Suit up for a delightful journey through GOP denial.
This morning's NY Times' "House G.O.P. Members Face Voter Anger Over Budget" is a near comedic survey of electoral wrath and disowning of same by those who wrought it. For heedless Republicans this is their occupied France of spring, 1944; it's Napoleon's troops on June 17, 1815; it's an impending rout of reactionary fatuity like we haven't seen since feudalism's demise.
OK, that's stretching things a bit. But it is a joy, and transcendentally so.
For your amusement ponder, for example, this befuddled quackery from Pennsylvania's Rep. Lou Barletta: "My town halls are being disrupted by Democrats.... I am not sensing the general public is angered over Medicare reform. When I explain that people over 55 are not affected there is almost a sigh of relief."
Put aside for a moment the GOP representative's implication that town hall meetings should be for friendlies only -- not, heaven forfend, an opportunity for concerned citizens to confront their somehow-elected malefactors. As usual, the rules of democracy are deemed different by Republicans, for Republicans. No, Barletta's real topper was that phrase about "sigh[s] of relief" coming from constituents who realized his exacting malevolence was aimed not at them. Intriguing. Why did Barletta believe the over-55 crowd was so relieved? -- and, notwithstanding his protestations of a carefree "general public," would not the 54-crowd in reality be feeling a trifle cheated upon witnessing the 55-crowd's immense relief?
Otherwise, in their budget proposal did House Republicans not virtuously dynamite our seed of national destruction: Medicare? Would not patriotic citizens of all ages applaud these saviors and demand only to know why we must wait 10 years -- 10 long, depraved, ruinous years -- before righteousness descends and their blessed budget-balancing edict begins to take root?
Meanwhile, back in Berlin, early June, 1944, in a conference call "House leaders sought to reassure Republicans that their budget approach would eventually carry the day," reports the Times.
One could erupt in savage and sarcastic commentary. But let's just savor that line instead; just sort of let it hang there, while standing back, admiring the depths of self-deception to which the suicidal leaders of Boehner-Cantor-Ryan are willing to go, dragging to hell their troops along with them.
Makes you smile, does it not?
Still, we've yet to arrive at the truly heartwarming part. Which is: "Officials familiar with the [conference] call said that rank-and-file lawmakers did not seem alarmed at the response they were getting."
June 5th. Hey, Heinrich, see any ships out there? Nein. All clear and A-OK. Ja, it's lookin' good.