't pass.

[PalaceOfWisdom]

Let's test your theory. Bush wanted a war in Iraq, Dems went along. He wanted the Patriot Act, they went along. Bush wanted more funding for Iraq, the Dem controlled Congress rolled over. Warrantless wiretaps with complicity from phone companies? No opposition, and legislation was passed with Dem approval to shield the phone companies from lawsuits. Torture? A few angry words but no action, and the photos of it are still being covered up today. Can you name a single thing Bush wanted that he actually had to fight for?

[brijit]

You are obviously a member of the reality-based community!

[Grada3784]

Do bear in mind that the Republicans were in charge of Congress for some 70% of Bush's administration. 6 years of the House and 5 years of the Senate, with one year being evenly split.

The Bush Soc. Security debacle was when the Republicans were in charge.

[oldgeek1]

Seems to me that history has shown that the Democrats objection to Bush's policies were on the mark.

The war.
Lower tax's to balance the budget.
Less to no regulation.

There is a big difference between saying no to bad policy.

[BartRoberts]

Hey! Isn't at least a bit of gratitude toward bush by Democrats and progressives in order???

Bush dealt, if not the coup de graces, a greater crippling blow to the GOP than any progressive or democrat could have ever done. Without bush, the democrats wouldn't now be enjoying their majorities in The House and The Senate.

[WIpatriot]

Revisionism at its finest.

[WilliePilgrim]

Horsefeathers, along with Duck Soup and Animal Crackers are probably the three best reasons why the human race deserve some slack for all its transgressions; a sense of humor such as the Marx Bros examplify in those films is a universal joy. The universality of it is due to the fact that while we might think it applies to our ideological opponents, it is also aiming a cream pie straight at our own laughing faces..such is the nature of reality's underlying paradox. And, let's face it, comedy is a better way to communicate than conflict.

[BlackJAC]

I've gotten rejection letters with that same attitude. "We don't know what you're offering us, we just know we don't want it, so we're not even going to read your query letter."

[ramal]

Would make the perfect commerical for the Dems to run against the Repugs.

[didntvote4thedude]

That's a marxism I can believe in.

[didntvote4thedude]

Groucho for president.

[DWSouthern]

Most of the just say no crowd who constantly bring up birth certificates, telepromters, Chicago thugs, and socialism in regard to Obama wouldn't know Karl Marx from Groucho.

[NeldaDee]

Boo-yah.

[didntvote4thedude]

Oh waaaahhhhhh

[imfedup]

This is dead on. Who knew they were more inpired by Groucho than Reagan? They should have put a statue of Groucho in the Capitol Building.

[kenstrstlsks]

It's the blue dogs stupid.

[ProudMilVet]

I am a Lifelong Democrat who still used to have respect for the Republican party. Democrats & Republicans could agree to disagree & be civil to one another. Such is no longer the case. The Republican party has sadly Morphed into some kind of a weird cult, or some kind of experiment gone horribly wrong. It has been completely taken over by the cult like personality of Rush Limbaugh & the pundits at Fox News. If you watch Fox news for any length of time, you can almost Literally feel the Hate & the Venom permeating the airwaves & directed at anyone, Republican or Democrat who has the audacity to disagree one iota with any of their views. I believe this mindset started around the time of Richard Nixon & Watergate. Nixon, with his enemies List & "The Silent Majority" Than comes Reagan & his turning "Liberal" & "Government" into two dirty words. Than in 1994 along with the Republicans "Contract with America" comes the "Scorched Earth" politics of Newt Gingrich. Just Win at any Cost !! This, leading up to the present situation with Rush Limbaugh & Fox News. How could this have happened in America, where one cult like figure & a TV Station have highjacked not only a Major American Political Party but also the right to free speech ! How Sad !!

[Rogan]

These people, these "Republicans," they can no longer control their hatred. They're starting to let it make them behave wildly, in public, and at work, even the more "normal" ones.

I've been shopping around for a psychiatrist, and it's tricky: I've seen six or seven doctors I didn't like for various reasons. The other day I saw a doctor for the first time, who seemed really smart, and seemed to really understand the "problem," though he was a bit grouchy and mean... but this Republican noise kept creeping into the dialogue, suddenly, as non sequiturs, usually. Or almost. For instance, I told him I've been smoking pot to stay calm for years, and said that I hate being a "criminal," involuntarily, because marijuana, which seems to be necessary for me, is illegal, in this country. He said, with sudden anger: "if you don't like it here, you can leave!" When I said, "No, unfortunately; I can't afford to leave, or I would," he started to say something even more angrily... then stopped, and interrupted himself, to get back to topic.

This happened about six times, every three or four minutes. I finally just got up and left. I'm still really glad I didn't lose my temper. Mind you: other than THAT, the severe cognitive dissonance the propaganda has caused him, this psychiatrist was a smart guy!

Like I said: it's frightening.

[mcgillicuddy]

Wouldn't it be nice if politicians didn't want to belong to any club that would let them be members? Certain people in Congress, for instance....

[WIpatriot]

One of my favorite Groucho-isms.

[AndSoItGoes]

This is really funny, and oh, so true.

[lmab]

I wonder why my link to this video was deleted when I posted it about a month ago,

[SkyeinColorado]

I remember that! Hmmm...interesting.

[didntvote4thedude]

I wonder why my post was deleted. Nothing controversal about it. Just the truth.

[Sportswoman]

Reagan put homeless vets out on the streets because he didn't want to fund veterans Hospitals. Neither did Bush until the Webb bill forced his hand. Nixon created the giant health insurance bureaucracy with the advent of Kaiser. Republicans love to cut funding to schools and hospitals, fatten the cffers of Wall Street bankers, corporate giants, that are the ruination of America. The Democrats want to save what is left of the middle class that years of Nixon, Bush and reagan have tried to eradicate. Socialism for the rich.
Very un-American!

[Sportswoman]

Another Groucho Ode to Rethuglicans:
******************************************
"Hello,
They must be going .
They cannot stay
They only came to say
They must be going...
They must be.....
Going!