I Miss Bob Dole (Paul Begala)

Newsweek ^ | 17 Jul 2011 | Paul Begala

[mandaladon]

He stood up to the radical right when it shut down the government in 1995. Who will do the same today? The government shutdown of 1995, dramatic though it was for the country and damaging though it was to the GOP, looks like the height of Republican reasonableness compared with today’s brinksmanship over default.

So much is different from 1995. The economy is weaker. Experts say the economic consequences of default may far exceed a mere government shutdown. The Republicans are much more, shall we say, ideologically inspired—with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in constant, furious competition to prove who’s more devoted to the Tea Party’s extremist position that the federal government must never, under any circumstances, increase federal revenue by so much as a penny, no matter how catastrophic the consequences. But perhaps the biggest difference is that Bob Dole isn’t in the room. After then–House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s “crybaby” rant about getting a bad seat on Air Force One (by the way, Mr. Gingrich, there are no bad seats on Air Force One) and the ensuing shutdown, it was Senate Majority Leader Dole who stopped the nonsense.

“Enough is enough,” he barked. “I don’t see any sense in what we’ve been doing.” A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, Senator Dole.

Of course, President Obama has been playing this role—even growling the very words “Enough is enough” at the end of yet another excruciating session of negotiation with intransigent Republicans on July 13. But what about on the right? From my vantage point Boehner appears to want to be our Dole. But he may be a leader without enough followers.

[mandaladon]

challenge.

It was apparent to Clinton that if it came to a shutdown he would win. An inveterate consensus builder, Clinton also knew when to draw the line. “Gary Cooper–style leader-ship,” he said, was easier than cutting difficult deals. But when Gingrich gave him a chance for a High Noon moment, Clinton stood tall. He pointed to the presidential desk, made from the timbers of the HMS Resolute, and told Gingrich that if he wanted someone to sign those cuts into law, he’d have to get someone else to sit behind that desk...............Begala must've been high when he wrote this.

[Maceman]

Yes, President Dole was one of the best presidents we ever had.

Oh, wait . . .

[Last Dakotan]

Dole = Loser

[theDentist]

Take off, great white forehead. We don’t care what you think.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The totalitarian cheerleader who said "Stroke of the pen. Law of the Land. Kinda cool." Paul Begala?

That Paul Begala.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

"Yes ... tens of millions of good people in Middle America voted Republican. But if you look closely at that electoral map you see a more complex picture. You see the state where James Byrd was lynch-dragged behind a pickup truck until his body came apart—it's red. You see the state where Matthew Shepard was crucified on a split-rail fence for the crime of being gay—it's red. You see the state where right-wing extremists blew up a federal office building and murdered scores of federal employees—it's red. The state where an army private who was thought to be gay was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat, and the state where neo-Nazi skin-heads murdered two African Americans because of their skin color, and the state where Bob Jones University spews its anti-Catholic bigotry: they're all red too."

[Nat Turner]

I wish Paul would SHUT UP!...

[BigSkyFreeper]

Any other day, Begala would be trashing Dole. He’s a punk.

[plain talk]

Of course, President Obama has been playing this role—even growling the very words “Enough is enough” at the end of yet another excruciating session of negotiation with intransigent Republicans on July 13.

... then Obama got Republicans to agree in $800B in taxes and then pulled a fast one and upped the ante by $400B more? Did Bob Dole do that? Democrats lie.

[BigSkyFreeper]

That’s what Begala thinks of Dole too.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

there is no possible way I can take this guy seriously...

[Vince Ferrer]

So much is different from 1995. The economy is weaker. Experts say the economic consequences of default may far exceed a mere government shutdown.

So how is this good for Bob Dole's side? If the shutdown in '95 had produced real lasting fiscal responsibility instead of chickening out, would the economy be so weak today?

[freedumb2003]

We knew Bob Dole was a RINO — there is no reason to twist the knife.

If Clinton was Gary Cooper then I am John Wayne.

The Left lexicon translated into realspeak needed for this article:

* “Reaching Across the Aisle” = capitulating to radical leftist socialism
* “Statesman” = RINO
* “Consensus Builder” = bully who will not hesitate to use invented situations to blackmail Conservatives
* “brinkmanship” = Conservatives who stand for their principles ( “Statemen” who will not “reach across the aisle”)

[truthkeeper]

Right, who believes this?

Anyone, anyone?

[Leroy S. Mort]

I miss Zell Miller.

[Tolsti2]

Wow did that ‘revenue’ bulliten stick. It must’ve come from the highest dems. ‘Don’t say taxes, always revenue’.

It makes it sound like a passive thing. They are so great at changing words to push agendas.

[onehipdad]

I am beyond sick to death of people who make a living of talking (both sides of the coin, BTW), especially career insiders like Begala. How this scum sleeps at night amazes me.

[ken21]

yes.

remember when bob dope (r-kan) did “bipartisanship”

with the socialists and spent the social security surplus?

[Nuc 1.1]

Begala is a liar and deceiver.

[COBOL2Java]

The forehead has spoken!