republicans speak up, to my amusement

Democrats dominated the news today, taking over in the Senate and House, but I was struck by three quotes I read today from Republicans.

Republican Congressman Adam Putnam said "We plan to engage in a rigorous, substantive, policy-oriented debate on the issues facing this country. We will certainly work together when we can, and have respectful disagreements when we can't."

A fine, fine idea, Congressman. But a question occurs to me. Why did you feel like you had to wait until you were back in the minority to do that, instead of engaging in rigorous, substantive, policy-oriented debates during the 12 years of Republican rule? Oh, I forgot. That's because the GOPsters took orders from Gingrich and DeLay (and thru DeLay, from K Street lobbyists) and Dick Cheney, and changed the rules to make meaningful input into debates by the minority party essentially impossible.

A GOP Congressman from Wisconsin, Paul Ryan, said "We're going to return to our roots, especially on economic policy, taxes and spending. The era of big-government spending is at an end in the Republican Party."

Of course, that's only true because they don't control the purse-strings anymore. Again, who was holding a gun to the GOP's head during its 12 years in charge of Congress and six years of complete control in Washington to make them cut-taxes-and-spend-spend-spend??? It's easy to pledge never to drink and drive again when you've had your license taken away.

And Al Kamen noted how when pressed by a CNN journalist a few days ago whether the inability to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden -- remember him? Tall guy, lives in caves, hates America, masterminded the 9/11 plot? -- was a failure, White House homeland security advisor Frances Townsend hemmed and hawed, finally saying "Well, I'm not sure. It's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure."

'A success that hasn't occurred yet'? What a positive way to put it! Such a can-do attitude! Success is right around the corner! Iraq is just this far (holds fingers close together) from being a wonderful, peaceful, pro-American and pro-Israeli bastion of democracy, if you just wish hard enough.

If you believe that, you must be on more drugs than William Rehnquist was during his first ten years on the Supreme Court. Rehnquist, Baby Bush, Limbaugh -- all the best politician drug addicts are Republicans.