What's Wrong with the Republican Party?
Thursday October 30, 2008
An Arizona robocall sponsored by the RNC has attracted the attention of the political blogosphere because of what it says about the horserace, but it interests me for different reasons.
Part of the recorded message says (emphasis mine):
That's how real mavericks behave, and Crist should be rewarded for this--perhaps with the next available Republican presidential nomination.
Related: The Republican Liberty Caucus, Round Two
Part of the recorded message says (emphasis mine):
If Democrats win full control of government, they will want to give civil rights to terrorists and talk unconditionally to dictators and state sponsors of terror.Let's unpack what's wrong with this statement:
- According to the philosophy of natural rights that undergirds our system of government, rights are not "given"; we're born with them, and the goal of all legitimate governments is to protect them. (See also: Why Do People Need Government?)
- One of the most basic civil rights is due process. If one loses civil rights simply because the government has declared him or her to be a terrorist, as it has done to non-U.S. citizens at Guantanamo Bay, then the government has power to imprison anyone it wishes at will without trial--and civil rights cease to exist for anybody. (See also: Guilt by Association at Guantanamo)
- McCain has claimed in recent years to oppose torture, even in cases where the suspect has been shown to be a terrorist. But opposing the torture of terrorists would also constitute "[giving] civil rights to terrorists"--so are we to assume that the Republican Party is now that torture is acceptable, and that McCain is the candidate to support if one does not oppose the torture of prisoners? (See also: McCain, Torture, and the Unitary Executive Theory)
The real McCain, whoever that is or was, may still believe that major swathes of the Religious Right represent "agents of intolerance" in our politics. But he has decided to stake both his election and the Republican Party's future upon them - from the barely coded racial refrain of "Who is Barack Obama?," to the rallies with shouts of "terrorist" and "kill him," to the corrosive choice of pipeline-prayer Sarah Palin as his running mate and heir apparent.Fortunately, there is at least one Republican elected official who still respects the liberal democratic tradition: Florida governor Charlie Crist, who upset members of his own party by allowing early voting in Florida. Some McCain supporters had hoped that high turnout would increase the size of long lines in predominantly black urban districts, suppressing minority voter turnout and handing McCain the state. Crist put civil rights above political interests and did his job by expanding eligible voting hours, increasing the odds that everyone in Florida will get a chance to vote.
Tax cuts or no tax cuts, a party that can be roused in time of deep crisis only by fear and tribalism - a party that a supposed moderate is now deeding to its most extreme elements - can scarcely serve as a safe home to liberty or the voters who cherish it.
That's how real mavericks behave, and Crist should be rewarded for this--perhaps with the next available Republican presidential nomination.
Related: The Republican Liberty Caucus, Round Two
Comments
McCain has claimed in recent years to oppose torture, even in cases where the suspect has been shown to be a terrorist.
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Well, ah,no, not exactly.
What you may have in mind is this episode:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/15/torture.bill/
Unfortunately, the press didn’t get it quite right. What happened was not that Bush caved under pressure from McCain. What happened was that McCain and Bush cut a deal. The deal was simple: “John Boy, you just add a provision to your Bill there denying them there terrrrrorists in Guat any access to the good old American federal courts, and fuzz up the definition of torture a bit, and I’ll sign your bill.”
McCain, of course, agreed. Great PR victory and just in time for his re-election campaign. There was even a pretend debate between Kyle [our other glorious Senator from Arizona] and Lindsay Graham of North Carolina inserted in the Congressional Record paginated as if it were the transcript of a real debate on the floor.
The net result for civil rights, especially after Bush’s signing statement = zero or worse.
But them them there damned Supremes invalidated this fine patriotic deal as unconstitutional, thus thwarting the will of the People acting in secrecy through their elected “representatives” [so called]. Damned pinko liberal terrorist-symps.
IOW, McCain hasn’t changed a bit. He’s a sell out on every civil liberties issue. Always has been, always will be. He doesn’t even meet Boss Tweed’s definition of an honest politician: “Once bought, stays bought.”