The Penance Has Not Been Paid

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019503.php

THE PENANCE HAS NOT BEEN PAID.... Following up on this item from yesterday, I had an interesting conversation via email yesterday with Bruce Bartlett, a veteran of the Reagan and H.W. Bush administrations. Bruce made a point that really resonated with me, and he was gracious enough to allow me to republish it here.

I believe that political parties should do penance for their mistakes and just losing power is not enough. Part of that involves understanding why those mistakes were made and how to prevent them from happening again. Republicans, however, have done no penance. They just pretend that they did nothing wrong. But until they do penance they don't deserve any credibility and should be ignored until they do. That's what my attacks on Bush are all about. I want Republicans to admit they were wrong about him, accept blame for his mistakes, and take some meaningful action to keep them from happening again. Bush should be treated as a pariah, as Richard Nixon was for many years until he rebuilt his credibility by more or less coming clean about Watergate with David Frost and writing a number of thoughtful books.

One reason this isn't happening is because the media don't treat Republicans as if they are discredited. On the contrary, they often seem to be treated as if they have more credibility than the administration. Just look at the silly issue of death panels. The media should have laughed it out the window, ridiculed it or at least ignored it once it was determined that there was no basis to the charge. Instead, those making the most outlandish charges are treated with deference and respect, while those that actually have credibility on the subject are treated as equals at best and often with deep skepticism, as if they are the ones with an ax to grind.

I am truly baffled by this situation, as I'm sure you are.

As regular readers may imagine, I find this overwhelmingly persuasive. Bush/Cheney policies failed so spectacularly, Republican candidates and officeholders are generally reluctant to associate themselves with the tarnished name of the previous administration. But Bush/Cheney policies are still those of the contemporary Republican Party. Nothing has changed. Failure and defeat haven't chastened the GOP at all, and if given a chance to govern again, Republican leaders are quite anxious to return to the exact same agenda they embraced when they were in the majority.

And the political mainstream seems to think this is sane.

more...

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019503.php

—Steve Benen

[polichick]

1. imo most of the Republican guests invited to speak on news programs...

...have been discredited ~ my God, everyone knows that Cheney is a war criminal ~ and yet they are invited to appear over and over again, along with every nutjob the right-wing comes up with.

My guess is that it's because the 24-hour news cycle requires endless guests, ratings soar with sensationalism, and corporate parent companies benefit so much from the status quo agenda of the right.

[babylonsister]

2. I realize time has to be filled, but that doesn't explain

the surplus of rethugs we see compared to Dems, especially on the Sunday snooze fests, when they should be discredited.

I imagine ownership of all these programs might have a lot to do with the 'balance' we see.

[BR_Parkway]

4. There are plenty of investigative reporters at magazines that could

be interviewed to fill those time slots - maybe then more people would know more about things like who's funding the backlash over healthcare or just what Goldman Sachs role in the financial crisis has been.

I guess those aren't 'sexy' enough for the 'news' so we get to see/hear idiots like Pat Buchannan

[polichick]

5. As I said, the parent corps are too invested in the status quo - this works for them. nt

[alsame]

3. This is so true. Members of the most

disastrous administration are invited to discuss the economy (which they destroyed), the two wars (which they started and couldn't end) or healthcare (which they did nothing to improve).

[sandnsea]

6. Without an "opposition", this is a dictatorship

There has to be two strong parties, at least. If the Greens don't become the second party, the media will keep treating Republicans as if they're it.