The Impressive Hypocrisy of the GOP

[babylonsister]

The Impressive Hypocrisy of the GOP

by Eric Alterman


When the administration ended, Bush disciples like Karl Rove and Michael Gerson became pundits. Eric Alterman says they're behaving just as shamelessly in the media as they did at the White House.



When you consider the respective achievements of the folks who peopled the upper echelons of the Bush administration, I think you’ll agree that after their incompetence, ideological obsession, and general malevolence, their most impressive characteristic was, and remains, their audacity.

Think about it: George W. Bush is widely considered to be, if not America’s worst president ever, then certainly in the bottom four or five. His legacy to his successor includes: the worst economic crisis in 80years, two unsuccessful wars, a thoroughly corrupt Justice Department, the destruction of time-honored civil liberties and hard-won rights, and the widespread contempt of almost everyone on the planet who was not a committed member of the conservative Republican base. And yet not only did Bush and Co. never own up to the catastrophic consequences of their actions, they gave one another medals for it. (It’s only a rumor, however, that Bush tried to rename the Presidential Medal of Freedom the “Heckuva Job” medal.)

In a society with any kind of memory whatsoever—much less one whose public servants enjoyed a modicum of self-respect—these folks would slink off into the sunset and lay low for a decade or two before taking up new careers doing something useful—if not ministering to the poor like Jimmy Carter, then at least sticking to charity golf tournaments like Gerald Ford.

Instead they’ve become pundits. And unlike ex-Democratic pundits, who tend to want to prove their mettle as independent analysts by attacking their ex-friends using Republican talking points—demanding to know why presidential candidates do not wear flag pins and are BFFs with Louis Farrakhan and the like—they keep up exactly the same shenanigans that landed this country in the screwed-up place they left it. Admit it: It’s impressive.

more...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-09/the-impressive-hypocrisy-of-the-gop/full/

[ixion]

1. not impressive... ludicrous

really, I'm not now, nor ever have been impressed with their ability to use no common sense or rational thought whatsoever.

[babylonsister]

2. Maybe impressive in that they're up to their same old tricks

and they're getting away with snowing people, at least their current employers.