In two episodes this week, the White House and GOP House leadership decried the attacking of members of their party by Democrats, which is ironic considering they, and their minions, had no problem doing so during the 2004 election.
The ultimate expression of hypocrisy was made by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay who complained "Democrats have made clear that their only agenda is the politics of personal destruction and the criminalization of politics.
Last fall E.J. Dionne Jr. pointed out the ridiculousness of this argument when DeLay first made it, noting the origins of the comment. "We must stop the politics of personal destruction," [President Bill] Clinton said in December 1998 after the House impeachment vote that DeLay had rammed through.
One could say what's good for the goose is good for the gander but apparently the GOP does not agree. The White House, stung by the fact a Republican member of Congress found both his conscious and backbone at the same time and threatened to not support the nomination of John Bolton for U.N. Ambassador, found it necessary to have spokesman Scott McClellan proclaim that the allegations are "trumped-up" and part of an "ugly" campaign to destroy Bolton's character.
Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich set the delay in the vote on Bolton in motion after listening to a long presentation by Democrats regarding problems with Bolton. Too often Bush has succeeded because his supporters had closed their minds to differing information. Unable to apply earplugs and blinders to the GOP committee members, the Republicans, who outnumbered Democrats 10-8, looked at the possibility of a 9-9 vote, or even worse 7-11 if both Sen. Lincoln Chafee and Sen. Chuck Hagel joined together to vote their conscience.
Perhaps the GOP is worried that at long last, given enough information, Americans will say enough is enough and turn against the GOP.
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