On GOP Depression

After Bush was re-elected in 2004, we learned that Michael Moore was so depressed he couldn't get out of bed for days. I'm hearing of that sort of reaction from some GOP blog sites as a result of our recent election! I haven't been able to find any, but at least some of the blogs I read say they have. The Captain says he's going to give some suggestions for re-capturing congress in '08.

All I can say is "Oh grow up!" It's a set back, and the D's are gonna have congress for at least six years.

I don't know much 'bout political victory, but I'm old enough to remember living through the Viet Nam era, (I was number 56 in the draft in '71) and the end of the Democrats 80 year reign of politics in DC in 1994. Those were the days of the "Culture of Corruption!" It was way too much to ask that the new Republican congress end all influence of dirty money, but it was not too much to ask that they personally stay clean. The Democrats that have survived the last 12 years haven't learned any lessons during their time out of the majority. But I'm betting many of the newly elected Democrats won't have anything to do with dirty money, at least for a while. Can you imagine having people bringing you sacks of money, stock options and gold just for a vote that takes a few seconds?

I think it's key that many of the new House members are not liberals, many are even pro-life. Most are what I think of as "Labor Democrats." Very much for increases in minimum wage, making health insurance more equitably available, and securing employment against 'evil' business management.

While I think most of what they want to do in these areas, and the role of gov't for them, is wrong headed. We are a capitalist nation, healthier and wealthier (yup!) because of it. If the Republicans had lost after reducing the size of gov't and hadn't been open to the corruption charges, I'd be pretty worried. Economically though, these are the good old days that we'll be remembering fondly in twenty years.

But I think the loss is a direct result of (in no particular order):
1) all the earmark and "bridge to nowhere" nonsense.
2) Abramoff
3) lack of leadership on the border/immigration issues.
4) lack of perceived progress in Iraq.


That's all for now. I'll collect some thoughts and come back to a couple of these in future posts.

rcb