THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CONTINUES TO BE DEDICATED TO INTERNAL FIGHTING & OBSTRUCTIONIST POSITIONS TO AMERICA’S HARM
When Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY) within hours of Justice Scalia's death declared that the Senate would not even hold hearings on any replacement proposed by the president no matter what the Constitution provides, it wasn't all that surprising. This party has deteriorated from the days when it put public good before political self-interest to the point of chaos and internal dissension we find it in today. When the party, for political self-interest, took under its wing tea party conservatives and right-wing evangelical conservatives it was the quicksand to the nonparty we have today. The inner dissent and fighting within the party resulted in trench warfare being substituted for political wisdom. The GOP became a hateful, vengeful party of nihilism and obstructionism where it is today. The Republican national committee makes halfhearted pronouncements which are ridiculed and ignored by the ultraconservatives who are quite prepared to destroy the party itself and government as we know it today. This faction is a noisy, boisterous and well entrenched faction that has become the tail wagging the dog.
We know that even before Pres. Obama took office the Republican leaders, conservatives and right-wing obstructionist were demanding a unified and total obstruction of any agenda of this new president. The current level of government dysfunction flows directly from the announced plan of war by this party against any proposal, law, judicial appointment or basic function of government. What could be a more clear illustration of the status of the GOP than the last political debate? These so-called presidential candidates shouting, interrupting each other and calling each other names represent the dysfunction of the party. Certainly both parties have acted out in political ways since politics began. Both parties have employed tactics which have been against the interests of the public for political reasons. But only one party has adopted a crossed arm determination to obstruct any proposal whatsoever of this administration. It is hard for one not to see racism as an unspoken but primary motivator for this un-American tactic.
As to the vacancy on the US Supreme Court, the Republicans don't even have the integrity to admit what they are doing. They choose to call their refusal to fulfill constitutional requirements "allowing the American people who should decide who picks the next Supreme Court justice." A conservative group, the judicial crisis network, plans to spend more than $1 million to run TV radio and adds supporting Republicans obstructing the appointment of a Supreme Court judge replacement until after the election offering this excuse. The fact is that none of the excuses for this disgraceful political conduct are the real reason. The truth is that if this president nominated a moderate and qualified replacement the Republicans present position is that it would still obstruct consideration. As far as they are concerned political self-interest comes before constitutional duties. One conservative senator from North Carolina, Sen. Thom Tillis (R – NC) has had the courage to tell the truth. On a recent program he cautioned against the Republican not to automatically block any nominee saying: "I think we fall into the trap if we just simply say no, sight unseen, we fall into the trap of being obstructionist." Their goal is to elect a Republican conservative & nominate a right wing conservative with an agenda to the court.
The real evil of this disturbing status has been correctly identified as being money. Running for political office and staying in office requires a constant flow of huge sums of money. Congress and politicians in office refuse to pass legislation to restrict or control political spending. All reasonable restrictions on political spending have been removed. The U.S. Supreme Court has approved hiding the sources for political funding. Millionaires and billionaires pour millions and billions into PAC's and political organizations to influence legislation and court decisions. Republicans have become the chief recipients of this dark money and to continue its flow support the interests of the big, the rich and the powerful. Allowed under the tent flap of the party, evangelicals, right wing conservatives and Tea Party members wield unjustified power over the party. Chaos, roadblocks and petty fighting is the result. The sad fact is that this doesn't just impact the party. It impacts every American who wants a reasonable government. A government where there is a working balance of power and reasonable laws and Congressional actions as a result. No wonder people have stopped voting. No wonder people are sick and tired of political dysfunction. It’s so bad that a substantial number of people are desperate enough they would even vote for Donald Trump, that’s how bad our politics have become.