Stealing Elections, Part CCXVII
The latest Bush/GOP strategy for stealing an election: abuse their power to make the Federal Elections Commission either ineffective, or an outright arm of the Republican Party. Bush has nominated Hans von Spakovsky to the commission. Von Spakovsky was involved in politicizing the US Attorneys in the “loyal Bushie” purge, and has worked to suppress minority votes. He is about as unacceptable a nomination to the FEC as you can imagine being nominated.
But Senate Republicans are now saying that if von Spakovsky is not confirmed, they will block all other candidates and leave the FEC inoperative for the 2008 elections. Effectively, they are saying that either the FEC is to become a GOP weapon, or it will be taken down. Either way, Republicans will be free to break any election laws they want.
Which pretty much demonstrates their fully conscious intention to break election laws.
It’s classic game theory.
Civility is built upon a foundation of tit-for-tat.
The way to stop this, and all other uncivil behavior is ‘tit-for-tat’. The Dems need to come up with an equal or greater threat, either of a kind, or of another kind, to throw in the Republican’s face.
The reason our politics got so uncivil in the first place is that the Hitler’s on the right believe that the American left is made up of all Chamberlaines and no Stalins.
They have no respect for the left, so the left must teach them respect using hard knocks.
In the past Harry Reid has been quite good at jujitsu tactics. This is one case where I sense it might work.
Any way, if someone punches you in the nose, you have to punch back or be prepared for being punched in the nose often.