gloves off

OK, so the most moderate and non-partisan Think Tank, which concentrates on issues regarding the budget and economy released a statement today calling what the Republicans in the House of Representatives are trying to do is 'tantamount to class warfare'.

My father was a life-long Republican. He was a Republican in a state that in his day was 75% Democratic. He had courage and dignity. I've often found myself feeling on the edge of things and marginalized in our society because I am too far to the Left. My father felt that way because he was too far to the Right. But the Right he was on included people like Sen. Everette Dirkson, President Dwight Eisenhower, Sen. Nelson Rockefeller, Sen. Robert Dole (the great compromiser) and President Richard Nixon.

Nixon, as much at the Left might revile him for his Watergate actions, was actually a screaming 'liberal' compared to the current Republican Party.

Nixon, we must remember, enforced civil rights, expanded Johnson's 'Great Society', opened the door to China and supported many of the ideals that are now 'liberal' agenda.

I'm really not sure which I wish: 1) The Tea Party would drive the Republicans so far to the Right and toward Libertarianism that Democrats would gain control for a generation or more, or 2) what's left of 'moderate Republicans' (an oxymoron in many ways recently) would rediscover that 'governing', unlike 'campaigning', requires compromise and reasonableness.

My favorite TV show, perhaps my favorite TV show ever, is "The Closer". It comes on at 9 p.m. tonight, a brand new episode. But I've told Bern she has to remember the dialog since I'll be watching the President address the nation at the same time.

The ideology of the Tea Party is in reality a 'theology', a 'dogma' and 'doctrine' than cannot be questioned or compromised. We live in a country that's government functions on compromise and 'not getting everything you want'. A country that seeks what is 'good' for the nation, not a particular ideology. That is no longer the norm in Washington.

I am so, so upset with the Tea Party playing 'chicken' with the economic future of our country and, indeed, the world that I had to take my gloves off for this post....