"Shallow Throat" On Obama and GOP Obstructionism

[CrisisPapers]

| Bernard Weiner |

I was shocked. For six years, I had been meeting secretly with the GOP mole I called "Shallow Throat"** -- a high-ranking official in the Bush Administration -- and each time, ST made sure to wear different wigs and scarves and dark glasses. Now, here was Shallow Throat in front of me, at a Smithsonian cafe, with no disguise. Except this time wearing a smile a mile wide.

"You've outed yourself," I said. "And you're grinning like a banshee. Has Obama's election liberated you?"

"What's really liberated me," said Shallow Throat, "is that the rightwing extremists who hijacked my party, and almost took the country down with them, are gone in electoral disgrace. Before Obama's landslide victory, I always had to worry that I might be discovered talking to you, and lose my governmental position, or worse. I revealed a lot about w hat was going on inside the White House and my party, and Cheney's forces have no love for leakers. So thanks, Bernie, for not revealing in your articles any clues about my identity, not even my gender."

I responded: "My readers and I have always found Shallow Throat's revelations useful in figuring out how we in the opposition should confront and challenge the GOP and the CheneyBush Administration. That's why I sent you the coded message the other day: I think we all could benefit from your insider perspective about the new Obama presidency and how the Republicans are responding to his initiatives."

"You understand," said Shallow Throat, "that my long-range goal is to help take the Republican party back to its traditional, small-government, conservative roots, if that's still possible, as a brake on your Democratic friends' tendency toward social engineering. The time will come when you and I will be political opponents once again."

"Then why are you willing to talk to me, to us, now? Isn't there a contradiction there?"

REPAIRING THE WRACK & RUIN

"Not really, not yet," said ST. "The first task is to undo the great damage done by Bush and Cheney and their cohorts -- to the economy, the Constitution, the environment, America's reputation abroad, etc. -- and that will take years and years. Especially because the corporate mass-media still support their point of view, the courts are riddled with the ideologues they've appointed, and also they've hidden many of their most effective, lower-level operatives in civil service jobs inside the government to help gum up Obama initiatives. But since I've exited from government service and work as a consultant now, I don't have to be afraid any more of retaliation from GOP dead-enders or the new Administration. I can say what I like, openly."

"You mean I can use your name now?" I asked.

"Afraid not," ST said. "I don't want to scare off clients, who might wonder if I can be trusted with the information they'll be giving me. The Beltway is a closed loop and everybody knows everybody. I'll continue to be your 'Shallow Throat' but still anonymously, at least for now."

"OK," I said. "Tell me how you read the early plays of the Obama Administration, and about how your fellow Republicans are responding to them."

OBAMA AS A PRAGMATIC CENTRIST

"I think it's pretty clear, especially judging from his major Cabinet appointments and the howls coming from the progressive wing of the party, that Obama plans on governing pretty much from the pragmatic wide center, though laying on enough liberal veneer to satisfy his base."

"Give me some examples of the reality behind the 'liberal veneer' you're talking about," I said.

"OK. 1) Among the establishment liberal economists Obama's chosen to head his recovery program, many are partially responsible for the economic meltdown in the first place. 2) He is overturning many of Bush's most egregious executive orders but certain ones have been allowed to remain -- the one moving ahead on possible offshore oil drilling along the coasts, for example. 3) In the wording of his anti-torture executive order mandating use of the Army Field Manual's interrogation rules, Obama has left a large loophole for possibly continuing CIA torture of suspected terrorists. 4) His Mideast policy, despite the rhetoric, is pretty much the same: unswerving support for Israel, little or no support for Palestinian positions. And 5) Already deadly missile strikes have taken place by unmanned Predator drones inside Pakistan presumably with President Obama's approval or acquiescence."

"But he is starting to get some flack from the progressive wing on these and other matters," I countered. "I'm more interested right now on your insights into how the Republican opposition is behaving."

THE DEARTH OF A GOP VISION

Shallow Throat launched: "The Republicans have no competent national spokesman with the reputation and political smarts to deal effectively with rebuilding the party away from its extremist history of the past few decades. McCain is damaged goods, and is being wooed successfully by Obama in any case. So the remnants of the Cheney/Bush ideologues in the Congress, led by McConnell in the Senate and Boehner in the House, have no guidance and no program other than to play the obstructionist card."

"What else is new?" I replied. "Their candidate didn't have any good ideas to run on for the presidency either and, as a result, McCain failed miserably at the polls. Absent new ideas, can the Republicans be successful in stopping the Obama/Democrat momentum?"

"Well, assuming Obama can't lure enough moderate Republican senators to his side on key votes, the GOP can use their numbers in the Senate to filibuster or threaten to filibuster, making Obama think that he has to compromise on important legislation. That's just out-and-out GOP obstructionism, with no positive program of their own to offer. Shouting 'socialism' isn't an agenda."

"Exactly," I replied. "The voters want government to work for them, and too many Republicans, still in the throes of extremist demagoguery, continue talking about 'drowning government in a bathtub' and are desperate enough to look to Sarah Palin for leadership. That way for the GOP is political suicide."

"In a sense, I certainly hope so," said Shallow Throat. "It could be that the extreme wing will paint the party into such an unelectable corner by the 2010 midterms that mainstream Republicans like me and my friends will finally have enough momentum to drive them out. The extremist/fundamentalist wing might then found its own variant of the Know-Nothing Party while the rejuvenated GOP will be able to put forth a genuine presidential competitor in 2012 to help rebuild the party."

A SLIME STRATEGY

"But," I countered, "wouldn't the GOP's current strategy of obstructionism and sliming Obama and his supporters wherever and however they can -- wouldn't that aid your cause, by weakening Obama for 2012?"

"Maybe," said ST, "but at what cost to the country? We moderate Republicans are not Rush Limbaughs, calling for Obama to fail badly in all his initiatives, even those aimed at rescuing the wrecked economy, regardless of the cost to us all. We want to be judged as the better alternative in a healthy, civil contest between two competing ideologies, not appear to be selfish, my-way-or-the-highway destroyers. We've had quite enough of that kind of politics during the past eight years."

"I think you're hopelessly naive," I said. "The Congressional Republicans, after having their hands on all the goodies for the past eight years -- actually, with some exceptions, since the Reagan 1980s -- aren't about to play nice just because they got their asses whooped in the last election. Obama is making a big mistake if he thinks they will abandon their scorched-earth political strategy. These guys play for nothing less than victory, they're not civilized players like you and your moderate GOP buddies."

"Which" said ST, "is precisely why we GOP moderates must in the next two years prepare ourselves for a return to power in the party after the congressional leaders self-destruct with their values-thin, obstructionist approach."

HOW SHOULD PROGRESSIVES BEHAVE?

"And progressive Democrats?" I asked. "How do they fit into the picture?"

"They'll like some of what Obama does," said ST, "mainly in domestic areas, but will feel betrayed in foreign and military policy, especially with regard to Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan and maybe even Iraq. Obama is gambling on their so liking being at the locus of federal power that they won't abandon him. After all, Obama might reason, where else would the Democrat left go? But after decades of compromised, watered-down center-right liberalism, the progressives might just decide to walk and explore founding their own party, perhaps in an alignment with the Greens and disaffected Republican moderates."

"You really believe that could happen?"

"No. But in a horrific time that calls out for radical reform, and that offers the rare opportunity to effect those massive changes, if Obama blows it and sticks to the more-or-less status-quo center, public anger and disappointment could become heated and party alignments could begin to gyrate wildly. Hope, as important as it is psychologically for public morale, still isn't a paycheck.

"Just think what could happen if the recovery monies don't get out immediately to the states for 'shovel-ready' infrastructure projects. Imagine the anger and frustration if those jobs don't start to materialize until 2010 or 2011, and if there isn't quick relief for mortgage-payers facing foreclosure. Don't rule out a public backlash of immense proportions directed against a perceived more-of-the-same Obama Administration and the Democrat Party in general."

And with that, Shallow Throat quickly walked away, leaving me sitting there stunned, not knowing if I'd heard a forecast of hope for genuine change or a prediction of massive failure and potential social revolution.

-- EP

[Demeter]

1. I'm Guessing Revolution

Either Obama has a come-to-his-senses moment and goes into Left field, or the population will be forced to. It's much less painful for all if Obama reads the writing on the balance sheet and changes. I prefer his personal revolution to a general revolt.

Although, it's much more permanent a result if the population rises up out of apathy and does a French Revolution, ridding the nation of the parasite class and the bias in the laws and institution that permits this class to feed and grow and protect itself from consequences...

[merh]

2. The majority yearns for change and the left for their causes to be

center stage and not pragmatically dealt with but, just as the GOP has no leader, the left has no leader. Kucinich cannot effectively make the difference that is apparent. The left is all talk and very little action. Obama's inauguration ceremonies should have heard the voices of dissent, there should have been a strong anti-war presence in the crowds, there should have been more protests of Warren and his bigotry. Not just keyboard commandos but actual protests with signs and banners and dissent that could not be ignored. Let Obama celebrate and offer hope but also let him know that he is on a short leash and that the focus must be on the needs of the citizenry and not on what he perceives to be best for the citizenry.

[Demeter]

3. Warren Needed to Be Ignored and Allowed to Make a Complete Fool of Himself

and he did a smashing job of it. He will be completely ignored now.

As for anti-war, I suspect that we'll need to do that in the spring. The inauguration was not the appropriate time or place.

Obama is the leader for the Left. He just hasn't realized it yet. It's a learning curve.

[roguevalley]

5. we are a left country now. most don't see it because the swing from

the pubs happened over a period of time but giving in to these weasels means fighting and battling needlessly. get on with it and ignore them when they want to be obstructionist. people are so far so willing to back obama these geezers will only lose.

[anonymous171]

16. Warren was pathetic, I see no reason for any kind of hysteria over that anymore.

We need more liberal economic policy before we can even think about progressive social reform.

[pacalo]

4. Is there a link to this?

[DemReadingDU]

7. Here is the link

http://www.crisispapers.org/essays9w/obstruct.htm

[pacalo]

8. Thank you.

Some people aren't familiar with "The Crisis Papers" & the OP was signed "EP".

Just sayin'.

[starroute]

6. It took a while for FDR to give up on conventional nostrums

I actually do expect some disillusionment with Obama down the road -- but I think it's more likely that he gets people's hopes up and then doesn't go far enough than that he blows it entirely.

What I actually see as most likely is something roughly comparable to the Sixties -- only where Obama plays both the Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson roles, offering hope and change but also some substantial reforms, and also where that order of reform is eventually widely perceived as insufficient.

The real issues of our time have to do with the power of the corporations and the military-industrial complex, and that's where Obama may stick.

Right now, I'd put the odds at 80% that Obama will quickly get tired of playing footsie with the GOP bitter enders and do whatever is necessary to get us out of a couple of the really major holes we're in. But by 2-3 years from now, one of two things will likely have happened:

1) The economy will have improved sufficiently that a lot of people will be pushing for things to go back to just the way they were, which will radicalize those who were hoping for genuine change. Or

2) The economy will be stabilized but still just limping along, to the point where there will be pressure for more sweeping measures.

Either scenario could lead to a widespread progressive disillusionment -- and something like ST's scenario by 2012. #2 would be broader-based and more populist, #1 more ideological and revolutionary. Or there might be some other variant that I'm not even imagining.

And even disillusionment can take varying forms -- the late 60's had hippies as well as anti-war activists, Jesus freaks as well as Weathermen. Also, we're not just talking about the US -- the rest of the world is also part of this ongoing exercise in street theater.

Whatever happens, it should be interesting.

[defendandprotect]

9. There is no such thing as a "center" in politics -- it's delusion . . .

Where is the center on Equal Rights for Females?

Where was the center on Segregation ---

Slavery,

Oppression of homosexuals . . . ?

Corporatism . . . ?

And progressive Democrats?" I asked. "How do they fit into the picture?"

"They'll like some of what Obama does," said ST, "mainly in domestic areas, but will feel betrayed in foreign and military policy, especially with regard to Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan and maybe even Iraq. Obama is gambling on their so liking being at the locus of federal power that they won't abandon him. After all, Obama might reason, where else would the Democrat left go? But after decades of compromised, watered-down center-right liberalism, the progressives might just decide to walk and explore founding their own party, perhaps in an alignment with the Greens and disaffected Republican moderates."

"You really believe that could happen?"

"No. But in a horrific time that calls out for radical reform, and that offers the rare opportunity to effect those massive changes, if Obama blows it and sticks to the more-or-less status-quo center, public anger and disappointment could become heated and party alignments could begin to gyrate wildly. Hope, as important as it is psychologically for public morale, still isn't a paycheck.

If liberal/progressive Democrats truly understand and concentrate on Global Warming --

and anti-war positions then anything is possible.

Corrupt capitalism has failed over and again -- and is walking away with bailout money, again.

Keep talking about it.


If we truly want to create change and Obama hangs in there to create it, he is going to

have tough opposition from the corporate-GOP, from the DLC and from "blue dog" Democrats.

Obama is going to need liberals and progressives ---

AND, I think we have a few things to learn from the French --- and I don't mean how to

make "Freedom Fries"--!!


"Just think what could happen if the recovery monies don't get out immediately to the states for 'shovel-ready' infrastructure projects. Imagine the anger and frustration if those jobs don't start to materialize until 2010 or 2011, and if there isn't quick relief for mortgage-payers facing foreclosure. Don't rule out a public backlash of immense proportions directed against a perceived more-of-the-same Obama Administration and the Democrat Party in general."

This country has been thru a Depression before --- and the corruption and failure of

capitalism and we know the remedies.

The real question is will we have someone leading us with the will, determination and

courage of FDR -- ?

In that case, this nation had war ahead of it --- a World War which lasted fewer

years than the insane wars Bush has gotten us involved in -- and at the end of the road was

the Military Industrial Intelligence Complex and a fancy new "Cold War."

In our case, we already have the wars and war profiteering, the corruption of government

leadership. And a massive Military Industrial Intelligence Complex -- now PRIVATIZED.

We also have a fake and corrupt Drug War.

We are going to have to learn something from the French -- and I don't mean who to make

"Freedom Fries." !!!!!


Republican party back to its traditional, small-government, conservative roots

The GOP has always been the business party ---

they couldn't always do as much harm as they wanted to do --- but the potential was

always there. Few doubters now as we begin to see our future as "third world America."

Globalization is about "harvesting slave labor" -- and that includes us.

[rucognizant]

10. I have been watching for 28 years.

I discovered about corporate marketing, while waiting for a rescue by AAA with a can of diesel fuel at a Jersey shore convenience grocery. They make you buy in BIG lots, so if your client base is small & modest you lose money on overstock. enables BIG CHAIN stores. This is why items are not available at my local art supply store. They can't market enough of the perishable items so they don't carry them.
After supporting food brands all of my life.................I don't get any consideration; and now have to consume what is designed to appeal to the young male ( blue sports drinks for, example! ( they have the biggest disposable income) ( have had these last 20 years)
Big Pharma/drugs.............The last time I had a genuine need for aspirin, a friend had to drive over with hers; it was a weekend & our local drugstore ( small privaely owned by the pharmacist) was closed until Monday. I am 70, still don't own a bottle of aspirin! ( I think my friend's bottle has now expired!) If you have been boonswaggled by all those TV adds ( restless leg syndrome???) into taking meds. STOP! ( reread Brave New World)
The equivelant of throwing the tea in the harbor would be; hijacking pharmaceutical delivery trucks all over the country and BURNING the drugs, into the water NOT recommended. In my hometown, we burned the tea on the village green, because that amount of tea would have clogged shipping! {Greenwich NJ.}
Walmart trucks also a great target.............
posters, marches NOT SO MUCH!

[defendandprotect]

14. Interesting post and . . .

story about Greenwich, NJ -- never heard that before -- and I live in Central NJ.

:)

[BanTheGOP]

11. Let's Quit Goofing Around!

Quit playing the fiddle while the planet is blowing up.

It is this measly, whiny crap that GOT us into this mess in the first place!

If Obama goes to the center, and stays in the center, then he will most certainly be burned. The American public is CLAMORING for a federal takeover and cleanup of the privatized, corporatist mess that was created by the Bush Administration, allowed for by the existence of an organization that has been usurped by the criminal element, the republican party.

If we would actually put out an investigatory committee on the PARTY, we can rid the scourge once and for all. Although I think we should have many parties, I'd be happy for a temporary two-party system with the Greens on the left and the Democrats on the right, but allow for greater interaction by the socialist, peace and freedom, and other progressive parties to have a greater, democratic input into creating the global society based on human interaction and inclusion, not destruction and exclusion.

Quit "reading" the Obama administration, and get to work destroying the remnants of the republicanist agenda. NOW!

[TankLV]

12. We already "own" the Insurance Industry, thanks to AIG...we should now DISSOLVE it...

do away with the Health Insurance Industry and use all the money we were going to give to AIG to OWN, lock stock and barrel, a REAL National Health CARE/PROVIDER Industry - no "Insurance" necessary...

We now "own" most of the banking industry too - this I believe we should not "keep" - but bring it in, tear it apart, re-tool it, and then sell it off IN MANY SMALL LOCAL-OWNED CHUNKS so than never again is anything "too big" to "fail".

and in ALL these instances, we must institute a "blacklist" like they have in the gambling industry here in Vegas, where CEO's and other Executives of mismanaged and failed companies NEVER AGAIN can be in-charge or in any way involved in the industry THEY THEMSELVES CAUSED TO FAIL...this last one is probably the most important one...

[defendandprotect]

15. Great point . . .

at the least we should be charging them "credit card" rates until all of

this is repaid!

And, YES! -- we do have to start enforcing the anti-trust rules again ---

make sure they are effective for what we need now and fire away!

[thesquanderer]

13. Do banshees grin? (n/t)