Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Why did it take four years...

...for a Republican to come out and talk about the "dark vein of intolerance" in the GOP? And why did it have to be Colin Powell? As the former Secretary of State asked last Sunday, "Why do senior Republican leaders tolerate this kind of discussion within the party?"

Is it because establishment Republicans are afraid of their base? Are congressmen and senators afraid they'll be "primaried?" Are GOP leaders worried that the tea party might bolt the Republican Party? Are they putting their party above ... their country?

I understand why John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are silent on the subject; they're party hacks. But what about senior Republicans, like John McCain? He likes to think of himself as a leader. After all, the senator from Meet the Press Arizona was the party's standard-bearer as recently as 2008. (And he's also on the Sunday talk shows practically every week.) Why hasn't McCain spoken out like this? Why doesn't he distance himself from some of the uglier elements in the GOP? Is it ... lack of courage?

1 comment:

Ed Crotty said...

Racism is THE foundation of the GOP. ( exclusive of the 1% ) They say they are for "smaller government" but the only progams they want to cut are for "those people". They don't think that $1 millon medicare surgeries on 84 year olds are a waste, but $500/month in food stamps for CHILDREN is an "aggregious" waste. They didn't care one whit about the debt ceiling or defecit until the black guy was inaugurated.

Even the "religious" GOP is mainly about racism. About tribalism.