hat tip = Charles Pierce
Notwithstanding the general progress made within the two last centuries in favour of this branch of liberty, & the full establishment of it, in some parts of our Country, there remains in others a strong bias towards the old error, that without some sort of alliance or coalition between [government] & Religion, neither can be duly supported. Such indeed is the tendency to such a coalition, and such its corrupting influence on both the parties, that the danger cannot be too carefully guarded [against]. -- James Madison to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822.While you're at it, read Charlie's bit on Simpson-Bowles:
So, comes the end of the day, and just when you least expect it, Eric Cantor lets John Boehner out of the leg irons long enough to present a "reply" to the president's plan to avoid sliding us all down the Gentle Fiscal Incline. Whether it is lighter on specifics, or on political reality is a question best left to philosophers at this point, but it is in no sense a "plan" any more than is the average food riot. Among its happy provisions, it seeks to raise the age for Medicare eligibility and cut Social Security benefits. If this seems familiar to you, it should, because it's pretty much what Erskine Bowles suggested a year ago, when the president's prospects were not very bright and neither, it should be said, was Bowles. Anyway, I'm sure Boehner accounts himself clever for throwing Bowles's discreet granny-starving back at the president. Cantor may let him have a whole cookie tonight.Quick tho't: let's not burn up any more mental ergs than we have to trying to understand and/or explain why the Repubs don't seem to groc that they lost the election and they should be making nice with Harry and The Prez. The guys running this show don't fucking care what anybody thinks because they know they can make some of us think almost anything. They're playing the long game (with some very long green) and they'll just keep pushing their shit until they drop.
But remember that even dictators have to have some popular support (that's why they spend so much time and money on advertising). The one thing we can do is to make sure our Congress Critters hear a message that's a little contrary to what they're dishing out to us.
So call 'em - every day or every week, or whatever - it has to become a habit. If he's "on your side", then he needs to hear you're with him. If she's not, she needs to know there's a bunch of people out here who don't think she's doing the people's business by just going along with the crowd.
