Happy Birthday to Angel Pagan, 32.
Oh, the good stuff (less than usual this week, since I'm over at Greg's place):
Jeanne Zaino on the Congressional attacks on political science.
I agree with Scott Lemieux here.
And I hope I get a chance to discuss this more later today, but I took a shot at Republicans using Philip Klein as an example on Friday, and he responded yesterday.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
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Shorter Philip Klein: Young football fans shouldn't be forced to watch ads for Obamacare.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, he also has some policy-esque stuff in there about what the GOP should advance as an alternative... except I've never heard a GOP lawmaker push any agenda like what he outlines.
DeleteBut really, the only actual response he has to Bernstein is "people shouldn't have to watch ads for Obamacare." I suppose he'd make the same argument about any and all ads for policies, politicians he doesn't like.
As regards Klein and the whole NFL issue, frankly I haven't been that impressed with anyone. With regard to the GOP, yes they are acting like bullies and waging out-and-out war on Democratic programs and policies, what did you expect? I guess I would say to the Democrats, yes the GOP are acting like bullies and waging out-and-out war on Democratic programs, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
ReplyDeleteThat ties into the Lemieux article. It's another diatribe against Green Lanternism, but a good one. Having said that, there is a kind of criticism aimed at the Democrats from the left that does not fall into the category of Green Lanternism. It is well-illustrated, I think, by Ed Kilgore. I have to admit that my attitude toward Kilgore has changed. Not so long ago I tended to dismiss him as a Democratic hack, albeit an honorable one who freely admitted to his hackitude. Lately, however, I have come to admire his willingness to stand up to unpleasant truths that many Democrats seem unable to acknowledge, i.e. that the GOP, or at least very large and influential segments of it, see themselves at war.
Now, there is nothing wrong with that, per se. If elements of the GOP see themselves at war that is their right. If they want to act that way politically, they also have every right to do so. However, it does sometimes seem that elements of the Democratic Party, and for that matter large swathes of independents, are simply unwilling to stop acting like ostriches. When the Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion optional, most of the Democratic intellegentsia said "Well, the states won't leave money on the table." Kilgore in effect said, "You don't know who you're dealing with, do you?" He has been proven right.
As for the NFL, they are businessmen, they are craven, and they are mostly GOP anyway. Nuff said.
So, the lesson of this, to combine Lemieux with the the NFL, is "Yes the GOP is totally and irrevocably against you -- face it. Now, start thinking about how to take over the veto points. And no whining, please -- it's going to be a long war."