Friday, November 14, 2014

Today In Both Sides Do It



Mr. Andrew Sullivan faults the GOP for trying to blow up a bridge (all bridges, actually) and faults the Obama administration for not 'splainin' the bridge -- which was the subject of endless hearings and public discussion which Mr. Sullivan apparently missed --  well enough for the hoi polloi to understand what the bridge was and where it would go:
...
The only reason Americans are ignorant about the ACA is that they were never clearly told what it was designed to achieve and how it would work. The debate was had among elites, using often technical language – who really knows what a vague “public option” means, for example? – and then sold to the public with either blanket reassurances (if you have an insurance policy, you can keep it) or terror stories about a government take-over (which it wasn’t). The reason for this failure by both sides to lay out the actual plan in ways anyone could understand was political. Neither side wanted a free-wheeling debate with unknown consequences; one was aiming for passage (something never achieved before), and the other was rooting for failure (for rank partisan reasons). Neither side was really interested in a real debate about the pros and cons.
...
Actually, Andrew, the Side of the Angels was was fucking begging Republicans to help them out just a smidge.  Just a jot.  Give us suggestions.  Any suggestions.  Any suggestions (which
which aren't designed to kill the thing in it's crib) at all.

Anything?

Beuhler?

Anything?

And while the Side of the Angels was trying to gavotte through several, interlocking foreign policy and economic minefields simultaneously. the Bad People were equally busy shouting  Death!Panels! in crowded old folk's homes.  And strutting around in tri-corner hats, waving Gadsden flags and keening at town hall meetings like a billion banshees that they din't wunt Murrica to B'come Russia!



(Historical note:  Ms. Abrams has successfully parlayed yelling at Arlen Specter about The Encroaching Tyrant into a gig with...wait for it...Americans for Prosperity!  But you already guessed that because you are very smart.)

I know it's vewy, vewy hard to see the real world from the uppermost bartizan of Mr. Sullivan's Ivory Tower, so i'll be as simple as I can be:  There is no possibility of a "real debate about the pros and cons" about anything until the Republican Party is put down like the rabid animal that it is, and replaced by something like the Imaginary Reasonable Gated Suburb Tory-lite Party that David Brooks is always fapping on about in his Whig fan fiction.

And the GOP is not going to budge one inch until the Both Sides Do It retaining wall that keeps it propped up is blown to smithereens.



4 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

Sully looks uncomfortable there.

Wait....is that a GANG SIGN he's flashing??!?!??!

tmk said...

...Um, it's "Bueller". :)

[\nitpick]

Grung_e_Gene said...

Now that the Republicans have resurrected the granny starving Paul Ryan Path to Penury and are adamant they are empowered to destroy Obama care it time to recall the right wing health care plan

If you were wealthy you'd be healthy
But if you're poor and sick
Do us a favor and die quick

Batocchio said...

Says the hack who was one of the key players in derailing health care reform in the 90s (despite being British and knowing the benefits of universal coverage).