Asymmetrical Information

Too many on both the left and right support political parties like they support sports teams. They fans. Its their party, correct or wrong, all the way! In a sports contest, its OK to root for your team to win. Its even OK to cheer when the ref makes a bad call -- as long as it favors your team. In short, its OK to be fanatical in your role as a fan of a sports team.

Its NOT OK to be fanatical in support of a political party.

Agreed. I think most of Jane's readers and comments would also agree.

In regards to the Clinton impeachment...perhaps there was fear on the part of democrats that, were he president, Al Gore would come underfire for his curious fundraising and other crimes and knowing that a politically wounded Clinton was better than even a healthy Al Gore, the decision was made to stick by Clinton. Remember at the time of the impeachment trial there was plenty of support for Clinton amongst the public. Gore's only chance was to ride Clinton's coat-tails...which dems argus he failed to do in 2000.

In regards to the Clinton impeachment...perhaps there was fear on the part of democrats that, were he president, Al Gore would come underfire for his curious fundraising and other crimes and knowing that a politically wounded Clinton was better than even a healthy Al Gore, the decision was made to stick by Clinton. Remember at the time of the impeachment trial there was plenty of support for Clinton amongst the public. Gore's only chance was to ride Clinton's coat-tails...which dems argue he failed to do in 2000.

In regards to the Clinton impeachment...perhaps there was fear on the part of democrats that, were he president, Al Gore would come underfire for his curious fundraising and other crimes and knowing that a politically wounded Clinton was better than even a healthy Al Gore, the decision was made to stick by Clinton. Remember at the time of the impeachment trial there was plenty of support for Clinton amongst the public. Gore's only chance was to ride Clinton's coat-tails...which dems argue he failed to do in 2000.

>> Al Gore would come underfire for his curious fundraising and other crimes

Ah, so Gore was like Agnew.

It's interesting that they didn't choose the same solution.

>> knowing that a politically wounded Clinton was better than even a healthy Al Gore

Better for what?

So is your position that Senator Lott ought to resign or be impeached? Otherwise there's really no comparison between the two situations.

I think Clinton should have resigned for the good of his party. As a side effect, I think it would have improved his legacy over what it is know, but I suppose there was no way of knowing. But once he had been caught committing perjury in violation of a law he himself had sponsored and signed, in the pursuit of behavior for which his party had drummed Bob Packwood out of the Senate, his party should have pressured him to go. Particularly galling was NOW, which sold out its legitimacy on the entire issue of sexual harassment for him. (Caveat: I think the version of sexual harassment law under which he was questioned is wrong. But NOW and President Clinton clearly did not, when applied to other people. This turned their position into the raw pursuit of power politics, rather than a principaled stand.)

Failing that, I actually think we got about the right result: we impeached him, to say "No, you can't lie under oath, even about sex", and then we didn't remove him from office, not to end a presidency for that shameful episode. But I still think he should have resigned to spare the country, and his party, the ordeal.

On the other hand, I don't expect grand honor from politicians. That's why Lott's party needs to tell him to resign; I'm not waiting for him to figure it out himself.

That's what always bugged me most about William the Noble; he helped construct an avenue by which a few hundred million people could be obnoxiously abused via civil suit, and then, when the tool of abuse was directed at him, essentially maintained that he had the right to corrupt the legal proceedings that he had helped create. As to to large political parties, they are inevitably morally bankrupt, given that their purpose is to build coalitions from large numbers of morally flawed human beings. They are a necessary evil, but any who be PROUD to belong to such a grim manifestation of expediancy has a flawed moral compass.

As to the introductory comment about Republican Senators being AWOL, I think - hmmm - time will tell! The way to handle this in the Senate on the Republican side is NOT with press conferences and dramatic accusations - first, Lott might survive, which would be a problem for the accuser. But secondly, a back room deal will let folks save face and preserve the illusion of team harmony and common purpose.

I will now present my Grand Unified Theory of How to Deal With Annoying Southern Men, inspired by Hootie Johnson and Trent Lott - you have to ask them to change their ways quietly and politely. Public pressure just makes them dig in and get all rascally and rebellious.

I think that Lott should give up the Majority Leader position...he's damaged goods and is a lightning rod for Dem. attacks.
However, if Lott does resign, I'm afraid that Dems will see that as proof that yapping little attacks can get them huge rewards. Soon they'll be trotting out The Black Caucus out every time a Rep. makes a statement more controversial than "nice weather today".
By the way...isn't a group called The Black Caucus a racist organization by it's very nature?

Go, Walser!

(Posted after Lott's press conference). Best of luck over the next two years. And no, this is not meant to be snide. I'm a democrat who'd vote republican in a heartbeat if the party would shed itself of its social conservative wing. But over the next two years, the worst factions of my party will play the pay-back game.

It was bad enough listening for years about Clinton's sex life, but the race card is far uglier. Every bill that comes to the Senate floor will be scrutinized for its racist elements, whether or not they exist. The pressure on the moderate republicans will be excruciating. If they vote with their party, they're racists. If they vote against, they're traitors.

This issue has suddenly developed traction. So every aspect of Lott's life will be dragged out and made public. That's inevitable. The liberal bloggers will also dig through the dirty laundry of every senior republican. What's interesting is whether the mainstream press picks up that issue. Did everyone see Krugman's column? How much longer will it be before the washington consensus decides that its time to pile on the famous Southern Strategy?

Maybe I'm wrong and this will all die down. But I doubt it. I think we will see a lot of ugliness and reputations ruined all the way until the next presidency. Of course, the democratic operatives will say that this is only payback for Clinton. But the republican operatives will get all the more partisan, and so the cycle will continue.

Any ideas how to bring peace to DC?

FDL

The Republicans will get more partisan? At this point I don't think that's possible. We are talking about the same people who are blackmailing any campaign donors who keep to their practice of donating to both parties to halt the practice if they want to keep any access to Republican politicians. "Go with me all the way or go away." seems to be their motto and they seem bound and determined to starve the opposition of any corporate cash. They also are pressuring lobbying groups to not hire any Democrats and accept any clients that want to lobby Democrats if they want to keep their access to the Republicans. Whatever you think of corporate campaign contributions and lobbyists I think it's what I first called it, blackmail and it's pretty disgusting.

BTW, my take on the whole Trent Lott and Republican racism thing? My family is from the South ( my parents moved before they met and had me) and I can only hope that I would have been a better person than some of my relatives because based on them and their friends and acquaintances the whole New South thing about racism being left behind is possibly the biggest myth of modern America that I know of.

Comments are Closed.