http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/19479Obama Seeks Bipartisanship; Republican National Committee Declares War
by Brent Budowsky | December 31, 2008
Barack Obama will probably be tested by the Russians, but he is definitely being tested right now by the Republicans. While Obama seeks a bipartisan stimulus and decides whether to investigate issues such as torture and domestic spying, the Republican National Committee (RNC) discusses a sick and demented CD about "Barack the Magic Negro" and prepares to formally attack Bush, Republican leaders in Congress, Democratic leaders and Obama as socialists and oppose any economic aid to companies and seek to dramatically cut back any economic recovery program for the nation.
How far will Republicans take this, and how will Obama respond? Remember, in the wisdom of the Senate Republicans this past year, they killed a puny $60 billion economic stimulus and killed even a puny $15 billion emergency aid for the auto industry by Congress. The pundit class is, again, missing the really important question, which is this: Will the RNC attack everyone in a radical, extreme and irresponsible effort to kill any significant economic program, attack everyone as socialists and intimidate Republican leaders in Congress into joining their ill-fated mission of economic destruction?
The issue will soon be joined at the RNC meeting, and it remains to be seen whether the full Republican committee goes along and then, whether Republicans in Congress will be bullied and intimidated again into do-nothing policies of extreme opposition to any meaningful government role in saving the economy. If they do, how Barack Obama responds will determine the course of his presidency.
My view is that there should be some form of Committee of Inquiry to determine whether actions of torture or eavesdropping were not legal under law and to determine what action should be taken. I would also propose a formal report summarizing whether eavesdropping or torture actually saved America from specific terrorist acts that were prevented, which I doubt, or whether there were fear tactics that justified wrongful action and did not enhance our security, which would show the fear tactics were a falsehood protected by secrecy.
My view is that torture fundamentally violates historic American notions of law and clear rules of international law and that what was done violates cardinal American principles that were honored from George Washington through Bill Clinton and accepted by every president and Congress until George W. Bush. The same is true for eavesdropping on a massive scale, in clear violation of the FISA law, without even any proof that our security was enhanced.
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My hope is Republicans resist the temptation to negativity and obstruction. Having long been a supporter of a post-partisan presidency, it is incumbent upon me to remind Obama and Democrats that the American people voted for change, not continuity. If Republicans submit to the more extreme voices in their party, as they often do, Obama will need to fight hard for the principles he stood for when voters elected him and not make Faustian bargains with those who want to continue the tragedies and failures of the past.
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