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David Brooks: The Republicans’ Incompetence Caucus
The New York Times ^ | October 13, 2015 | David Brooks

Posted on 10/13/2015 1:26:04 PM PDT by EveningStar

The House Republican caucus is close to ungovernable these days. How did this situation come about?

This was not just the work of the Freedom Caucus or Ted Cruz or one month’s activity. The Republican Party’s capacity for effective self-governance degraded slowly, over the course of a long chain of rhetorical excesses, mental corruptions and philosophical betrayals. Basically, the party abandoned traditional conservatism for right-wing radicalism. Republicans came to see themselves as insurgents and revolutionaries, and every revolution tends toward anarchy and ends up devouring its own.

By traditional definitions, conservatism stands for intellectual humility, a belief in steady, incremental change, a preference for reform rather than revolution, a respect for hierarchy, precedence, balance and order, and a tone of voice that is prudent, measured and responsible. Conservatives of this disposition can be dull, but they know how to nurture and run institutions. They also see the nation as one organic whole. Citizens may fall into different classes and political factions, but they are still joined by chains of affection that command ultimate loyalty and love.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: davidbrooks; republicans
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To: EveningStar

Sorry, but I've more than had it with the people like David Brooks. People that have a full resume and, yet, have really accomplished nothing in their pathetic lives.

21 posted on 10/13/2015 1:59:44 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: EveningStar

I’ll bet Brooks cashes his DNC check every month.


22 posted on 10/13/2015 2:02:07 PM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (My Batting Average( 1,000) (GOPe is that easy to read))
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To: EveningStar

The House Republican caucus is close to ungovernable these days. How did this situation come about?


Answer-
Lying liberal republicans


23 posted on 10/13/2015 2:03:16 PM PDT by RginTN
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To: OttawaFreeper

Good point!

I’d like to see every Republican in a “live” interview ask if the Democrat party has been replaced by the SOCIALIST PARTY. You know: the party of no jobs! Why keep the collapse of the Democrat party a secret!


24 posted on 10/13/2015 2:12:13 PM PDT by pfony1
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To: EveningStar

Yes, David, traditional conservatism stood for abortion, gay marriage, illegal immigration, massive federal deficits, socialized medicine, and military weakness. /sarc


25 posted on 10/13/2015 2:34:37 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Buckeye McFrog
" . . . but they are still joined by chains of affection that command ultimate loyalty and love."

He sounds like a Supreme Court justice justifying abortion on demand.
26 posted on 10/13/2015 2:36:21 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Buckeye McFrog
"Yeah, like we here at FR can REALLY feel the LOVE coming from Democrats and RINOs."

Spot on.
27 posted on 10/13/2015 2:37:14 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: M. Thatcher
"That first encounter is still vivid in Brooks’s mind. “I remember distinctly an image of--we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at his pant leg and his perfectly creased pant,” Brooks says, “and I’m thinking, a) he’s going to be president and b) he’ll be a very good president.”

Brooks was probably staring at Obama's crotch, not the crease in his pants.
28 posted on 10/13/2015 2:39:30 PM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Paladin2

It’s kind of funny how this works in the Democrat mind. The libs have whole websites talking about Cruz’s bad suits.


29 posted on 10/13/2015 2:40:42 PM PDT by nascarnation
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To: BookmanTheJanitor

That’s an awesome picture of the nerd chameleon.


30 posted on 10/13/2015 3:08:19 PM PDT by bkopto
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To: WashingtonSource

“Rush was trashing this column today.”

The thrice divorced, four times married, drug addict, draft dodger? That Rush?


31 posted on 10/13/2015 3:41:32 PM PDT by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated)
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To: EveningStar

Hat tip to Rush.

Should have said so in my post.


32 posted on 10/13/2015 6:18:42 PM PDT by G Larry (Vote Hillary! Pro-Abortion Socialist)
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To: EveningStar

David Brooks is a hiding behind his desk at the NYT. A pathetic little kiss-up.


33 posted on 10/14/2015 1:34:56 AM PDT by AdaGray
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To: DiogenesLamp

The “people who make things happen” can go on a fully peaceful spending strike until political reform happens.

If a new $300,000 house isn’t bought, governments lose about $100,000 in revenue.

If a new $35,000 car isn’t bought, governments lose about $15,000 in revenue.

Political reform means for me:
1. a flat “tax” of up to 10% to support the elderly and the sick with exemptions of earned income of $5,000/year and unearned income of $500/year (plus existing FICA tax on employers)
[Quotes are used for “tax” since taxes are meant to fund government operations, not people.]
2. another tax of up to 10% paid to support federal government operations, with exemptions on Congressionally set amounts of earned income (~$10,000/year) and unearned income (~$1,000/year)
3. a third tax of 20% levied on personal income above $50,000/year to pay off the national debt
4. repeal of Amendment XVII so federal senators are selected by state legislatures again
5. a new Fiscal Year Balance Amendment that terminates the terms of federal Constitutional officers (the President, the House of Representatives, Senators) at the end of the current term of the House of Representatives and bars the officers from getting federally related employment or payment if a federal fiscal year ends in the red

I know many of you won’t like 1, but 1 is basically the Ben Carson “tithe”. Ben Carson is right about the need to help people and to cap the funding and have just about everyone paying.


34 posted on 10/14/2015 8:09:41 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Brian Griffin
The “people who make things happen” can go on a fully peaceful spending strike until political reform happens.

I agree, but so far they aren't taking the problem seriously. They are too preoccupied with all the latest diversions to recognize the growing threat directed at them.

Political reform means for me: 1. a flat “tax” of up to 10% to support the elderly and the sick with exemptions of earned income of $5,000/year and unearned income of $500/year (plus existing FICA tax on employers) [Quotes are used for “tax” since taxes are meant to fund government operations, not people.] 2. another tax of up to 10% paid to support federal government operations, with exemptions on Congressionally set amounts of earned income (~$10,000/year) and unearned income (~$1,000/year) 3. a third tax of 20% levied on personal income above $50,000/year to pay off the national debt 4. repeal of Amendment XVII so federal senators are selected by state legislatures again 5. a new Fiscal Year Balance Amendment that terminates the terms of federal Constitutional officers (the President, the House of Representatives, Senators) at the end of the current term of the House of Representatives and bars the officers from getting federally related employment or payment if a federal fiscal year ends in the red

Those are very good ideas, but I don't think we will ever get into a position where such ideas can be implemented. At least not until after some sort of social/financial cataclysm has occurred.

But it is a good target to shoot for.

35 posted on 10/14/2015 8:15:56 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: EveningStar

I like Kevin McCarthy.

Being better than Boehner should be easy.


36 posted on 10/14/2015 8:17:25 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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