For the Good of the Party...I mean Country!
Submitted by hadrian on Fri, 05/11/2007 - 2:42pm
In the past week there has been a number of stories about Congressional Republicans expressing that they may break with the President on the Iraq War as they fear it's hurting their party, and their electoral chances in 2008.
This seems to be presented as a good thing by the media and welcomed by parts of the left. I suppose they figure the Republicans finally coming around on this issue is a good thing, which ultimately it is, there's still one thing that bothers me.
The Republicans and not considering withdrawing their support for the war because...
It was launched on shakey pretenses that have now proven to be false...
Over 3000 US soldiers have been killed, and over 25,000 wounded fighting in a conflict whose justifications have proven false...
It has resulted in the deaths of countless Iraqi civilians...
It has distracted us from conflicts in other parts of the world where we might more effectively combat terrorism...
Our diplomacy in other areas is hamstrung by other countries knowing our military is over-deployed...
The conflict has worsened US security and increased the support of our enemies...
But because it is hurting their party.
Isn't this pretty much reprehensible, for the success of your party to be the deciding factor in your decision making? I thought Republicans were supposed to be the party of values? What amazes me is not that they think this way, but that they tell people this and expect them to like it.
Somewhat to his credit, Vice-President Cheney defended his position stating, "We didn't get elected to worry just about the fate of the Republican Party." While it may be in defense of a ruinous policy, he's at least espousing a moral position (though let me pass you the salt on that one), not a polticial calculation.
When I read this "hurting the party" stuff
it made me want to go postal.
A
PS You'd need a whole salt mine to make anything Dick Cheney says about the war palatable. For all their incompetence, it doesn't appear that Bush/Cheney got elected to worry about anything.
Do good. Be nice. Have fun.
Wasn't it just after 06 election...
Bush and Co. said that they didn't have to listen to the voters because they owed it to the people that voted for them to promote their agenda...