Extremists and Radicals in the GOP

Official White House photograph of Vice President Rockefeller, 1975

Tonight was another one for the history books.

It was either that, or one for the nearest comic book store.

There was another Republican “debate” among the GOP presidential nominee wannabes. It’s hilarious – not just in a comédie noir sense, but in a genuinely hilarious manner – because those folks actually believe what they say, and hope to foist it upon the American general public.

But from there, it gets dangerous, precisely because they genuinely believe what they say. And that makes it sad.

The crazy “debate” was held this evening with 8 GOP wannabes.

Starring were:

• Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO and political nobody Herman “Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy II” Cain

• Former Speaker of the House Newt “GOPAC“ Gingrich

• Looney-tuner Minnesota Rep. Michelle “Carbon Dioxide is not a harmful gas” Bachmann

• Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt “RomneyCare“ Romney

• Texas Representative Ron “I support legalizing drugs” Paul

• Texas Governor Rick “Niggerhead” Perry

• Former Utah Governor John “I resigned the Utah Governorship to become Chinese Ambassador, then quit that job too” Huntsman, Jr.

• Former Pennsylvania Senator-turned corporate lawyer/lobbyist Rick “I like WWF rasslin’ and think it should be exempt from steroid use bans ’cause it’s not a sport” Santorum

Only three – Bachmann, Paul & Perry – are presently in political office. Is it not strange how many ex-es are wannabes? Ex this, former that, used-to-be another…

Back to the idea about extremists.

Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann said she would repeal the Dodd-Frank banking regulation bill. That consumer protection legislation was a favorite straw man punching bag for the candidates. It’s particularly disturbing because it is precisely deregulation of the banking industry – the elimination of consumer protections afforded under the Glass-Stegall Act, which then allowing increased risk without corresponding reserves, and the commingling of funds from Wall Street stock brokerages, Insurance companies and Banks (a veritable incestuous fiscal orgy) – that significantly led to our present crisis.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said he would repeal every regulatory measure the Obama administration has imposed over the past three years. And yet, none of them would call themselves radicals.

Now, granted, the average American does NOT have 4-year university degree – but that neither guarantees one to understand reason or logic, nor does a baccalaureate confer common sense. There’s something to be said for common sense – which oft seems in short supply these days. But to assert to repeal EVERY regulatory measure? That’s just plain whacked! Whacked!

And yet, the idea of extremists and radicals extant the Republican Party is nothing new. Neither is the fact that radicals and extremists have hijacked the party. I’ve maintained as much for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I wrote about it in 2009. And it wasn’t about the so-called “TEA” Partiers. History does seem to have an odd habit of repeating itself.

The issue of radicals in the Republican Party actually goes back much further.

It goes back to the 1964 Republican National Convention, when then-New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller was granted 5 minutes to address delegates.

He was booed for 16 minutes.

The entry is entitled “These extremists feed on fear, hate and terror.”

You may be interested at what you find.