The Pink Flamingo :: Conservatives Sure Don’t Know Much About History

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Among his other attributes, George Washington was a man of vision. He was terribly concerned about the way political parties would eventually degrade into the playground of what he called cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men. I think he may have been talking about the things that have occurred in the GOP these past few weeks. Things have become so disgustingly vile and nasty in the conservative media, Bob Dole sent a letter chastising Rush Limbaugh. Conservatives are furious. Limbaugh should have enough self-respect to be absolutely humiliated that he has gone so far. Un-daunted, Michelle Malkin went a little to far this evening with her disrespectful treatment of a true statesman.
This is what that stupid little twit wrote in her blog

“…There’s only one proper response to Bob Dole’s attack on Rush for highlighting John McCain’s repeated attacks on conservaties (sic);
Get back in your cage, Bob….”

How dare you write something like this? How dare you show such poor manners to a person a million times your better. Simply for his service to his country he deserves respect. Evidently only those who are conservative are worthy of being treated with decency and manners. It’s like this Ms Malkin, maybe you need to crawl back into the tidal pool that spawned you and not slither out until you learn how to properly behave and to treat your betters.

Unfortunately she is only aping the rest of the ultra conservative field where there has been a complete break-down of civility. This is the one thing that truly worried our first President. He wanted civil, civic discourse, not personal attacks. He also attributed this sort of behavior to personal greed and grasping for power.

From The Moderate Voice
The Corner

“…Well, it's probably the last person I would have wanted write a letter for me. I think there are a lot of folks who tend to think that maybe John McCain's race is a bit like Bob Dole's race. That it's the guy who's next in line, the inevitable choice….” Mitt Romney

“…Governor Romney’s attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should apologize. Bob Dole is a war hero who has spent his life in service to this nation and nobody has worked harder to build the Republican Party. Bob Dole deserves the respect of every American and certainly every Republican. Governor Romney denounced Ronald Reagan in the mid ’90s while Bob Dole was working tirelessly to elect Republicans across the country. Governor Romney was missing from those fights when I was standing with President Reagan and Senator Dole to build the Republican Party….” - John McCain

This is exactly the kind of behavior George Washington warned against over two hundred years ago. I think he would be heart-sick to realize he was right. How dare these people behave the way they are so doing? I don’t care if it is liberal, conservative, Democrat or Republican, it must end. The only positive aspect of all of this is the fact that people like Malkin and Limbaugh are turning themselves into a laughing stock. Look at Coulter, she’s finished. You are on your way out, all of you – not for your refusal to endorse John McCain, but for the way you have behaved. The American people are decent and fair. One of these days they are going to wake up and realize just what they’ve been pulled into, and it will not be pretty.

THERE HAVE BEEN 42 OTHER PRESIDENTS BESIDES REAGAN

One of the things that bothers me most about our “Reagan” conservatives today is the fact that they seem to have forgotten that we have had 42 other American Presidents besides Ronald Reagan. While most have been mediocre to average, some have been extremely great. The problem is the entire talk-show conservative house of cards has been built on the back of Ronald Reagan.

No matter how much they revise the truth, they cannot say that Ronald Reagan was “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” That honor goes to the very first president, George Washington, Commander-in-Chief, hero and the man who walked away from absolute power. No other military leader in his position in the entire scope of history did what George Washington did on December 23, 1783. The Commander-in-Chief of a proud, victorious army, he did what Napoleon did not do. He did what Stalin did not do. He did what Mao did not do. He did what Julius Caesar did not do. He walked away from absolute power.

By walking away from absolute power, George Washington established a precedent that would last through the history of this nation. Powerful generals give up power and walk away. They do not seek power for the sake of power, but for the sake of maintaining and preserving this Republic.

George Washington did not hold himself up a paragon, full of rhetoric, instead, he served as an example for those he would lead. When pressed, he would ride straight into the horrors of battle, never flinching as bullets sailed around him. He went into the trenches with his soldiers, digging ditches by their side. When General Charles Lee failed to lead properly, an eyewitness said he temper was so fierce, his language so furious that the very leaves in the trees shook above his wrath.

During the Constitutional Convention the delegates could not get along. Once again the new nation Washington helped to build was under assault from within. Holding the feuding patriots together by sheer force of will and personality, the Constitution of the United States of America was born.

George Washington viewed himself as a failure. His fondest desire, most far-fetched dream was to be the king of his own country, like his cousin, another George, who lived across the Pond in England. He groomed himself to be a leader. He became the ultimate gentleman soldier. Following the Revolutionary War, when things were not going well, a group of very powerful men asked Washington to meet with them at a tavern in Alexandria, Virginia. During that meeting they told him things just were not working. It was then that his fondest desire, most cherished dream was handed to him.
George Washington was asked to take over the governing of this messy infant nation and become its king. Furious, he chastised the men for betraying everything he had worked to create. He then turned his back on them and rode back to Mount Vernon, as George Washington, private citizen.

There are very few men or women who, when offered the object of their fondest desire or wildest dream, would walk away from it. George Washington did not seek power. He did not accept that power when given. How many modern politicians would do the same thing?

He refused to belong to a political party. He felt they would be counterproductive and would lead to the stagnation of government. Washington did not believe in pomp and ceremony and was determined that there would be none in the new government. Distaining European titles and determined that this new nation he governed would never emulate a European court, he chose the simple title, “Mr. President”.

When offered a third term, he refused, thus establishing another precedent of walking away from power.

In Washington’s Farewell Address he warned against the evils of political parties. He felt there were specific virtues a republican people should address. He warned against bitter partisanship in domestic politics. He asked that those serving in the government move beyond the bitterness of partisanship and serve the common good.

More than anyone in American history, including Ronald Reagan, George Washington is revered for his great personal integrity. He had a deep sense of duty, honor and patriotism. He held the Continental Army together at times, through nothing but his personal force of will and determination. His greatest contribution to the nation was the fact that he refused to take more power than was necessary. He maintained his reputation by avoiding political intrigue. He did not approve of nepotism or cronyism.

Congressman Henry Lee eulogized Washington:

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate, and sincere; uniform, dignified, and commanding; his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting…Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues…Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.”

If George Washington were alive today, he would be absolutely disgusted a the total loss of civility within the American political scene. He would be the first one to denounce those castigating Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Such actions would are exactly what he warned against.