Where have all the Republicans gone?
Monday, April 25, 2005
This Sunday's (4/24/05) political talk shows were notable for the glaring lack of any Republican members of the Senate Foreign Relations committee standing up and declaring their undying affection for their ridiculous nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton (aka Captain Kangaroo). While the Democrats sent out the heavy hitters to blast Bolton, Republicans were as scarce as a Klan member at a Black Panther party.
Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), the ranking member of the committee appeared in his usual spot on "This Week" on ABC, while Christopher Dodd (D- CT), the senator who made the initial motion to extend the committee's hearing on Bolton, showed up on Face the Nation. And who, you may ask, did the Republicans send?
Biden's adversary on "This Week" was Sen. Jon Kyl (R- AZ), a member of the Judiciary committee. The Judiciary committee??? Haven't they already perpetrated their Bush tribute by installing the Torture Czar Alberto Gonzalez as the arbitrator of justice and (Ha, ha, ha!) fair play. Where was Joe's buddy, Richard Lugar (R-IN)? You know. . .Dick? As in the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
In the previous weeks and months, Biden and Lugar have appeared together on This Week so many times, you'd think they were Siamese twins, and yet on Sunday, Lugar, who tried so desperately to get everybody to shut up and vote that he looked like the guy at the table who wants to sign the check before the waiter realizes he didn't charge you for the shrimp cocktail, was nowhere to be found.
The best part is that Kyl, who's actual exposure to the committee's hearing was the same as mine, (although he might have gotten a little more background from his pals, I just watched C-SPAN), actually said there was no evidence that Bolton ever tried to have anyone fired. No evidence, are you serious? Is the ability to tell the most outrageous lies with a straight face something you have to have before you work for the Republican party or do they have an advanced training program? Even the usually well comported Joe Biden had to shake his head in disgust.
Senator Dodd's counter stooge was the equally moronic Mitch McConnell (R-KY) from the great state of Kentucky, or is it a commonwealth, I can never remember. Pardon me if I get a little bit off topic for a moment, but what is going on down in Can-tuck-eee that allowed this dimwit and his senile sidekick Jim Bunning to be not only elected to the Senate, but re-elected. Are you people smoking the Bluegrass. That stuff is for the horses to eat, you don't make brownies out of em. Jeez!
McConnell, at least, has some connection to foreign relations, being on the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, which does what exactly, (beyond writing checks to fund American adventurism,) I don't know. Still, it is a little disconcerting to watch two men in different places and channels spout the same ridiculous drivel on cue with only the barest attempt to make their answers seem to vaguely respond to the questions they were asked. It makes one wonder, was Dick in the bunker playing with remote control politicians again?
As for all the other Republicans, "Hello, is anybody out there?" Hey guys, this is your guy. The man with the plan for reforming the U.N. Remember? We can excuse Senators Voinovich (R-OH), Hagel (R-NE), and Chafee (R-RI), they were busy either: (a) wrestling with their consciences (Ha!) or (b) shopping to see just how much a confirmation vote is worth in the current market. As for the rest of you, (George Allen [VA], Norm Coleman [MN], Lamar Alexander [TN], John Sununu [NH], Lisa Murkowski [AK], and the wonderfully stupid rookie senator from Florida Mel Martinez), where are ya? If you are all so enamored of John Bolton, why aren't you out seeking press cameras and microphones like the publicicty seeking missiles we all know you are to sing the praises of this man? Well, we're waiting?
