John Tsitrian scolds National Review shouter Andrew C. McCarthy for calling South Dakota’s Republican voters “saps.” In his hyperventilation over the unnecessarily and irresponsibly delayed Senate confirmation of Loretta Lynch as our next Attorney General, McCarthy says Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds committed a disgrace in voting to end debate on the nomination that outweighs their vote against the nomination itself. Tsitrian says he’s glad Thune and Rounds aren’t wholly hewing to McCarthy’s hyperventilations:
According to mad (and I use that in both senses of the word) man McCarthy, Lynch is “an Attorney General who won’t uphold the Constitution.” This, of course, is the completely crazed ranting of a committed ideologue who reads the Constitution as a document suited to his peculiar predilections, whatever they are, not as an organic body of ideas and principles that needs constant re-interpretation by a society that persists in the process of becoming. McCarthy’s inflexible obsession with a document that must be adhered to as he sees fit makes his fist-shaking rage against the Republican machine predictable and cloying. I suppose there are some self-styled committed Constitutionalists in South Dakota who go along with this solipsistic nuttiness, but for the most part, Republicans that I know here tend to be pragmatically, not ideologically, driven [John Tsitrian, “This Is Rich. The National Review Just Called Thune and Rounds Supporters ‘Saps’,” The Constant Commoner, 2015.04.26].
On pure parliamentary grounds, I can see the daylight between voting to end debate and voting on the issue at hand. Responsible lawmakers should be able to recognize when debate should end and an issue should receive a vote.
However, I am willing to let stand McCarthy’s criticism of Thune and Rounds supporters as “saps.” Thune and Rounds run on conservative Republican slogans about smaller government and individual liberty that disappear in their support for the military-industrial complex and other favors to their corporate pals that degrade our individual liberties.
Among the saps are any South Dakotans who believe Thune, Rounds, Noem and any other person blathering on about eliminating the Federal estate tax in order to protect family farms.
This SOW (selfish overpriviliged whiteman) needs a LUTHER …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkAK9QRe4ds
#grins
Porter,
“selfish overpriviliged whiteman” Just curious as to how broad you cast your definition of what constitutes a selfish over privileged white person?
SOW is my epithet to stand up to the “N” word so offensive to African Americans. ‘Til now no term (cracker, honky, etc.) has penetrated the red necked psyche. “As a white person, I always saw the terms honky or cracker as proof of how much more potent white racism was than any variation practiced by the black or brown. When a group of people has little or no power over you, they don’t get to define the terms of your existence, they can’t limit your opportunities, and you needn’t worry much about the use of a slur to describe you, since, in all likelihood, the slur is as far as it’s going to go. What are they going to do next: deny you a bank loan? Yeah, right. So whereas the n-word is a term used by whites to dehumanize blacks, to “put them in their place” if you will, the same cannot be said of honky; after all, you can’t put white people in their place when they own the place to begin with.” -Tim Wise
PS … SOW fits the bill. See how you reacted.
C,H. good post but most know about those two except the kool aid followers.
Porter,
I consider myself fairly progressive on a number of issues but it seem a little strong to bring this label into the discussion. It seems to me that they were blocking her nomination in a political move rather than race. Otherwise if constantly used if can come off as constantly having a huge chip on one’s shoulder and just being consumed with anger.
Race and gender are tools of the Democrat party.
@Lynn I really don’t care how I’m viewed when I stand up for the underdog. This isn’t Facebook and I’m not soliciting your “like”. SOW is powerful and the LWIY (last word is your’s), sir or ma’me.
DB, i was starting to like you until that stupid ass remark.
Porter,
It’s ok. According to your standards I’m probably just one of those “Milquetoast Democrats” that was left behind here in South Dakota. LOL
anything else Daniel?
Good post by Tsitrian. He’s right on the nose with it.
All that being said, SD’s congressional delegation are “saps”, but not for the reasons McCarthy spouts.
Excellent post, Mr. Tsitrian.
Indeed, a lot of what Tsitrian writes is excellent. Republicans benefit more from a gadfly like Tsitrian, who both praise and criticize his own party, than they do from a sycophantic blogger who just repeats the party line and runs their ads.