The Moose on the [Endangered] RINO

In a post this morning, the Bull Moose, one of my favorite bloggers, took up our perennial question of the role of moderates within the GOP. Citing the recent Whitman and Danforth 'laments' about the "subservience of their party to the religious right," the Moose writes:

"With all due respect to the GOP 'wets', their problem is not that they are weak, but rather they are blind. They ignore the political reality that dictates that their party without the religious right is merely a full service concierge for big corporate money ... Ultimately, the real problem for the mods is not the religious right but a party that has made as its primary purpose the promotion of the economic interests of the great malefactors of wealth. Cultural conservatism is essential to provide a populist facade for the plutocratic agenda."

The Moose is right in saying that criticism of the religious right's control of the party is only part of the problem. Clearly the GOP needs a multi-step detox program. Ending support for the politics of social fundamentalism [or theocracy, speaking less euphemistically] as dictated by the likes of Dobson, Robertson and Falwell is an important step in the right direction. Just as importantly, however, the Republican Party must in the very near future quit its job as water-bearer for the corporate moneygrubbers. Then there would be no need for a 'populist facade' - the Party could return to its common-sense roots, populist to their very core.

Respect for equality and minority rights is a populist issue. Common-sense concern for the environment and the future of our planet is a populist issue. Putting 'the great malefactors of wealth' in jail when they deserve it instead of giving them tax breaks for their tax breaks is a populist issue. Adequate support for and investment in health care, job creation and education at every level is a populist issue. All these and more were once, in fact, Republican issues. And they can be again.

The Moose writes "the moderates have largely made their peace with a party that is the province not of Danforth, Warner, Shays or Whitman, but rather of Tom DeLay." Some have, that's true. Too many, even. But not this RINO. And to those out there who feel the same, those 6% or so of Republicans who had the guts to buck the party and vote against this president and his "culture of [corporate] life"in November and all those many more who held their noses and pulled the lever just because there happened to be a little (R) after his name, I say we have a choice. We can continue in this vein, squeaking piteously as the DeLays of this world keep us firmly in the pockets of big industry and the self-righteous bigots, or we can stand up and say we've had enough.

I know not what course others may take, but as for me, I choose to charge.