The GOP Rage Machine and Its Mainstream Apologists

[Truthseeker420]

On Saturday, I wrote about what I called the conservative Republican “rage machine” and its poisonous impact on our politics. I argued that a number of prominent conservative thinkers and pundits—David Brooks, Ross Douthat, several others—were and are partly responsible for this problem as long as they sit there pretending it doesn’t exist. But there’s another responsible group here, too: Just as today’s Republican extremists benefit from the silence of conservative pundits, they also gain from the credulousness of mainstream figures who keep pretending that today’s GOP is a responsible party within the normal American political traditions. So that when the GOP takes a radical position on the sequester and Barack Obama a reasonable one, both are accorded equal seriousness, even when facts have to be ignored to do so. -

Bob Woodward is Exhibit A here. Late last week conservatives were crowing about a Woodward piece blaming Obama for the sequester. His argument was built on two points. First, that Obama staffers came up with the idea. That’s fine—this fact hasn’t been disputed, although its importance has. It’s interesting that Woodward acknowledged that a majority of Republicans voted for the sequester, but then he seemed to apologize for them by writing that key GOP staffers “didn’t even initially know what a sequester was.”
But his second point was the whopper. He went on to argue that any deal seeking to replace the sequestration cuts had to consist of only cuts, not revenues, so Obama was pulling a fast one. This was a new assertion, and the right pounced on it.
This is totally factually wrong. As Brian Beutler noted on TPM, the legislation referred to “deficit reduction,” not “spending cuts.” Deficit reduction means deficit reduction, by whatever means—spending cuts or higher revenues. Ezra Klein wrote: “I remember talking to both members of the Obama administration and the Republican leadership in 2011, and everyone was perfectly clear that Democrats were going to pursue tax increases in any sequester replacement, and Republicans were going to oppose tax increases in any sequester replacement.” In other words, actual reality being so inhospitable to the Republicans’ position, Woodward just made one up that suited it far better.


See more at: The GOP Rage Machine and Its Mainstream Apologists - The Daily Beast

So Woodward is a liar or an idiot?

 

[Rozman]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

 

[Sherry]

You're the one who sounds all butthurt...has Bobby disappointed you??

 

[Truthseeker420]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

 

[Truthseeker420]

You're the one who sounds all butthurt...has Bobby disappointed you??

No, it's his usual crap.

 

[hjmick]

Let me get this straight... Bob no longer toes the party line so he must be either a liar or an idiot? You all love him when he takes on Republicans, what's the problem now?

As for your linked article, and every other article I've read concerning Woodward's analysis of current events, it smacks of an angry White House working hard to discredit a reporter who no longer partakes of the Flavor Aid. Lord knows there are plenty of news outlets that would be willing to, and are happy to, do that sort of work for this administration.

I mean really, The Daily Beast and TPM?

 

[OKTexas]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

Why are the loopholes when someone else benefits, and legitimate deductions when you do?

Just ask'n

 

[Truthseeker420]

Let me get this straight... Bob no longer toes the party line so he must be either a liar or an idiot? You all love him when he takes on Republicans, what's the problem now?

As for your linked article, and every other article I've read concerning Woodward's analysis of current events, it smacks of an angry White House working hard to discredit a reporter who no longer partakes of the Flavor Aid. Lord knows there are plenty of news outlets that would be willing to, and are happy to, do that sort of work for this administration.

I mean really, The Daily Beast and TPM?

No, he is a liar or an idiot because he doesn't know the difference between spending cuts and deficit reduction or lied about the facts... but I know his history.

 

[Truthseeker420]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

Why are the loopholes when someone else benefits, and legitimate deductions when you do?

Just ask'n

I say cut all loopholes or deductions,especially for the rich.

 

[bripat9643]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

"Cut loopholes" is a liberal euphemism meaning "raise taxes."

The day a liberal says what he actually means I will probably have a brain hemorrhage.

 

[bripat9643]

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

Why are the loopholes when someone else benefits, and legitimate deductions when you do?

Just ask'n

I say cut all loopholes or deductions,especially for the rich.

I say raise taxes, but only on Democrats. Every Democrat should have to pay a 100% marginal rate on all income above $50K. After all, that's what they mean by "equality," isn't it?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Woodward won't support Obama's lies about the Obama Sequester.

 

[Truthseeker420]

God forbid we try to cut spending....

Cut spending and loopholes. but that wasn't the point...

"Cut loopholes" is a liberal euphemism meaning "raise taxes."

The day a liberal says what he actually means I will probably have a brain hemorrhage.

tax evaders should have their taxes raised...

 

[Quantum Windbag]

On Saturday, I wrote about what I called the conservative Republican “rage machine” and its poisonous impact on our politics. I argued that a number of prominent conservative thinkers and pundits—David Brooks, Ross Douthat, several others—were and are partly responsible for this problem as long as they sit there pretending it doesn’t exist. But there’s another responsible group here, too: Just as today’s Republican extremists benefit from the silence of conservative pundits, they also gain from the credulousness of mainstream figures who keep pretending that today’s GOP is a responsible party within the normal American political traditions. So that when the GOP takes a radical position on the sequester and Barack Obama a reasonable one, both are accorded equal seriousness, even when facts have to be ignored to do so. -

Bob Woodward is Exhibit A here. Late last week conservatives were crowing about a Woodward piece blaming Obama for the sequester. His argument was built on two points. First, that Obama staffers came up with the idea. That’s fine—this fact hasn’t been disputed, although its importance has. It’s interesting that Woodward acknowledged that a majority of Republicans voted for the sequester, but then he seemed to apologize for them by writing that key GOP staffers “didn’t even initially know what a sequester was.”
But his second point was the whopper. He went on to argue that any deal seeking to replace the sequestration cuts had to consist of only cuts, not revenues, so Obama was pulling a fast one. This was a new assertion, and the right pounced on it.
This is totally factually wrong. As Brian Beutler noted on TPM, the legislation referred to “deficit reduction,” not “spending cuts.” Deficit reduction means deficit reduction, by whatever means—spending cuts or higher revenues. Ezra Klein wrote: “I remember talking to both members of the Obama administration and the Republican leadership in 2011, and everyone was perfectly clear that Democrats were going to pursue tax increases in any sequester replacement, and Republicans were going to oppose tax increases in any sequester replacement.” In other words, actual reality being so inhospitable to the Republicans’ position, Woodward just made one up that suited it far better.


See more at: The GOP Rage Machine and Its Mainstream Apologists - The Daily Beast

So Woodward is a liar or an idiot?

Pretty sure he is neither.

You, however, are both.

 

[Stephanie]

The only rage machine I see is Obama and his sheep, (like the op and the dailybeast) now spreading shit around about Woodward, who they hailed as a hero back in the Nixion days..

Such USEFUL tools

carry on, Party over Country

All Hail Obama