Barbara O’Brien at the Mahablog missed the last Republican debate and ruminates about the history and future of Conservatism in America after reading a Guardian article in “Wild Things”

But, no one is outraged about this except us–not even the press. Where are the calls for special prosecutors, investigations, complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse? Where is the outrage? The conservatives are supposed to be in the minority. Where is that majorities voice?

I think that “Republican graft has stolen hundreds from every family” would be a good campaign slogan.

These people and their “ideas” should be ridiculed and laughed off the stage. Goddess willing, this will happen quietly at the polls in November 2008. Sadly, so far, there is no one of large enough stature to give a full throated rebuke to these idiots and their pathetic beliefs. I agree with you that the public is ready to hear this, but so far, no one has cleared their throats to make the case. At least Hillary probably won’t start World War 3 - that is, unless Unka Dick manages to go out with a Bang beforehand. Lord knows he’s trying.

I’m pleased about the NYT editorial - this country is being run into the ground by the right’s infantile, me-first ideology, and finally a report such as this breaks into the spotlight. The tragedy is that we Americans are pretty insulated from the rest of the world, and have been pumped full of propaganda about how our country is Number One. More people need to get out and see the rest of the world.

I’ve often wondered who writes John McCain’s material. Sometimes he’s original and funny, and other times grotesque (bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb-Iran). John, you and your pals are killing us. Literally.

Being the naive, reality-based kind of fellow that I am, I had to wonder how a relatively small movement, even if armed with a hypothetical Iranian nuke or an actual Pakistani one, could be more threatening than the Soviet Union, which had thousands of much larger nukes aimed at us, as well as controlling a massive industrial base, vast natural resources and a network of client states. Or Russia, which still has those nukes and an increasingly scary former KGB man in charge.

Or for that matter, the original, non-Islamo-, fascists, who also controlled enormous industrial resources, and had some of the top scientific minds on the planet, and, at least for some time, a philosophy that appealed to a number of American elites, including the father of one US President and the grandfather of another.

Or, for that matter, a world super-power with a much larger military that cut off our young nation’s trade, then invaded, forcing the President to flee to Virginia and burning the White House, for all you War of 1812 fans.

I wonder if there is a huge correlation between the people who go to see horror movies and the GOP base. Both groups seem to have a powerful desire to live in a state of fear, frequently, and will envision elaborate scenarios for the purpose.

It’s not just That Woman we should fear, it’s that she’ll expose us to The GREATEST THREAT AMERICA HAS EVER FACED!!!!!

I can almost hear Bernard Hermann’s music from Psycho, can’t you?