Letters to the Editor: O'Neill

by Fred O'Neill
February 6, 2010

While Democrats typically bicker among themselves over healthcare, and tremble in the wake of Republican Scott Brown's overhyped Senate victory in Massachusetts, Republicans are discovering that they are not immune from the "circular firing squad" mentality either. As GOPers strive hard to put forth an appearance of "enforced unity", breaks in their once-solid ranks are beginning to appear, causing numerous violations of Ronald Reagan's so-called "Eleventh Commandment" ("Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican!") ...

The divisiveness has been prompted by the various "Tea Party" attempts to institutionalize a "litmus test" for GOP office-seekers. Any candidate who fails to conform to the far right "values" expressed by the "Teabaggers" is labeled a "RINO" ("Republican in Name Only"). A recent victim of this "purge" is former Florida Governor - and current candidate for the U.S. Senate - Charlie Crist, who incurred Teabagger wrath by supporting the Obama Recovery Act. Another potential "purgee" seems to be Arizona Senator (and former GOP Presidential candidate) John McCain (that's the "gratitude" he gets for scrapping so many of his own ideals to placate rightist fanatics). The "Tea Party" bunch in his state has transferred its allegiance to hotheaded rightwing radio pundit J.D. Hayworth. When Sarah Palin endorsed McCain over Hayworth, this former "heroine" of the righties was branded as a "traitorous" RINO. Other victims of far right attacks include Maine's Olimpia Snowe, South Carolina's Lindsey Graham and Ohio's George Voinovich ...

Though the FOX bunch avoids stating it out loud, the "Tea Party" movement has already begun to splinter into various sub-factions. Some of its members are starting to resemble, not so much the "noble American patriots" of 1776, as the ruthlessly bickering Girondists and Jacobins of the 1789 French Revolution (whose actions spawned the bloody "Reign of Terror"). Some of the more wised-up Teabaggers are beginning to realize that their so-galled "grass roots" protest against overblown government has been co-opted by opportunistic political hacks, Chamber-of-Commerce idealogues, and a greedy clutch of Wall Street and K-Street lobbyists - the same folks who created he economic mess that spawned their "righteous" anger in the first place ...

In all this, there might be some clues for a thus-far "clueless" electorate ... It might make them want to think twice about certain over-eager candidates for public office who, on one hand, spout "Tea Party" platitudes about "God given freedoms" and the "evils" of Big Government - while, on the other, envision ways to siphon the Stimulus money they once rejected into projects that benefit, not the general public, but a handful of "chosen" business associates ... Incumbents are not the only ones who speak with the proverbial "forked tongue"!

Removing "incompetent" office-holders is never a bad idea. However, if voters don't ask the wannabes some very hard questions about their intentions, they might be trading "mere incompetence" for "absolute corruption"!

Fred O'Neill, Marietta, OH