Stop naming buildings for Reagan

The republicans are fighting for the soul of their party – what little there is left of it. Even though they’re in the midst of a pivotal election that could cement their hold on the courts and provide four more years of free plane rides, the defeat in the 2006 bi-election demonstrated to old time republicans that their party was completely bankrupt. With this in mind, check out George F. Will's column which appeared this morning: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/22/AR2008092202583.html?nav=hcmoduletmv.

The Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Rockefeller wing of the party – of which I was member until the months leading up to the invasion of Iraq - had been driven out to pasture by the Goldwater/Reagan forces that had combined their strength with the neocons and evangelicals effectively leading the party to power then to excess and now to ruin.

The democrats faced a similar situation in the sixties when Lyndon Johnson had dreams equal to those of St. Ron and ran the party and country aground with both the Great Society and Vietnam. Years in the wilderness led – after many groups fought for the leadership of that party - to a desire to win despite ideology after twelve years of St. Ron and the first Bush – the party to turn to the center and elect Bill Clinton.

After eight years and thousands of smears, the republicans, not having run their mad course of Goldwater’s “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue,” had yet to peak and the party was set to test its limits.

George W. Bush, a self styled uniter, fell under the influence of Dick Cheney who found the perfect candidate to run with Bush, himself. The moderates were done, and the inmates were in charge of the asylum. Deficits did not matter. Shock and awe would demonstrate that the U.S. was in charge and able to enforce its will on any nation or group.

After 9/11, two laboratories were needed and in Saddam’s Iraq the empirical one was found. In the second, and co-equal to the first, spending was unleashed while taxes were cut for all Americans, but especially for the rich; all the while deficits spiraled to previously undreamed of amounts. `Shop till you drop,’ was the mantra for civilians at home.

Shock and awe carried the day in Iraq and Saddam’s government fell in weeks. An imperial Roman triumph was held aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln; the mission had been accomplished. Unfortunately, the rationale for the war was flawed and there was no real plan for the aftermath of the conflict and we did not have the power to enforce our will on the Iraqi people. Things went terribly awry, and the conflict proved terribly costly in blood and treasure.

Deficits continued to spin out of control. The deregulation of financial institutions that had been another mantra of the St. Ron branch of the party - and which had been long supported by John McCain - led to excess and to a breakdown in the financial markets and to the events of the last weeks. It was a house of cards and the fools in charge had nowhere or no one to turn to except traditional republicans as it began to collapse. The Hank and Ben show was the only game in town and they pulled away the curtain on the cringing morons no longer in charge of anything.

They’re done, of course. Their empire is in tatters, and we’re going to have to begin to bring the troops home. The great leap forward instituted by St. Ron is in shambles. Bush lives in a dream world, one in which he’s in charge of everything.

John McCain, perhaps a natural member of the moderate wing of the party – although with a temper suited for an emperor (or the Queeen of Hearts as shown by George Will) - has no real philosophy of his own and can only think of winning office without a real cause other than his ego to save the nation. He’s stuck with empire which he likes and tax cuts that he doesn’t to assure party unity for one last time in hopes of assuming the mantle of St Ron and the Bushes.

McCain, out of desperation, threw a Hail Mary and selected a running mate from the evangelical wing of the party. (I know the metaphor is ridiculous, but I’m old, cranky and angry.) The neocons are out. The traditionals were out but, like Cincinnatus, had to be called back to save the country and party and they were sick of the madness. They will save the party and the nation. But they all have to go away to contemplate what they have done to us.

Barack Obama will win if you vote, work and donate. Most importantly, it’s time to stop naming buildings after St. Ron; I get confused and enter airports to mail letters and post offices to fly. You have save me; vote for Obama.

And I ain’t b.s.n’ ya.