NYT on The Wisdom of Bob Dole: GOP "not only abandoning its past, but damaging the country’s future"

[kpete]

EDITORIAL
The Wisdom of Bob Dole
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Published: May 28, 2013

Bob Dole no longer recognizes the Republican Party that he helped lead for years. Speaking over the weekend on “Fox News Sunday,” he said his party should hang a “closed for repairs” sign on its doors until it comes up with a few positive ideas, because neither he nor Ronald Reagan would now feel comfortable in its membership.

“It seems to be almost unreal that we can’t get together on a budget or legislation,” said Mr. Dole, the former Senate majority leader and presidential candidate. “I mean, we weren’t perfect by a long shot, but at least we got our work done.”

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At long last, this is finally drawing the rancor of Mr. Dole’s heirs in the responsible wing of the party. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said that negotiating on a budget was an “issue of integrity.” Roy Blunt, Lamar Alexander and many others have encouraged talks, and Mr. McCain (who was not above veering to the far right when he was running for president in 2008) now says the Tea Partiers are “absolutely out of line” and setting a bad precedent.

“We’re here to vote, not here to block things,” he said last week. “We’re here to articulate our positions on the issues and do what we can for the good of the country and the let the process move forward.”

Already, the mulish behavior of Congressional Republicans has led to the creation of the sequester, blocked action on economic growth and climate change, prevented reasonable checks on gun purchases and threatens to blow up a hard-fought compromise on immigration. Mr. Dole’s words should remind his party that it is not only abandoning its past, but damaging the country’s future.


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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/opinion/bob-dole-misses-his-republican-party.html

[southernyankeebelle]

1. Although I would never vote for a republican I will say there are some that I respect.

Thank you Mr Dole for loving your country more then your party. All politicans should do that first and we would be a better country.

[JHB]

2. Sen. McCain is mistaken. They ARE there to block things.

They've taken to heart the message conservative Republicans have preached since Reagan: government itself is the problem, and the best government is "small" government. And since Gingrich the definition of "small" has taken on a definition that used to belong to fringe characters and ranting cranks.

The congressional teabaggers don't see a downside to blocking everything that doesn't conform to their narrow, radical vision of "proper" government.

Why shouldn't they dig their feet in and drag everyone in their direction? What has it cost them?

[Scurrilous]

3. K & R

[Takket]

4. you nailed it!

"Why shouldn't they dig their feet in and drag everyone in their direction? What has it cost them?"

Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The right is only as powerful as the people enable the to be. They still hold the house, because Reid caved on filibuster reform, they control the senate with a minority.

the right just keeps moving further and further right with little consequence. in fact, they've done just a good job of it, no one even notices! Obama, who in the past would have been regarded as a centrist, is labeled as a far left radical. they move to the right, say everyone who opposes them has moved far left, and everyone just accepts it.