Klein: 'Nihilists' Leading Republicans Off Deep End

What should be a faction is in charge of the party
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 20, 2009 4:20 PM CDT
Klein: 'Nihilists' Leading Republicans Off Deep End
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, speaks during the committee's markup vote on the nomination of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Tuesday, July 28, 2009.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Raising legitimate, fact-based opposition to political issues is one thing—but today’s Republican party seems "overwhelmed by nihilists and hypocrites" more concerned about returning to power than the public good, writes Joe Klein in Time. Where's the leadership? When Sarah Palin raised the ridiculous “death panel” specter—and remember, this is the same camp that wanted to take over Terri Schiavo's end-of-life decisions—"the number of prominent Republicans who rose up to call her out could be counted on one hand."

“A striking example of the prevailing cravenness”: one Republican congressman who at first called government-euthanasia rumors crazy “quickly retreated when he realized that he had sided with the reality-based community against his Rush Limbaugh-led party.” Yes, we’ve seen this behavior in the past—but then “the crazies were a faction of the Republican Party—they didn’t run it.”
(More Republican Party stories.)

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