Posted on 04/21/2015 6:18:09 PM PDT by markomalley
One of the most glaring myths propagated by Washington — especially the two parties’ media loyalists — is that bipartisanship is basically impossible, that the two parties agree on so little, that they are constantly at each other’s throats over everything. As is so often the case for Washington partisan propaganda, the reality is exactly the opposite: from trade deals to Wall Street bailouts to a massive National Security and Penal State, the two parties are in full agreement on the bulk of the most significant D.C. policies (which is why the leading candidates of the two parties (from America’s two ruling royal families) will have the same funding base). But because policies that command the agreement of the two parties’ establishments are largely ignored by the D.C. press in favor of the issues where they have some disagreements, the illusion is created that they agree on nothing.
To illustrate how true this all is, consider the comments today of leading GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush. He appeared on Michael Medved’s conservative talk radio program, and was asked by the host what his favorite part of the Obama administration has been. His answer? As McClatchy’s Lesley Clark noted on Twitter, Bush hailed “Obama’s enhancement of NSA.” The audio was first posted by Ian Hanchett and is embedded below; here is the full transcript of the exchange:
Medved: If you were to look back at the last seven years, almost, what has been the best part of the Obama administration?
Jeb Bush: I would say the best part of the Obama administration would be his continuance of the protections of the homeland using the big metadata programs, the NSA being enhanced. Advancing this — even though he never defends it, even though he never openly admits it, there has been a continuation of a very important service, which is the first obligation, I think of our national government is to keep us safe. And the technologies that now can be applied to make that so, while protecting civil liberties are there. And he’s not abandoned them, even though there was some indication that he might.
It’s hardly unusual for even the most extremist right-wing Republicans to praise Obama’s foreign policy. GOP Congressman Peter King has repeatedly done just that, hailing Obama’s use of drones, assassination of a U.S. citizen with no due process, his upholding of indefinite detention powers, and the truncating of Miranda rights in terrorism cases. Just this week, GOP Senator Lindsey Graham — who has advocated bombing almost more Muslim countries in the last decade than he has fingers — said that he prefers Obama’s foreign policy over Rand Paul’s. A bipartisan coalition of Congressional outsiders tried in late 2013 to defund the NSA domestic spying program and almost succeeded, but the union of the parties’ establishments — the Obama White House, John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi — whipped just enough votes to protect the program.
The cause of NSA mass surveillance has been particularly embraced by many Democrats because it was Obama doing it (as I’ve said before, if Edward Snowden had leaked this information when a Republican was in the Oval Office, there would be a massive statue erected of him outside of the MSNBC studios, where he is now often vilified). And now, Jeb Bush (in contrast to Rand Paul, who vowed to end NSA spying “on Day One”) has declared himself fully in support of that cause, hailing Obama for expanding these capabilities.
One thing I like about Jeb Bush is that he is a great reminder of why we don’t want another Bush.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUvKE3bQlY&index=1&list=RDcKUvKE3bQlY
>>the reality is exactly the opposite: from trade deals to Wall Street bailouts to a massive National Security and Penal State, the two parties are in full agreement on the bulk of the most significant D.C. policies<<
And this is a surprise, how? Ever since the great Ronald Reagan left the White House, there has been little to no difference on policy matters, only implementation.
Can we get someone who “represents” us?
“even the most extremist right-wing Republicans...Peter King...Lindsey Graham.”
This guy’s right-o-meter needs some serious recalibration.
I think Jeb is the PERFECT example of everything the USA should NOT be.
He’s a picture-perfect sample of the Country-club, check pants RINO that I utterly despise.
Isn’t that the truth.
President Eisenhower warned of a very powerful Military-Industrial complex as a threat to America. In retrospect, he was correct. However, the threat has substantially enlarged itself into a Military-Industrial-Intelligence-Police complex.
People like John McCain and Lindsay Graham are in a “too much is not enough” attitude about the MIIPC. If they could, they would want every person on the planet reduced to a data enriched algorithm, with micromanaged control over every facet of their being. Yet even that would not satiate their desires for ever greater MIIPC growth and intrusion.
Thanks Jeb! Who’s support is he trying to get?
He is totally clueless as to how detached he is from the GOP base.
Or has he already given up on the GOP nomination, and trying to compete with Hillary?
at ALL COSTS..
we must STAY OUT the BUSHES!!!
But this AH supports wide open lawless borders, reckless immigration policies as the conga-line of millions of illegals and Muslims from Ustinkistan pour in unabated.
Instead of government locking and securing our doors and windows to our home, they open the doors and windows and invite in all the criminals to loot the fridge, cupboards and valuables.
Then they tell us they'll protect our home by bugging the entire house, phones and setting up cameras in all the rooms.
And some people actually buy this corrupt Communist style con-game.
If not, he's doing a damn good impression of someone who is.
He really ought to re-register as a Democrat, because he bears no resemblance whatsoever to a Republican (let alone, a conservative).
What's Ted Cruz -- chopped liver?
No more Shrubs!
Typical, he thinks he has a lock on the repub vote, so he is doing the predictable.....going for the Dem and independent vote. As usual, he won’t get them and the republicans won’t show up.
As I predict Jebby will come out and say “Hillary will make a great president” a la McCain saying “Obama will be a great president.
FU Jeb. You’re worse than a liberal Obama Hillary hybrid. Republicans can KMA if Jeb is the nominee. Yes. I gripe about republicans sitting out the Romney campaign, which by the way, cost the 2012 election. I will vote third party if jeb is the nominee. If it comes to that the country is doomed regardless.
Your Ebonics appears to be lacking. The word is 'da', not 'the'.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.