Tuesday, November 08, 2005

The GOP's "Battered Wives Syndrome" still alive and well...

This from here
White House Staff Begins Ethics Classes Tuesday, November 08, 2005

WASHINGTON — Mandatory ethics classes began for White House staff on Tuesday, the direct result, according to White House aides, of the indictment and resignation of former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Libby was indicted 10 days ago for perjury and obstruction of justice charges in the CIA leak case.

A directive memo went out last week to the more than 3,000 White House staffers announcing the sessions. The classes are being conducted by the White House counsel's office.

My question is, why is Bush again succumbing to the spurious allegations of wrongdoing in the first place?? Does he think this will actually win him points with the liberal left or the American voter? This is much akin to this which is akin to this which is akin to this.

The republicans have long been subject to what I call the political version of the "battered wives syndrome". Rather than summarily dismiss specious liberal attacks as the shams that they are, republicans seek to prove the negative by forming "bipartisan" investigative commissions that are nothing but kangaroo courts that serve as a springboard for grandstanding by pompous bombasts and their willing media shills. Like so many battered wives, the republicans seem to think, "Well.. if we only show them that we love them and mean them no harm, and show them that we're really nice, the democrats and the media will like us and won't beat us anymore."

The fact of the matter is, as in any abusive relationship, nothing is gained by trying to "understand" or to capitulate to the batterer; rather, Everything is to be gained by discontinuing the enabling of the behavior. Sending White House staffers to "ethics training" will do nothing to decrease these spurious attacks of ethics violations coming from the left. Doing so merely gives legs to what should have been rightly considered baseless, partisan, politically-motivated attacks. Nor does sending White House staffers to "ethics training" classes do anything to energize the Republican base, who must necessarily view such a move as weakness and political pandering, and a refusal to stand up for their interests.

The question is, when will this "enabling the batterer" behavior cease? When will the republicans finally come to realize that any hope for a reconcilliation with the left and their willing media accomplices is a lost cause, and cease to behave in a manner that only serves to give liberal attacks a false sense of credence? When will they finally realize that both their political self-interest and the best interests of the nation at large are served best, not by attempting to "get along" with their political detractors, but by soundly defeating them in the arena of ideas and at the ballot box?

When will our leadership finally grow a spine?

(Filed under RINOS)