Pushing The Demogoguery Envelope

Some years ago many remember the tearful Jimmy Swaggart message of "I have sinned". It was indeed a sad moment as a very popular television minister, who is related to both Mickey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis, felt deeply ashamed at some conduct that seemed greatly at odds with the Christian message he had so strongly proclaimed for so many years. There was a great hope he be able to regain his position as a very gifted preacher of the Gospel, but his ministery and conduct both seemed to suffer further slippage as the months wore on. But his pained address, and the deep sorrow he felt about his conduct was an honest sign of someone acknowledging their shortcomings to the high standards set by God.

That was then. This is now. Tom Delay, for all his reported shortcomings should be the next for a major, "I have sinned" address. But alas, no. At a Thursday night dinner, a witches brew of right wing organizations actually honored Delay. And instead of the tearful speech of repentence that should have been forthcoming, was a venomous attack on his opponents, and claims they have nothing positive to offer and no programs to promote.

Only in the area of being critical of his opponents as having no program may Delay have been right. Newt Gingrich offered the counter proposals to the Clinton Administration, known as "The Contract With America". Instead where are the Democrats right now. Without a majority in the Senate or House, without a President in the White House, without a majority on the Supreme Court, the last refuge for most Democrats is a plea to continue the filibuster. Even the soldiers who fought with Custer or manned the Alamo, seemed less surrounded by so much opposition. At some point new leader Howard Dean is going to have to offer a set of Democratic proposals as a Democratic version of Gingrich's "Contract". Serious economic issues like trade policies like CAFTA, NAFTA, erode american jobs should be included. And a counter Social Security proposal to levey slightly higher Social Security taxes on those earning more than $90,000 as a counter to the risky private investment in a volatile stock market that the White House is heavily promoting. A variety of populist and nationalistic proposals may help the Democrats regain some strength in the 2006 elections. But for now the Democrats seem more content to allow the Republicans to overexpose themselves in the public debate. This cannot go on forever. At some point you can't rely on the Republican majority getting so much news coverage, hoping that overexposure will hurt. You have to offer something constructiive as a counter set of proposals. Mr. Dean and his fellow Democratic strategists will have to acknowledge at some point.

And for all his problems Tom Delay hardly acted as the embattled politico he should be. By seeking refuge in his base, the hard right, he was able to find enough comfort to lash out at his opponents, rather than acknowledge his faults. He was hardly like the Biblical woman at the well seeking mercy. And ironically, by being so nonapologetic, Delay may actually be able to draw enough support from the hard right at the Thursday dinner, that many in the Rupblican controlled House may become wary of crossing this angry array of right wing politicos, for fear of making enemies. Delay figures if he can't improve his personal conduct, then seek refuge among political extremists who have no sense of right or wrong, but are merely issue driven by pet concerns. A "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" politically driven coalition of social conservatives who believe gay marriage is the worst threat to America, not North Korean missiles, a manufacturing labor collapse to labor cheap China and Mexico, an elective war in Iraq with all signs of worsening violence and a degraded quality of life from even the worst days of Saddam's palace building during the 12 year shortage of food and medicine under the U.N. sanctions.

And while Delay sees this hard right as a "City Of Refuge", others in his party are increasingly finding new ways to pander to this fringe political force. In a zeal to build a presidential election network, Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist is suddenly becoming even more conservative than he actually is, and will push the demogoguery envelope next week by making the few far right judges that many Senate Democrats found objectionable in the foreground with a big politically driven sideshow to garner Brownie points with the hard right. In reality, about 97% of nominees have been approved without too much controversy. But the small three percent is being exploited by Frist into a major bottleneck of nominees according to his hollow ringing rehortic. It's more of a political drama for Frist, than a sincere search for the best qualified or most fair judge.

Delay is an inspiration to Frist and other hard right best friends wanabes. And Delay feels rather than any improvement on using the "charity" of special interests to pay for his next junket, he can instead hope that the Republican majority will act as though any attempt to be critical of his conduct will be repelled like kyptonite with a solid support from the hard right.
For both Delay and now Frist, there is a find hope that pushing the demogoguery envelope will reap unlimited political benefits. It sort of begs the question, could one be a good politician and Christian both. Politics seems to often bring out the very worst in human nature. Just ask Tom Delay.