Columnist Michael Gerson writes in the Washington Post today, "The most basic test of democracy is not what people do when they win; it is what people do when they lose."
By that measure, our Republic and our two party system are at risk.
The parade of pundits and former politicians who have appeared before the Southern Republican Leadership Conference attacking all manner of Obama Administration initiatives clearly believe that civility has no place in politics. The memory of Congressman Wilson's shout of "LIAR" apparently informs and guides speakers like Palin, Gingrich and perhaps the most egregious, Ms. Cheney. This lack of decorum is exacerbated by routine and deliberate distortion of the facts.
In her diatribe last night, Ms. Cheney accused the President of the United States of being an apologist for America, for abandoning our allies and for appeasing our enemies. Like too many of her compatriots, she wishes to blindly support our allies, regardless of their behaviors; and to resort to the most brutish forms of a militarized foreign policy. She truly accepts the notion that if all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks to be a nail.
GOP attacks against President Obama's nuclear weapons policy laid out in the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the recent signing of New START resort to the shrill, 'chicken-little' language of the Palins, Limbaughs, Krauthammers and other pseudo-toughs of the world. All this completely ignores the legacy of President Reagan discussed recently by his Secretary of State George Schultz who reminds us that the original START Treaty was proposed by President Reagan and says about New START, "relatively modest reductions" and "I think it's a constructive step." Further, the criticisms of the NPR and New START Treaty are frontal attacks against the senior uniformed and civilian military leadership who have endorsed these documents. Indeed, after vilifying the FBI following the Christmas bomber attempt, these pundits have gone after General Petraeus for his temerity to state the military importance of peace between the Palestinians and Israel.
No one is safe it seems.
Palin and Cheney have both come to the defense of President Karzai, a man long neglected under the Bush/Cheney Administration. The failure to comprehend the importance of leader behavior in Afghanistan and our interest in a responsive, effective and accountable Afghan government is difficult to grasp. A critical component of counter insurgency warfare is the viable partner. President Karzai must do better and we don't need a 'tough dad - empathetic mommy' drama from the American right wing.
Even that pillar of conservatism Senator Coburn was castigated for referring to House Speaker Pelosi as a "nice lady."
Many of us, and I trust Mr. Gerson would include himself in this group, recall the days when political opponents, leaders like President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill, would share a whiskey at the end of the day's deliberations.
It is just a bit harder to be rude to people when you know the names of their children.
Andy Borowitz: Palin, Bachmann, Seek Two Additional Horsemen
Making a joint appearance at a Tea Party rally in Minneapolis, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) put out a cryptic call for "two more horsemen" to join their movement.
John McQuaid: Attn. Republicans in New Orleans: Do You Know Where You Are?
Just up the street from the GOP's venue at the Hilton Riverside is the New Orleans Convention Center, where thousands gathered in the days after Katrina and waited for rescuers who didn't know they were there.
Robert Eisinger: The Premature Demise of the Obama Presidency
The first year does not define one's presidency, and this one is not in an incoherent free fall. Sure the POTUS' youthful luster has been lost, but not necessarily permanently or for the worse.
Taylor Marsh: Sarah Palin Taps Into Tea Partiers
Why don't Republicans spoon feed Sarah Palin, especially since she's already emotionally connected with a loyal following of voters? She's certainly no dumber than Bush.
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Tip O'Neill would be rolling over in his grave, as would JFK, to see the havoc created by the current administra
The Republican
Explain how Obama is "far-left" and uncompromi
... I'll wait...
Liz Cheney is disgracefu
Thank you for being a voice for civility.
I don't know what you politics are, nor do I really care. I agree with you that one of our shared values must be civic values.
Sir, I'd share a whiskey with you any day.
NO WAY REPUBS GO DOWN FURTHER THIS FALL!!
I spent 35 years of my life praising and teaching Young Americans the glory of this system and its potential but todays POLITICS and POLiTICIAN
Since a vast majority voted for Obama, and he has run himself to death cleaning up the piles of manure left to him by THESE SAME Republican do nothings, it might be a good thing to stand up and support him.
I don't need anymore DINOs, anywhere in my sight, and I certainly don't need a Republican sitting up along side of Obama, either. That is not the answer to civility.
That answer lies with the Republican goose steppers accepting that we have a great President in the making, not a "pretender
I will take your comment in the spirit that I think you meant it, and that was for the good of the country.
Thank you for believing in that good.
What kind of awful person are you?
Republican
And it works.
It is all very well for a President to take the high road; but a political party must slug it out on the hustings using all weapons at hand.
Right now, Democrats, with few exceptions
Example: Democrats have permitted the GOP to lay the blame for the troubles and despair of the Great Recession on them, of all things. Health care reform that benefits all 300 million or so Americans from the newborn to the granny is perceived as some sort of giveaway.
And the GOP is making strident headway with its claim that somehow Democrats are "soft on terrorism"
It is time Democrats ceased being soft on the Republican Party.
Fight, fight, fight.
Starting NOW.
It is time for more Democratic voices to be heard on every MSM, defending their President. They act like a cowardly bunch, who are afraid to stick up for their party and their President.
How dare the Democrats sit back and take all this flack, and not be out there burning up the airwaves.
All we get is a little of Grayson, sometimes, and that is it. He is brave enough to take them on so where are the others?
This President cannot do the shoveling of all the manure by himself. Neither should his voice be the only one we hear from. Where are you, Democrats ??????????
Can you not see this is willful ignorance on your part?
It is difficult to believe, but we've been seeing this for a year and a half. They don't care 1 whit about America nor long-term U.S. foreign policy interests, but what they do care about is short-term electoral victory.
When a party becomes as radical and irresponsi
What is wrong with this country!
I thought Americans would not fall for the GOP lies and fear mongering again, but I was wrong.
Party before Democracy,
Party before the People,
Ideology before Reason.