The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County

It keeps getting more clear why there are no Republicans from New England in the House of Representatives.

Last week, a news story reported how the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County in Maryland had posted a commentary on their website that compared Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler.

(It said that both men worked fast -- a quality they share with Domino Pizza delivery guys. Left out was exterminating six million people.)

The organization chose to remove it, posting instead a simple explanation:

The article put on our web site by Joyce Thomann was done solely by her. Our Board of Directors never saw the article and would never have approved it. We are not in support of Mrs. Thomann's personal thoughts ot [sic] opinions.

This seemingly was the end of the story. But it shouldn't have been.

You see, after reading the explanation, I kept staring at it. Not for what it said, but what it didn't.

It didn't say that Joyce Thomann was the president of the organization. And how she actually does speak for the organization when writing on its website.

It also didn't say why the Board wouldn't have approved it. For all we know, they were upset that she didn't make the comparison for genocide. Admittedly, that's not likely -- but you'd think that if they were deeply mortified, as most reasonable people would be, they would have said so. Like, "We were aghast at the mindless, hate-filled and insane rant written by our organization's president, Joyce Thomann."

And it didn't have an apology, either. Yes, we know they wouldn't have approved it. What we don't know is whether they're sorry about what she wrote. Maybe they just think she should keep her spot-on personal opinions to herself, and not use the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County's website for them.

What they also didn't have any word about was if Joyce Thomann had been removed as president of the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County. Or that she has at least had her posting privileges revoked for a week. Maybe an explanation that she's been ordered to enter a rehab clinic. But all they did was take down a web article, and it's business as usual with the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County.

None of that. You get the impression that the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County wasn't really much bothered by their organization's leader comparing the president of the United States to Adolf Hitler. Just slightly embarrassed that they got all this attention for it.

But the thing is, for all the national attention that the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County got last week -- that's not what I was referring to about how this shouldn't have been the end of the story.

You see, an even bigger story was missed right there on the same homepage of the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County. The story that got attention, sure, that was pathetic, but it only shows either blind, irrational hatred of either liberals, Democrats, black men or people from Chicago. (Speaking as someone from Chicago, I'm really hoping it's not the latter.)

But this other item offers a deeper insight into Republican politics, and a hypocrisy that informs a way of thinking that allows wrongs to be committed while pretending to wave a faux-banner of patriotism.

For there on the homepage of the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County's website was a slogan emblazoned for all to see:

LIBERTY ONCE LOST IS SELDOM, IF EVER, REGAINED

It sounds great, it sounds patriotic, it sounds noble. But mostly, it's just pompous and hypocritical.

Never mind Joyce Thomann's hypocritical claim that President Obama has destroyed the U.S. economy -- ignoring that the economy had long-since been demolished by George Bush.

No, this banner is specifically about unnamed lost liberties, and how we must fight for them, lest the evil Obama takes them away. Whatever the presumed "them" is.

Yet if one is seriously interested in looking at liberties taken away, far more appropriate is to look at actual, real liberties taken away. Real liberties lost, like in the Patriotic Act. Like warrantless wiretapping. Like holding prisoners without habeas corpus. Like accepting torture as permissible.

Any outrage about that? Any moral anger at those, very real liberties being taken away?

No, just close a blind eye to them, and try to pretend that you're patriotic about liberty.

If someone doesn't like the policies of the current administration, fair enough. If someone wants to truly fight when any liberty is lost, fair enough. But if you are actually interested in protecting liberties...

...then yell at the top of your voice when an administration actually creates a $900 billion debt and collapses the American economy -- even if its your party's administration. Bellow vociferously when an administration actually strips about the liberties you say you care about. Even if its your party's administration.

Because otherwise, you're nothing more than a pandering, small-minded, hate-filled hypocrite who is not illuminating the problems America faces...but are the very problems.

Yes, this is just the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County. But it's the same hypocrisy and tone-deaf, self-inflicted blindness that has mired the entire Republican Party into a leaderless ship adrift without forceful ideas and without a clear future.

Comments

[StPeteDave]

This is a link to the Huffington Post article when it was first put up

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/23/gop-womens-group-in-md-ob_n_219841.html

[addisonsteele]

Since when is Maryland part of New England?

[Robert J. Elisberg - Huffpost Blogger]

Occasionally, sources stretch the boundaries and include it. Most don't. But New England is not the point of the article, just a general comment about the status of the Republican Party, which the end of the article addresses and expands beyond the problem the GOP does have in those northeast states.

[ThinkCreeps]

Maybe it migrated out of the south for the summer?

[BlueFloyd]

oh no, they are DEFINITELY southies!!!

[newsmctado]

I think the "outrage" we see in conservatives is simply indicative of what many (not all) with voice and power in the GOP feel: that the only liberty they respect is their liberty to gather as much personal income as possible, with as few restrictions as possible. I first started to feel this way during the campaigns. Last summer Obama was already being called a tax and spend liberal or a socialist (depending on who you asked). Why? Because he dared to propose raising the tax rate by 3% on those who made more than 150K a year. All of the sudden, that 3% tax hike was the truest example possible of Obama's secret desire to "strip us of our liberties". I'm sorry, but their is no mention of tax brackets or percentages in the Constitution. Low taxes are not a fundamental liberty that must be protected. Yes, you can make the argument that our founding fathers desired a small and limited government (220 years ago), but more importantly they valued democracy and the democratic process. I truly believe that if the pillars of American democracy were here today, they would probably disagree strongly with many things about our country. Possibly even our tax rates. But I do not believe they would call them an assault on the fundamental liberties of this country. Instead, they would see our nation as the end result of two hundred years of democracy and progress.

[LMPE]

I hope that RWAAC remembers that Maryland is, if the last few elections are any indication, one of the bluest states. This little peccadillo of theirs should further isolate the GOP.

[MajorKong]

I knew these folks would do a 180 on this stuff just as soon as their guy wasn't in office any more but I had no idea they would go this far this quickly.

[caphillprof]

and both the officers and membership links are presently "not found"

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

This proves Woman can be cowards also.

[caphillprof]

I note that their alleged Republican principles include:

"I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability. "

I wonder if they are supporting extending marriage to same-sex couples in Maryland?

[dinglebe]

They may state their principles; it's clear they don't believe in them.

[usna73]

RWAAC has disclaimed responsibility for the article. The Board did not approve it. Give them an opportunity to react. Your attack may be villifying people who do not deserve it.

For the record, I have no ties to this group and I'm a Democrat. I did however, receive the warmest support and affection from the people of Annapolis on many occasions, decades ago.

[DrBuzz]

usna73, there is no doubt that you are a Democrat, have no ties to the group, were a midshipman, and enjoyed your time at Annapolis. Also for the record, Mr. Elisberg condemned neither the citizens of Maryland, nor of Anne Arundel County. What is noteworthy is that Mr. Elisberg was able to cogently put down in sharp focus exactly what this apparently-reactionary group failed to do, even to the present. How much time does an organization need to say "You are the weakest link. Bye-bye!" The clock is ticking, the eyes of the country are on them, and... nothing.

They deserve any rebuke up until and past the time at which they finally do the right thing: fire the President of the organization, own up to the verbiage as being inappropriate (they aren't exactly talk show hosts), and commit to civil dialogue -- not repetition of the pablum spewed out by repugnant neocons.

[Robert J. Elisberg - Huffpost Blogger]

As DrBuzz eloquently noted -- the RWAAC has, in fact, had a full week to "react." Further, they DID react. Indeed, they posted their reaction, which is specifically what my article was addressing. My piece was not about what the organization's president wrote -- I don't even quote it, since it doesn't deserve quoting -- it was about the RWAAC's Board of Directors reaction. And given that they have had a week now to reconsider their reaction and perhaps add to that...and haven't...I think it's fair to take that as their reaction. And fair to comment on it.

I understand your interest in being fair. So, do I. That's why I waited a week to see if the RWAAC was write any additional reaction and say, "Oops." They did not. And so, I wrote the above.