Friday, November 29, 2013

TWENTY YEARS AGO, KRAUTHAMMER WOULD HAVE ACCUSE SENATE DEMOCRATS OF "WILDING"

Charles Krauthammer on the end of the filibuster:
This was a disgraceful violation of more than two centuries of precedent. If a bare majority can change the fundamental rules that govern an institution, then there are no rules. Senate rules today are whatever the majority decides they are that morning.

What distinguishes an institution from a flash mob is that its rules endure.
A right-winger who uses the phrase "flash mob" is not thinking of a group of people suddenly gathered to perform Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" or reenact the restaurant scene from When Harry Met Sally. Right-wingers who talk about "flash mobs" are talking about scary dark-skinned urban youths with no conscience engaged in violence against decent, upright Americans. When Krauthammer looks at Harry Reid, that's what he sees.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that, back in 2005, Krauthammer called the judicial filibuster "the bastard child of Democratic bitterness over recent lost elections" and said that a GOP vote to break it would have been "a profile in courage." And I'm sure I also don't have to tell you that Krauthammer's current fretting over "the rule of law" did not extend to the Bush administration's use of torture and cover-up of same -- back in '07, when we learned that torture tapes were destroyed in violation of the law, he thought that was fine: "I think it was a good faith in destroying the tapes -- yes, because it is not a pretty thing, and you don't want it on You Tube." Well, all right, then.

3 comments:

Victor said...

In 2005?

In 2007?

Well that's SOOOO Pre-KenyanSocialistFascistCommunistMuslimHeathen Usurper!

Anything before January of 2009 was Real Murkan fair game fer FreeDUM!

Tom Hilton said...

"Law" as conservtives use it refers not to legal process as we understand it, but to tribal identity. "Law-abiding gun owners" means "gun owners like me". "Rule of law" means "rule of people like me, who think like me". In this sense, Krauthammer is being entirely consistent.

mzrad said...

Haha: could someone develop a remedial history class for conservatives, with a special unit on the Middle East? We need to do WAY more mocking of their blathering stupidity (does CK even know what a flash mob is or did his assistant help him with that little tidbit of modern culture?). They LOVE to make progressives angry and disgusted but they HATE to be mocked. See Colbert, Stephen at White House correspondents dinner. They are just too full of stupid to take seriously. For all of us non pundits and non "journalists" who don't have to worry about the next invitation to a swank Georgetown cocktail party, let the mockery continue!