David Brooks: The Republicans Have No Belief System, Circular Firing Squad
By Heather Monday Nov 10, 2008 5:30am
From Face the Nation Nov. 9, 2008. Following his interview with Raum Emanuel Bob Schieffer talks to David Brooks and John Harris about what Obama does once elected and Brooks says that he took away from Emanuel's interview that the Democrats are going to try to move too quickly and get everything done at once and that it will "freak people out" if he does that. Harris reminds him that would not happen even if he wanted it to with the make up of the Congress. So again we have more of this don't dare to possibly do what the people elected you to do, or at least don't try to do it too quickly or you'll be punished for it. I'm sure with Republicans determined to obstruct before Obama is even sworn in that won't be a problem.
What's really astounding about this segment though is that Brooks then goes on to say that the Republican party has no belief system, it's a circular firing squad and adds that the conservative movement has failed because it hasn't addressed the problems of today.
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Trying to save face and hoping he can keep charging for the crap he writes!
Why does anyone listen to these lying bastards?
They are already beginning their campaign. The negativity continues. They want Obama to fail.
Country First, my ass. Screw the republicans!
Museum of Natural History Set to Open a ‘Republican Exhibit’
Personally, I think a more fitting Republican Natural History exhibit would be a simple trash dump. All of the same elements are involved in both. You have stinking piles of policies that don't work and Conservative flies that are only now fighting over those that may be still salvagable. What a pity that Obama's first task is to play garbage man and take out the remainder of the trash.
I think it's the Conservative arm of the Republican party that has failed... not the party itself.
Conservative economics, conservative foreign policies and conservative domestic policies have failed in every imaginable way. Not only did these policies fail the American people, but it failed the conservatives and the world for that matter.
As the holiday season approaches we should have a wake for Conservatism.
More like we should have a sleep in honor of conservatism.
You don't have a wake for Conservatism: you cut off it's head, cut out it's heart, stick garlic in the cavity and bury it at midnight like the evil, unholy, foul movement it was.
But I agree totally with you that the focus should be on the Conservatives and not the Republicans. Their party was destroyed by Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh and Tom Delay: not by Lincoln Chafee and Olympia Snowe. It's a classic Rove-Goebbels propaganda campaign to talk about the failure of the Republican Party as being totally unrelated to the Conservative Movement's domination of that Party.
One wing of the party (the David Brooks, George Will wing) is already claiming that the Republican party hasn't practiced "true" conservatism in years, and that it wasn't conservatism that failed. It was just the Republican party that failed, and they failed BECAUSE they lost their way/sold their soul, and veered away from conservative principles.
So, this particular wing of the party would like to get out of this by simply shifting the target. Basically the same idea as liberals switching to calling themselves progressives as a way of getting out from under a 30 year campaign of slander against the world liberal by movement conservatism. A pretty good idea, actually, if they can pull it off. It's not clear that they can, because every time somebody asks them what the difference between liberalism and progressivism is, they end up flat-footed (like they did during the primary debates). If they're going to pull it off, they need some official answer to that question.
Whether the conservatives can change THEIR skin or not is a different question, at least as far as the Republican party is concerned. I don't think they can because, as this website has pointed out, the party is being torn between the move to "true conservatism" and a separate move to right-wing populism. It's basically a fracturing of the old Reagan coalition between boring northeastern plutocrats, and lunatic southeastern values voters. It's going to be fun to watch.
I think Obama is going to quickly remove all of those incompetent, criminal members of Bush's regime that need to be removed. Then, he is going to change some of those failed Conservative policies that definately need to be changed. Now, if that freaks some people out then so be it.
...Or at least a RICO investigation. There are now Bushies at every level of the Government from top to bottom that were hired on ideological and not competence grounds.
Many if not most of the honest bureaucrats have been driven to quit or retire early, but the same will not work on the ideologues unless they see prison time on corruption charges headed their way.
Beyond such a prosecution those thorns have been thoroughly embedded in the side of anyone who wants the Government to watch out for the American people and prevent the Gang Of Pirates from looting and poisoning Americans more than they already have.
Much as I would love to see the bastards get jail time, maybe a Truth Commission, in the style employed by South Africa and Argentina, might be the best solution. Getting all of the Conservative crimes out in the open so that their beliefs will be totally discredited for future generations is more important than revealing just a few of their crimes and sending a few people to jail.
South Africa will not likely see Apartheid again, and real justice would not likely have seen any White outside of a prison cell, certainly none who owned a business, or had any knowledge of how to run a government.
Under that case only a Truth Commission would work. Fortunately the USA is not that bad off yet. However, even a truth commission will not pound a stake in the Neocon, much less Libertarian heart. That will take generations. But jail time for crimes might give pause.
It appears according to this article from Global Research that not only will Obama not be "removing" any of the criminal Neocons, he's already promised to move full speed ahead with Bush's missile shield against Russia in Europe:
www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articl...
Plus Obama is also planning a "surge" of military troops into Afghanistan. That's okay. We can afford to lose thousands more of our troops and we CERTAINLY can financially swing it! Who needs healthcare at home and jobs created to re-build our crumbling infrastructure when we can instead become involved in a hopeless blood-letting quagmire in Afghanistan that will CERTAINLY make us all safer from terrorism. Right? Right?!
And if you want to discuss more "criminal members" of Bush's regime, check out today's headlines from Bloomberg about The Federal Reserve saying "F-You" to Congress on "transparency". It's so bad that Bloomberg News is suing The Federal Reserve:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206010...
Do you honestly believe Obama or anyone in Congress will be able to do ANYTHING with the secretive Federal Reserve Bank?
You can breathe now.
#1 Operational security-
As much as I hate it, we cannot watch the troops real time, because if we can, so can the opposition. On the other hand a full outing of the facts afterwards is a necessity and treason charges for aiding the opposition under those circumstances would not be out of line.
#2 Obama is not the President-
He and his people can suggest but not order anything. When he is, hopefully the operations will be over and the second part (above) will be possible. Even if Obama does not wish it there are many new Congress critters who will be happy to go where he does not, and hopefully they will be backed up by the Internet folks that got Obama (and the congress) elected in the first place.
When republicans buy new guns do they come with a sticker that says, "Point away from face,"?
I hope not :-)
Ouch...
If you wrote a book that included every stupid idea known to man you would title it "The Conservative Manifesto". That's why conservatism failed.
The hell they don't have a belief system! They firmly believe in deregulating corporations and regulating private citizens behavior. They firmly believe in sticking it to the working people while giving hand-outs to the wealthy. They firmly believe in ignoring the US Constitution and inserting religion into our government. They firmly believe in global domanation while letting our transportation and education infrastructure crumble. They firmly believe in squacking about small government while increasing government size and spending. They firmly believe in borrowing and firmly believe in ignoring their debt. I'm sure I could go on but I'm also sure most readers here are well aware of the bizarre believe system of these clowns.
For everyone else... but themselves!
If Obama is able to get this through then it will go a long way in restoring America's credibility and overall impression of being a just country. Its time to close George "AKA Joe Stalin" Bush's gulags down.
Obama planning US trials for Guantanamo detainees
WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081110/ap_on_el_...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s33g4zVKF8
That was pretty cool - especially Barnicle's reaction.
This Joe expletive explosion is going viral!
Round of applause for Fastfeat!
at YouTube. He or she had it up there quickly. I'm just the conduit.
Hell, I don't even have cable, nor can I play YouTube vids without having to open IE--damn Firefox/Flash issues.
I suggest saving it, before it gets purged like the other person's video of the same topic.
How do you "save" a youtube video???? I didn't know you could do that.
It will allow you to save YouTube vids as .flv files.
If you only have IE, I don't know of a way to save them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6ES4P2QgkQ&NR=1
Gets away with it, too. Wish I could talk to the world that way LOLOLOL! Not really. What a nasty disgusting slob this little man is. I am convinced he was stinking drunk during the David Schuster Smackdown. Why isn't he fired? How long would Imus have lasted doing this f*%@ing sh*t?!
Seems like every effort to change anything is prefaced by the republicans ability and desire to circumvent any major reshuffling of current policies. I am in a state of complete befuddlement as to why the democrats could not stop the republicans in the same fashion. If the ability was there, why did they not use it? Oh well, what's for lunch?
Crow?
I love listening to the seemingly endless crap from "wrong all year" asshats like Brooks. Proclaiming Palin as your party's future is the equivalent of eating a bullet.
I don't know about you-all, but I am having one hell of a laugh, watching wingers like Bobo here presuming to offer advice to the president-elect who was swept to victory on a tidal wave of disgust for their party. Am I going to have to listen to four to eight years of his ilk pontificating on what Obama should/should not do after their giving a complete pass to the gang of criminals who spent the better part of the last decade trashing our democracy and bringing the country to its knees? Spare me!! Like anyone gives a shit about these totally intellectually bankrupt, irrelevant and obsolete - yet ever so self-regarding - assholes.
The "Stephanie Miller Show" has just reported that Joe "assistant murderer" Scarborough has been suspended for dropping an "F" bomb live on his shitty show today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s33g4zVKF8
Hilarious! Did I or did I not hear a woman in the background say "Honey?" to ol' Joe after he dropped da bomb?
The looks of incredulity on the faces of the other two were absolutely priceless!
Brzezinski's daughter. Can't remember her first name.
Yep, he sure did. Joe dropped the "F" bomb.
So the repubs have to chose between Palin and Jindal as their next party leader. Good luck with that.
So much for watching Joe over breakfast with the kids. Kids really shouldn't watch Joe in the morning anyways cuz it's bad for their developing brains.
On Palin....is Palin really the best the Republicans can find? Really??? Wow, that sucks!
Oh man, that was awesome. Paragons of decorum and civility, these Republicans!
to see the tide turning in Obama's favor. Of course, his motivations are purely selfish survival, but at least he's not in denial.
to lose, respectably.
I cannot escape the impression that the Pukes threw the whole thing. How ELSE do you explain Sarah Palin? McCain's bungling? The vileness of the campaign, and the rest? I think they just invested enough into the race to make it SEEM like they were contesting the thing, but in reality, washing their hands of the whole mess (which they, having created it ALL, were eager to now abjure), secure in the knowledge that the conditions they were leaving behind would defeat the Risen Messiah, to say nothing of a mere mortal with a bare margin in the Congress, composed of fractious, incompatible elements and irreconcilable interests, and opposed by a nearly monolithic, disciplined Puke minority which will NEVER negotiate in 'good faith' or in any way assist the 'change' agenda on the basis of which Obama won his historic, albeit slender, victory.
I more or less predicted this outcome/scenario early this year...
Your right Woody, I think we just saw a big production, put on for the people so that they could feel like we had fought and won. McCain and Palin said and did the most outrageous things that they could think of, in effect pushing votes to the other side. Their is no way that they did not know voters would reject any one who was going to stay the bush course. look at what was given, big mouth,angry war mongers, ranting about more war and more tax cuts for the rich, hate gays, blacks and everyone but the rich, or for the calm forgiving person ,for change for the working person,the middle class. I hope we are wrong Woody, but I fear we have just seen a " look at the shiny things" production. We will see I guess, hope I am wrong-CEO,citizens,eyes,open
Palin called the people who spilled the beans on her "unprofessional" and then she called them "jerks.
Guess she didn't see the irony in that. How professional is it to use the word "jerks"?
sarah enjoys circle jerks.
...it takes one to know one!! Also.
Greta Van Susteren is doing an exclusive with Sarah Barracuda.
I'm calling tears.
Don't know what time Greta's on, plus I'm not sure anyone can take listening to one more word out of her mouth.
But it might be entertaining in a sadistic kind of way.
I see that what is left of the puma crowd have started a web site "Palin for President 2012". They think that Democrats and Obama are scared that she will run in 2012. I really hope the repub party jumps on that bandwagon along with the puma crowd. You gotta love the gift that keeps giving.
I think Sarah will form her own party and run in 2012 - the "End of Times" party. It fits with the Mayan ideas and calendar which predicts that a 12-13 thousand-year cycle ends on Dec, 21, 2012, and there will be big changes.
So, if Miss Sarah runs and gets elected in Nov, 2012, she'll be perfectly positioned to usher in the end of the world - or whatever!!!
Mark your calendars now.
Here's the latest from Alaska:
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/the-...
We want this dumb bitch to run in 2012.
That Sarah continues to think she's got the smarts to be pres., although I'm pretty sure the REAL Republicans will put her down decisively.
Poor sad Sarah just can't help herself....she's eternally divisive.
I'm totally behind her running in 2012. I'm a sucker for comedic tragedies.
So who got more votes, sarah palin or the sarah palin inflatable doll?
You know the GOP are just gonna obstruct everything the Dems try to do. They will toss monkey wrench into wheels of Congress and then blame the Dems for inaction. Thats all they have left sadly.
The Dems should stash a little cash into a TV ad account. Buy airtime nightly on national news to point out just what the GOP obstructed today. Name names... educate the folks. Dont let assholes like Boener and MC Connell run the show. They are done.Time to make them believe it.
"I loved Reagan, but those days are over..."
Welcome to earth. Not only are they over, but they were and have been the miserable belief/failure of which you speak, Mr. Brooks.
David Brooks is an idiot, and the GOP is going to regret their pushing of the "imperial presidency".
This President has a mandate, and the full support of a majority of the American people. He was installed as President to change Washington and get things done.
He has a soft smile and calm demeanor, but anyone that underestimates him does so at their own peril. He is going to use the bully pulpit and TV to talk directly to the American People. His support comes directly from the people via the Internet. Washington is going to see a firestorm of anger directed at them like never before. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid better get on board this train now, because it's leaving the station...and they run the risk of being run over by it.
All aboard!
Actually, I hope the Democrats are deliberate and, more importantly, thoughtful about their legislative program. I would hate to see a repeat of 1994's Republican arrogance.
And the reason the conservative movement is dead, Mr. Brooks, is because it isn't a conservative movement. It's movement comprised of irresponsible social and political engineering, with a heavy dollop of fascism.
Of *course* Republicans have a belief system. It's the same belief system this fool Brooks has been promoting for years. It's comprised of two main parts:
1) Government doesn't work.
2) The "free market" is a nearly magical thing that solves all problems.
This philosophy-- Brooks' philosphy-- has produced the mess we're currently in.
Republicans in government don't see themselves as bureaucrats working for the public good. After all, government doesn't work. They're only there to reward their political allies and de-fund their political opponents.
They have a faith in the "free market" that approaches religious devotion. It's really only a devotion to greed of course, with this convenient mask of pseudo-philosophy draped over it. What else *could* that mindset result in? Of *course* they'll sell access, steal money, etc.
Brooks' philosophy has been proven wrong. It's time to leave this obsolete ideology (and it's devoted idiots) behind.
I've said it for years: Conservatism is a CULT - no different than the Moonies, the Hare Krishnas or the Scientologists. The Moonies believe that Rev. Moon is God's second son, while Conservative doctrine says that Ronald Reagan was Jesus' little brother, sent to spread 'the word'.
I'm freaked out that we've been heading full steam into the abyss for eight freaking years.
Freaking out? Tough.
It's reformation time.
Did Newt Gingrich die or go to jail for some bestial sex crime?
Where has he been for the last couple years in this election?
Maybe he's thinking the same thing. Maybe the party is done. I mean, look at who they think is the party's next big thing. Palin, seriously??
newt and tDelay will be dredged up repeatedly.
the MSM war on Obama and progressives is being ramped up again.
He's probably busy cheating on his third wife.
It always amazes me how stupid the Republicans think the American people are. They know that Obama was elected with a large majority but they believe that the people really didn't know what they were doing. They really wanted a Republican and will be shocked if Obama tries to enact anything that is not far right, pro corporation, and anti worker.
the conservative movement has failed because it hasn't addressed the problems of today.
NO! It has CREATED the problems of today.
OWN it Bobo. Cuz YOU
helpedwere the blowhole's blowhole.Admit that you're clueless and just quit! Be honest with yourself instead of the mealy-mouthed spineless weasel you play on TV.
"What's really astounding about this segment though is that Brooks then goes on to say that the Republican party has no belief system, it's a circular firing squad and adds that the conservative movement has failed because it hasn't addressed the problems of today."
thats exactly what I've been saying. the Republican party needs to come to grips that one or more of the below is true for many, if not most, registered Republicans with right-leaning principles:
- do not go to church
- do not believe in a "God"
- do not work in a factory or farm, but rather a cubicle or corner office
- do not drive a big truck but rather a fuel efficient sedan
- have undergone, and/or paid for, an abortion, and do not regret doing so
- do not believe that Islam is a religion of hate
- actively seek to employ Hispanic Americans
the GOP needs to analyze just how many Republicans chose not to participate in this year's elections out of a lack of conviction in the Democrat ticket and lack of respect for the GOP ticket. the GOP needs to focus on the rational-minded voters they lost this year, not the irrational voters they retained.
ignorant, bible thumping, fear mongering bigot votes are a shoe-in for the GOP, but when they pander to that demograph, they lose so much more. the GOP lost more than just one (presidential) election this year. looking at they Senate, the House, and various state-level positions its safer to say they lost several hundred.
it's not as if brooks means a single thing he says. he's just blowing with the wind until he can make another 'concern troll' attack on democrats and progressives.
That oxygen doesn't seem to be making it to Bobo's brain.
It's hard to have a vision for the future when you are looking to the past at Ronald Reagan for guidance.
its called the feudal system
I think saying it's the 80's is being too generous. There were plenty of them who showed their "let's re-segregate the water fountain" faces over this past election. Not to mention their bizarre habit of looking back into times of war and poverty as if they were the good old days.
The auto makers were certainly doing all they could to keep everyone in the 50's and now look at them.
Here's hoping the rep. party goes the same way.
With no bail outs forthcoming.
Too bad none of palin's kids can sing, "Like a Virgin."
i listened to brooks yesterday. i don't know if everything is going to get done "at once" but everything
might get started within the first couple yrs. obama has a window of opportunity with a majority
house and senate. he will delgate task of course and be very busy on many fronts/issues. the war(s) and healthcare are the two major issues for the next four yrs. we know about the pressure obama is under we're reminded almost daily. some of that is real some of it is from people that want him to fail. if he gets the war(s) and healthcare on better paths he could be looking at a second term.
is that the Democratic party won the majority in city/county/state elections this year as well.
hell ya we're gonna get a lot done, quickly!
and they know now how much their vote matters.
from out of his ass?
or from the salad bar at Arby's?
Only a BS could pretend to make that asswipe relevant!
Bob Schieffer, asshat to the republican stars.
...the media, specifically CNN, who should be viewed exactly the same way we view FNC, as they are officially, as of now, exactly the same.
I'm sick of turning on CNN for a little news fix only to end up posting outraged comments to them here at my computer, screaming them out for what they are doing and how they are getting away with it in broad daylight.
Saturday evening, I clicked on CNN. That "stand-up anchor" whose schtick is to talk loud and silly like an infomercial (not Rick Sanchez) was berating Obama's news conference, excoriating him for every flaw, sub-flaw, and sub-particle of an imaginary flaw, explaining how already Obama is breaking promises, dodging straight answers, etc.
Campbell Brown has sworn that CNN will be holding Obama's feet to the fire every minute. So, something CNN NEVER ONCE did on Bush/Cheney, they are going to start doing NOW, aaaall of a sudden.
Infuriated by the stand-up anchor's torade, I muttered to myself, "God damn it, this is literally EXACTLY like watching Fox News. I'm going to just turn on Fox News for my fix. I'm going to go back to treating Fox News like a viable news channel, if this is how CNN is going to do." (I had not watched Fox News since early 2005.) And I will just be damned: the yacker on Fox News was giving EXACTLY the same tirade against Obama re. his press conference that CNN's "infomercial guy" was giving, both channels, simultaneously!
So now, CNN and FOX News are both programmed out of my TV forever. They are one and the same except that CNN is more dangerous, a true enemy, in that they pretend to be something else, whereas Fox News really doesn't pretend a damn thing. "Fair and Balanced" means "We are slanted steeply to the right to be fair to the Right, to balance out CNN and the network news all slanting so far to the left." That's all it means. They profess to do it, and they do it. No pretense whatever.
CNN, on the other hand, calculatedly decieves to us, and lies. Candy Crowley, Campbell Brown, Informercial Dude...listen to these enemies of America and the world, these corporate thugs! Better yet please PEEEEEZ boycott CNN. Please, and pretty please, don't let them do to our newborn Democratic administration what they plan to do, without some kind of uprising to let them know we PROTEST.
Thank you.
Teri
Great post. I like your style.
Interesting to see these self-absorbed media hacks pontificating about how Obama should be timid out of the gate, just stick his little toe in the water for a temp check and then gradually wade in. This thinking (if you can call it that) goes exactly counter to what Paul Krugman has been saying, as recently as today in the NYT.
Let's see...who am I going to believe, Nobel Prize winner Krugman, or dipshit right-wing hack David Brooks?
The incoming administration needs to open up with everything it's got. No holds barred. That's how to get things done.
I've always thought CNN was the worse. At least Fox gives us the reach around.
And another thing, why does Candy Crowley always look like someone took a dump on the Situation Room floor? That's one lady that should not be named "Candy." ...maybe Hilda or Ingeborg.
"Democrats are going to try to move too quickly and get everything done at once and that it will "freak people out" if (Obama)does that."
The Republicans have had 16 years to destroy this country, Obama isn't even into office yet and the MSM is already ganging up for the bitch-fest.
GIVE. ME. A. BREAK.
He's such an intellectual lightweight. The shots he takes are all cheap. Where were the skeptical media during the run-up to the Iraq war?
I'm sure Palin's been put down decisively more than once.
Fuck 'em both and watch BBC America if you can get it.
All of Americas mass media outlets have been corrupted by large coporate onwnership. The only thing they are concerned about is Britney Spear's breast dimensions.
Only the BBC is independant, accurate and more thought provoking that the crap the Fox and CNN put on. Isn't that a shame, that we need to watch a news outlet from another country to get a clear view on what is happening in our country and the world.
So the wingnut meme is move too fast and you will overreach and freak everybody out. Move too slow and you are not delivering on your promises.
Blow it out your ass.
It wasnt because of their belief system. Smaller government is good, 'common sense' law is good, lower taxes are good.
The problem is that the GOP didnt care about that once they were in charge, their priority was to ensure that theyd ALWAYS be in charge and that noone who disagreed with them had any kind of say. And then once THAT was accomplished, their priority was to do whatever they wanted, especially if it meant making tons and tons of money along the way.
THATS where they went wrong.
Say what you want about Ron Paul, but the flashpoint for the GOP was during the debate when he said that we need to open up the constitution and read it...and got laughed at for saying so.
These clowns are so full of it with their "big bang" concern trolling. $100 billion for universal health care is going to "freak out" American citizens? How does that even compare to the $1 trillion we just spent bailing out the banksters?
Brooks is almost right! republicans do have a beliefe system the problem is that thier beliefe system says you can do whatever you want to make a dollar!
That my friends is what is wrong with our country today. republicans are such hypocrites it's good for them but not for everyone else and they don't give a shit about you!
They will do or say whatever will get them votes.
They will deny you health while they get theirs free.
They will raise your taxes while cutting their own.
They will give themselves a raise while denying you one.
They will start a war for your children to fight.
Forget this republican nonsense, free market, free trade bullshit because free trade and unregulated business gives you just what we have now.
No regulation gives these people a free rain to find as many ways to steal as possible, and that is what has been going on these past thirty years.
Although it is just now really becoming visible to the uninformed voter or the low information voter, republican!
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