The Real Republican Agenda

The Bull Moose is written by Marshall Wittman, recovering R (thought not a D, as I understand it) and until recently, a spokesman for Sen John McCain. Marshall currently works as a Senior Fellow for The Democratic Leadership Council. Here, Marshall explains his political journey.

Bull Moose today has another excellent post about the President's comments this weekend about his lack of interest in the Gay marriage amendment and what really motivates Rs.

Marshall notes Bush's recent comments wherein he seems to abandon seeking a marriage amendment and blaming it on the Senate and the statement of Scott McClellan the following day re-stating how hard the Pres intends to work to save marriage from the gays, despite the G-dubs comments otherwise. Marshall then observes,

What the President initially stated likely reveals what he really believes - that the last thing he wants is to spend precious and perhaps diminishing political capital on is a distasteful fight over gay marriage. After years of observation, the Moose has concluded that the Republican establishment does not share the passion of the religious right about divisive cultural issues.

The dirty little secret of the Republican Party is that behind closed doors the establishment has contempt for the religious right. And the GOP illuminati certainly do not leave their homes in the morning with a passion to prevent Jim from marrying John or to save a fetus from an abortionist. For instance, many have loved ones who are gay, or they may be gay themselves. The powers that be in the GOP are far more concerned about eliminating the estate tax for multimillionaires than halting the death of the unborn. Here is a thought experiment - if you really believe that the sacred institution of marriage is in dire jeopardy, would you make private social security accounts your top priority?

The GOP big wigs pay obeisance to the religious right because they provide the foot soldiers for their campaigns. The Republican establishment cynically manipulates the cultural issues because they recognize that a party that is dedicated to redistributing wealth upward has little chance of majority status. Once elected, Republicans reward the religious right with some crumbs while the real goodies are handed out to their wealthy donors and their corporate cronies.

Marshall says Nick Confessore got it exactly right in his Sunday NYTs Magazine piece,"Breaking the Code", and concludes,

Perhaps some day it will dawn on the rank and file of social conservatives that they are being manipulated to serve another agenda by the hierarchy of the Republican Party. Until then, as both the New Donkey and Matt Yglesias have also pointed out, the GOP will take them for suckers.

It seems to me that we Ds should be asking ourselves and our leaders what exactly we intend to do to get the message out to these social conservatives that they are just being played for fools. It's a safe bet their not ready New Donkey or Big Media Matt's blogs.

We should be calling the Rs on this nonsense at every opportunity. At every public opportunity we should make them squirm.

"Cross Fire" on CNN is dead and good riddence. How many missed opportunities has our side had on that lame program where the so-called lefty gave a pass to the R?

We have to stop giving free passes.