Article: GOP = Gridlock Over Patriotism

This is no time for political paralysis. In the wake of a financial collapse rippling through the U.S. economy, the Republicans put their party first, not country first. In a despicable deficit of patriotism, not one Republican congressman broke rank to support President Obama's economic stimulus plan.

Most Democratic representatives held their noses and signed the authorization for President Bush to go to war against Iraq, because a government of the people must show a united support for our president in times of crisis. Appearing financially strong is as important for our country as is a show of military might.

An interesting point missed in all this brouhaha over spending hundreds of billions of dollars to help lessen the blow of this global economic meltdown is that nobody seems to question the hundreds of billions spent on the misguided and illegal war in Iraq.

If we can spend trillions to save the country of Iraq from a dictator, certainly we can spend a similar amount to save our own country. Maybe the Obama administration should have sold the economic stimulus as a preemptive war against an approaching depression? War seems an easy sell these days and might attract a few Republicans to the cause.

Maybe the Republican Party has declared war on America? They would rather burn down the economy and destroy the country rather than show any semblance of bipartisanship. Rush Limbaugh blurted out some errant honesty, essentially saying he prefers to see America fail, rather than a successful Obama presidency.

This kind of rhetoric falls just short of treason yet this bloated propagandist is blasted across the country over our public airwaves on multiple radio stations owned by a few media corporations. Progressive talk radio is much harder to find.

Politically, the country is roughly divided, but AM talk radio is saturated with right wing programming. The logical conclusion is that the programs on our radios reflect the views of the ownership, rather than a balanced representation of the listening public. Political programming without balance is propaganda and it is a danger to democracy.

Perhaps this dominance over the public airwaves emboldens Republicans into believing they are still in charge? They lost the White House and Congress, but they still own the airwaves! Maybe that explains the unbridled exuberance in stubbornly bringing back the same failed policies?

This is a time of crisis more threatening than the illusory weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In a shameful display of solidarity, not one Republican congressman would stand with our president in a war against economic collapse.

I was a member of the Republican Party years ago, until they lost their heart. Now I think the party has lost its mind. Nobody seems to know what the Republican Party represents anymore, but it is becoming exceedingly clear that they sure don't represent what is best for America.