So I'm off driving to lunch and flip on the AM radio and there's Rush Limbaugh ******** as per usual. But not about the Democrats this time. No, he's ******** about the twenty-four-odd Republicans who voted against the House spending bill being pushed by the GOP. Things I learned:
I missed the end of this particular bit but I'd be real suprised if (especially given the use of McCain's name) the Republican support of the anti-torture bill wasn't part of this little diatribe.
Now, I don't want to overstate this. I'm well aware that Mr. Limbaugh is a commentator and show host, not a member of the government or anything. But I did find the backlash against those who don't "fall in line" interesting. Maybe it's because I associate with the other team and the Democrats are, for better or worse, a collection of the "Not a Republican"s moreso than a single solidified unit. I see that 18% of the Democrats in the House voted against the Eminent Domain bill and say "Meh." It doesn't mean there's a dark agenda, it doesn't mean the Left is out to steal my house and give it to longhairs and Welfare Negroes, it doesn't mean they need to be chastised for not voting the same as the other 82% -- it means that 18% had a different opinion and voted on it. Bully for them. I'd be more worried if they all voted in a solid, unthinking bloc. Moderate Democrats have already said they won't support a filibuster for the Supreme Court appointment. Good. I can't speak for every Senator but I'd hope the bulk of them will respect that.
McCain & Co solidify Right wing support for the torture bill (I call it that for ease of use, if your argument has to rely on me saying "torture bill" don't bother) and it's because they were "forced to". The moderate Right blocks a spending bill and they are labelled as "Republican liberals" and turncoats. I was somewhat amused last election at attempts to label the Left as the "Intelligensia" or the "Harvard Elite". The premise that looking at a problem in shades of grey rather than Bush's "For us or against us" black & white was a character flaw and something to be ashamed of.
So many claims that the Left is becoming too extreme and that the Left won't reach out, but why am I seeing so much polarization from the Right? Why not even admit that some Republicans -- real Republicans -- think there's a way beyond the strict economic/social conservative agenda?