I’m back from a successful business trip to Vegas and I’m busy getting caught up. I found this gem over at OC Metro. Former Lincoln Club chairman Michael Capaldi wrote an open letter to Steve Greenhut, essentially laying down an argument for Greenhut to return to the GOP using a tired metaphor about Lincoln’s leadership during an unpopular civil war.
For those Lincoln scholars out there, the difference between our 16th president’s leadership and management versus the 43rd edition is night and day. Lincoln included his political enemies in his cabinent and actively sought differing opinions from them. And, gasp, sometimes he took their advice. You don’t get any of that in the current administration.
From Capaldi’s letter: ÂÂ
The rot is at the treetops, not at the roots. The Republican Party has a philosophy that alone makes the party worth the loyalty: that government ought to politely excuse itself, get out of the way, and let the genius of the people fix their problems.
Parties – in fact, all politics – mostly mark time until the crisis. Democrats won’t solve our fundamental problems. Republicans can.
Forget for a moment that the tree metaphor doesn’t work, the fish one does. A fish rots from the head down. Loyalty to the party has always trumped loyalty to the office; just ask Gonzo.ÂÂ
Forget for a moment that the tree metaphor doesn’t work, the fish one does. A fish rots from the head down. Loyalty to the party has always trumped loyalty to the office; just ask Gonzo. But Mike’s last line is just plain false. Democrats can’t solve problems but Republicans can. Really? Mike, your party had the majority and the ability to accomplish much. You squandered it. Your party expanded government to its largest size ever. In the past 50 years, with your party in charge, government has never shrunk. Even when Bill Clinton reduced government to the lowest size since the Kennedy administration, the Republican led Congress continued to send him bloated budgets beyond what he even wanted to spend.ÂÂ
Republicans can’t solve our fundamental problems. They can line the pockets of their friends and business partners from the public trust, and in the case of several former GOP congressmen, their own pockets as well. WhenRepublicans had the chance to solve our fundamental problems, they didn’t do it. But please enjoy your Kool Aid.
You want Steve back inside the tent?
I’d rather he be outside both parities tents calling it as he sees it. I don’t mind Steve going after Democrats when they deserve it, as long as he goes after Republicans who do deserve it.