Fineman: A 'Forced Group Hug' (* meeting with Repug Congress)

[RamboLiberal]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5040850/

As David Hobbes saw it, Republicans in Congress needed cheering up and a call to unity. The news had been a cavalcade of Mesopotamian gloom, clouding the popularity of their leader, George W. Bush, and his party. As the president's legislative adviser, Hobbes suggested Bush do something he rarely does: pay a visit to the Capitol. In a closed-door, no-questions pep talk, Bush bragged about the economy and vowed the time was near when the Iraqis would "take the training wheels off" and pedal on their own to democracy. "I'm going to win this November," he added. Bush got standing ovations. Departing attendees uttered upbeat sound bites. But privately, some were dismissive. "It was a forced group hug," said one, with "little substance—and no chance for feedback." As for unity, that didn't materialize last week, either. Not long after the president left, the Senate failed to pass the budget Bush wanted—because four Republicans made it clear they were ready to vote no.

At least inside the Beltway, Iraq is opening fissures in the solid bloc that is—or was—the Republican Party and its conservative base. Members in the House blasted their Republican colleagues for holding too many hearings on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, accusing them of undermining the war effort in a bid for publicity. Long-dormant GOP isolationists re-emerged, with the usual cicadas—Patrick Buchanan and columnist Robert Novak—joined by Donald Devine, vice chairman of the American Conservative Union. The GOP interventionists were divided among themselves: between Bush loyalists who were ready to declare victory and leave ASAP, and hawks who insisted the United States needed more troops and a longer time horizon for nation-building.

For some Republicans—Sen. John McCain among them—the need is for sacrifice. "Throughout our history, wartime has been a time of sacrifice," he declared. "I do not remember ever in the history of warfare when we cut taxes." That was too much for Rep. Dennis Hastert, the usually soft-spoken Speaker of the House. "If you want to see sacrifice," he told McCain, "visit our young men and women" at military hospitals. McCain—who was grievously wounded in Vietnam and who spent five years in Hanoi prison camps—kept his cool. "I fondly remember a time when real Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility," he said. One top GOP Hill aide was more critical. "The Democrats are sucking up to McCain big time and our answer is to attack him?" he said. "Why not just order him to run with John Kerry? This is how you lose a presidential election—and the Congress along with it."

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. You can bet...

That Tom "Cockroach" Delay is giving them their marching orders. Even Hastert, who has always been Delay's pissboy.

Delay just may be their nemesis in this election, with his strategies. Wouldn't that be sweet?

[Malva Zebrina]

2. Now I understand Kerry's taunt that the banged up Bush should have

taken off his training wheels.

I am sorry, I just cannot give the village idiot any crediat at all. That he marches over to congress and pretends he is lecturing them, is actually funny, given how stupid he is.

It is all for show and photo ops--that is all he knows to do--act a part.

[KoKo]

3. This could be really funny...if it wasn't so sad....how these Chimp

supporters "sold out America" for an idiot "pie-in-the-Sky" PNAC philosophy where America allies with Sharon to produce "Poppy's Vision" of the "New World Order." And, in a little "Armaggedon/Rapture" and the "alliance was complete."

In hindsite Poppy was a better man than his devil spawn. No parent would wish on themselves what Babs and Poppy created as they followed their own greedy ambitions for POWER...and (as Chimp said in his Graduation address in Louisiana...) be "careful the company you keep."

:puke:

[yellowcanine]

4. "NoFacts was on with Bob Schieffer saying

that it was a poor performance by *, according to his "sources". He essentially gave his fundraising speech and rambled on and on until time was up and there was no chance for questions. NoFacts also doesn't expect much from the speech coming up this week - Of course NoFact's "cure" for shrub's "Iraq problem" is for shrub to push the marriage is between a man and a woman amendment! Now that ought to do it! One thing for sure, we are going to be entertained between now and November.

[Miss Authoritiva]

5. And now for the Enron parallels.

Let's not forget that at the same time Kenny Boy Lay was leading a corporate pep rally of Enron employees, telling them to add more Enron stocks to their 401K plans, he himself knew the company was spiraling down and was selling off his stocks.

Republican Congressmen are in a better position than Enron employees, though. All they can lose is their Beltway lifestyle, not their retirement savings.