Conservatism, Um, Evolving (George Will wonders where his party is)

[UpInArms]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/999364.asp?cp1=1

Dec. 8 issue — By the time the conservatives running Congress and this conservative president are done doing what they think will win the next election, tweezers may be needed to pick up the remnants of conservatism as traditionally understood. Time was, Republicans disdained the political formula supposedly voiced by FDR’s aide Harry Hopkins: “Tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect.” Now Republicans have amended the formula with an audacity that would make the most ardent New Dealer blush.

<snip>

Medicare was enacted before many advances in pharmacology. Had pharmacology been as advanced in 1965 as it is today, some drug benefit would have been included then. Besides, Republicans are understandably eager to nullify one of the Democrats’ signature issues by passing this benefit. And some Republicans say, if we don’t pass it, Democrats eventually will, and will do it worse. However, given the minimal reform of Medicare that accompanies the new entitlement, it is becoming less clear how Republicans are the superior stewards of the nation’s fiscal future.

<snip>

When the House of Representatives began voting on the prescription-drug bill, Republicans controlling the House realized they were short of the votes needed for passage. So they set aside their supposedly strict commitment to 15- minute votes, and held the voting open for nearly three hours.

House and Senate Republicans must assume they will never again be in the minority and vulnerable to payback. They are mistaken.

(just snipped out the best parts :) )

[teryang]

1. Yes, this is ironic

An intense "minority" in the more unrepresentative body, the Senate, (representing the best interests of the American people) is the only thing that stands in the way of an extremist jaugernaut seeking to undo decades of legislation in one session.

The majority of representatives in the House and Senate representing corporate interests rather than the majority of Americans have completely sold out. The benefit of medicare reform, the 400 billion goes to big pharma and HMOs, not the people. The cost is having Medicare dismantled by the corporate harpies.

[havocmom]

2. Will is having a bit of trouble marching in lock-step, isn't he?

Hee hee hee
Thanks for the post. It's good to see the conservative base is starting to get annoyed with the neo-con's feet of clay and short vision.