Nick Anderson for January 29, 2010

I note that former Senator Charles (Mac) Mathias (R. Md.) died this week at the age of 87. He symbolizes a kind of bipartisan statesmanship rarely seen today. Here is a passage from the Wiki article about him (I know it’s long, but he deserves to be remembered):

Charles McCurdy “Mac” Mathias, Jr. (July 24, 1922 – January 25, 2010) was a Republican former member of the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1969 to 1987. He was also a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1959 to 1960, and of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 6th congressional district of Maryland from 1961 to 1969. After studying law and serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Mathias worked as a lawyer and was elected to the state legislature in 1958. In 1960, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Western Maryland. He served in the House for eight years, where he aligned himself with the then-influential liberal wing of the Republican Party. Mathias was elected to the Senate in 1968, unseating incumbent Democrat Daniel Brewster. He continued his record as a liberal Republican in the Senate, and frequently clashed with the conservative wing of the party. For a few months in late 1975 and early 1976, Mathias considered running an insurgent presidential campaign in an attempt to stave off the increasing influence of conservative Republicans led by Ronald Reagan. His confrontations with conservatives cost him several leadership positions in the Senate, including chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. Despite isolation from his conservative colleagues, Mathias played an influential role in fostering African American civil rights, ending the Vietnam War, preserving the Chesapeake Bay, and constructing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He retired from the Senate in 1987, having served in Congress for 25 years.

Over the course of his first term, Mathias was frequently at odds with his conservative colleagues in the Senate and the Richard Nixon administration. In June 1969, Mathias joined with fellow liberal Republican Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania in threatening a “rebellion” unless the Nixon administration worked harder to protect African American civil rights.[16] He also warned against Republicans using the “Southern strategy” of attracting conservative George Wallace voters at the expense of moderate or liberal voters.[14] Mathias voted against two controversial Nixon Supreme Court nominees, Clement Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell, neither of whom was confirmed. Mathias was also an early advocate for setting a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, and was against the bombing campaigns Nixon launched into Laos.[14] In October 1972, Mathias became the first Republican on Ted Kennedy’s Judiciary subcommittee and one of only a few in the nation to support investigation of the Watergate Scandal, which was still in its early stages.[17]

The GOP is just giving them the rope to hang themselves with and their doing it .

Sort of one of those neutral’s.

Just hang the GOP and the Supreme Court and let the American People run the country.

There indeed was a time of honorable men, Mathias and Hatfield come to mind. It wasn’t that the Republicans and Democrats just switched places (as in the reversal of position on rights in the south) but the fact that a very harsh, unyielding group of greedy and angry folks took over, with Reagan’s smile and outward demeanor to hide behind.

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Which even Republicans and conservatives of the time found honorable, became “Demand what your country WILL do for you, don’t worry what it does TO your country.”

And that was NOT the liberal “welfare beneficiaries” view.

Obama walked into THEIR house yesterday and confronted their “best shot”, ad lib, no teleprompter, no pre-rehersed questions, and that has NEVER happened with Reagan/41 or 43. It was a bit like watching Parliament confronting the prime minister, and refreshing, as well as expository.

Remarkably, only a few questioners revealed themselves as true suppositories.

^ explain what you means by suppositories, please. thank you

So has Pence, they’ve had more than 25 years to work on a real plan, and all they could come up with is another $12 trillion added to the debt, defense spending, and no health care for the people.

“The GOP rightfully wants no part of this train wreck. The astute observer will note they are doing all they can to avert it.”

Absolutely. They take responsibility only for the successes.

Vote all you want. Remember Uncle Joe (Stalin)’s words;

“It’s not who you vote for that counts. It’s who counts the votes.”

If it’s not by hand, by partisans with opposition observers watching over their shoulders, then it’s by a secret machine in the back room, controlled by… Maybe you don’t wanna know.

cfimeiatpap must be Dairy Queen in drag. Who else talks about taxes and why we should get rid of the commons?

“Angry white men”?

That rascist.

It’s not just the Repubs. Dems are guilty of partisanship too. Note how back when they were yelling bloody murder about Republican’s partisanship that not one of them voted against any of their leadership’s bills. Not quite as much balls as Olympia Snowe.