Bond: No You Guys Are Running A Banana Republic
Early this morning over at the mother ship, Josh made an interesting comparison between members of the Republican rump and the members of Junta Parties in post-Junta Banana Republics. A Junta could rule a country for years, but when its members are overthrown, they face the real risk of recriminations, and forming a solidarity party is one key way for them to forestall any consequences.
For future reference, members of Junta Parties around the world should consult either Sen. John McCain, or Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. After spending years supporting Bush-era torture and other crimes, Bond, with an assist from McCain, has turned the tables (sort of) on the new party of power by accusing it of fashioning the United States after a Banana Republic. Watch:
McCain: In Banana Republics they prosecute people for actions they didn't agree with under previous administrations.Bond: This whole thing about punishing people in past administrations reminds me more of a Banana Republic than the United States of America. We don't criminally prosecute people we disagree with when we change office. There are lots of questions that could have been asked of the Clinton administration failing to recognize the war on terror. They did not. The Bush administration went forward, and that's the way our country should. The President said he was going to be forward looking and now he has opened up the stab in the back.
That's either world champion chutzpah or an unusually pointed example of projection. Either way it's a novel approach and, if it catches on as a meme or is in any way effective, the two should win some sort of ribbon for rhetorical jiujitsu. But, then again, I'm sure crazier ideas have gained a great deal of purchase in our discourse, so why not this one?
Separately, one is tempted to remind Bond of things like the Starr investigation and the Clinton impeachment. If the point of all this is that administrations should be investigated while they're still in power and not after, then why did Republicans oppose any real measure of oversight from 2001-2008?
Josh
Matt
Eric
Banana Republic? No wonder Texass wants to secede!
April 23, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
The next thing from the Conservative Big Idea Factory: Banana Hammock Parties.
April 23, 2009 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
man, the republicans just can't keep from torturing. poor logic, it will never be the same.
April 23, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, unfortunately the First Amendment protects that particular brand of torture. The right-wingers are free to torture logic like a Spanish Inquisitor.
April 23, 2009 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obananarama!
April 23, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans are testing responses to the prosecutions to come.
April 23, 2009 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's take them at their word. Round up the previous "leaders" and execute them.
And then during hurricane season let's treat TexASS as if they have already seceded.
April 23, 2009 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
These congressmen need to learn to stick to their own territory but I can understand why they try.
They suck at being rational and they totally suck at comedy!
Those who have been staunch supporters of the Bush adminstration and its policies have to be in heavy denial. There's no way around that... so we can only expect that they will express frantically and consistently their disconnect with reality (i.e. pretty much anything stated by Cheney). What else can they do?
Fortunately for us John Stewart and the writers at the Daily Show are excellent comedians and satirists. I suggest you let them handle the banana jokes Kit.
April 23, 2009 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't understand the "banana republic" talking point.
Maybe I am too young to comprehend (under 50).
I think their talking point goes over the head of most Americans.
April 23, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Google "United Fruit Company" You may want to cross-reference "Central America" and "CIA".
April 23, 2009 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
These senators fail to realize that the US became a "banana republic" when the Supreme Court stole the presidency for their party's candidate in 2000 and established eight years of lawlessness. The US version of el pacto del silencio for which they now advocate will only lead this nation further into Moon over Parador territory.
April 23, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
With a little help from the 'family, Jeb and the Republican mob in Florida.
The Republicans kept us safe, like the MAFIA, our protection money wasn't just measured in dollars, but in rights and our standing in the world.
April 23, 2009 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
even for them, it is stunning they used Banana Republic on the very day we as a nation were informed our country tortured to gain false confessions
April 23, 2009 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
and holy crap ! whatever happened to their vaunted message discipline ?!?!?
Boehner just called it torture
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/23/boehner-memos-outline-tor_n_190547.html
April 23, 2009 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
This idea was first advanced by Karl Rove, picked up by Arlen Spector and is now being pushed by Bond and McCain. Maybe if the Congressional Republicans hadn't passively allowed Bush and Cheney to act like mirrored sunglass wearing junta leaders during, we wouldn't be talking about prosecuting them.
April 23, 2009 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
What this reminds me of, more than anything else, is Watergate. Republicans were in deep, deep denial then, too. They defended Nixon to the hilt and were outraged that Congress was spending its time on a politically motivated witch hunt. I will never forget Arlen Specter, who had been one of Nixon's staunchest defenders, finally giving it up after the tapes broke.
I expect this will turn out much the same. Eventually the evidence will become so compelling that even the most die-hard R's will finally be forced to acknowledge the truth.
My fear, though, is that this will come to resemble Watergate in another way. Those who are old enough to remember will tell you that the whole mess consumed all the available oxygen, and nothing else got done for more than a year.
April 23, 2009 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
That all depends on your perspective, mate. What was accomplished was the public got to see their elected representatives do their jobs. They witnessed the stalling tactics of the repuglicans up to the point where a mushroom (lives in the dark and thrives off $hit)couldn't deny the facts. The only reason Bu$h was never impeached during his 8 years in office was the repuglicans didn't want to have to face the music again - they controlled the agenda and kept pushing it under the rug every time news of it became public. Now that they are a minority, they keep pushing the rhetoric its a non-issue and a witchhunt - just like Watergate.
April 23, 2009 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I share your fear.
April 24, 2009 8:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/opinion/24krugman.html
At some point one has to wonder why the obvious escapes some here. The investigation isn't about Obama, so WHY, precisely, would it 'distract' him?
April 24, 2009 8:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
All this is nothing more than a planned distraction to keep inquisitive people from asking questions about the socialist path we are being ask to accept.
Drink your cool-aid like good sheep and just follow along to the new melody of the piper.
April 23, 2009 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
George: Knock knock.
Dick: Who's there?
George: Banana.
Dick: Banana who?
George: Banana banana.
George: Knock knock.
Dick: Who's there?
George: Banana.
Dick: Banana who?
George: Banana banana.
George: Knock knock.
Dick: Who's there?
George: Orange.
Dick: Orange who?
George: Orange you glad I'm not a torture supporting GOP son of a bitch?
April 23, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
It just can't be an accident that they are all using the term Banana Republic, which leads me to wonder, who's the genius that comes up with their talking points? Banana Republic, really? My son, who is 14, was watching the news with me yesterday when this term was being bandied about and he asked me why the Republicans thought Obama was like a clothing store. I'm guessing there are a lot of people out there who are equally confused. For God sakes, if you are going to insult someone at least use terminology that most people will understand.
April 23, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
he asked me why the Republicans thought Obama was like a clothing store.
ROTFLMAO!!!
April 23, 2009 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's up with John McCain? I just don't see any upside in this for him.
April 23, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone needs to take Grandpa aside and break it to him gently that He Lost The Election. Any takers? I nominate Lindsey Graham.
April 23, 2009 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Me thinks they are all very worried about who will be forced to go down with the Evil Ones when they are prosecuted.
April 23, 2009 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
and holy crap ! whatever happened to their vaunted message discipline ?!?!?
Boehner just called it torture
Well, there's a perfectly logical explanation for that. Boehner is an idiot who can't keep his lies under control.
Every Republican who says that what was authorized wasn't torture is a liar. Every on would be screaming "WAR CRIMES!!!" if those techniques were used on an American soldier. But then, the GOP are masters at "do as I say, not as I do."
April 23, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
ESAD. It is you who has drunk the Kool-Aid supporting these war criminals.
Actually a social democracy seems quite appealing right now.
April 23, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Torture is something that we "disagree" about? McCain never fails to amaze.
John
April 23, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd love to know what the Dixie Chicks are thinking right now...
April 23, 2009 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can tell you that Texans are still very sensitive about the whole Dixie Chicks thing. About a year ago I had to go to Dallas on business and I had a friend who owns a t-shirt shop make me a shirt that said "The Dixie Chicks Were Right" -- I got called a bitch even more than usual, except it almost sounds nice when you get called a bitch by someone with a southern accent. As far as the current flap over Texas leaving the union, I still maintain that the best thing we can do is smile, wave, and wish them well on their way out. Buh bye!
April 23, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Permitting torture is acting like a Banana Republic.
April 23, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ironically, Bond comes from the ruling junta of Missouri. Lots of questions could be asked there as well...
April 23, 2009 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I actually think this is great.
Obama's going to have a news conference next week, and the docile reporters, used to echoing Republican talking points, will be sure to ask him whether a) he's a socialist and/or b) he's turning the country into a banana republic and/or c) he thinks Texas should be allowed to secede.
With any luck, Ed Henry will work all three into the same question, and then smugly twitter about how he stumped the president.
But seriously: he's going to get asked, and then he's going to wipe the floor with the Republicans.
I look forward to the press conference.
April 23, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, if this were a Banana Republic, they would just have been put up against a wall on Inauguration Day. Or taken for a one-way helicopter ride over Chesapeake Bay.
Instead, what happened was that the slide to Banana Republic status was stopped and now the miscreants are whining because the rule of law is being re-established and they might actually be held accountable (note the use of might - it's a long way from certain).
April 23, 2009 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. Those dictators wearing mirrored sunglasses loved to hear about cattle prods.
April 23, 2009 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
All I'm gonna say is that the GOP better be very careful with this line of attack. Insert the wrong word or phrase, and put it in the right hands, and it could turn into something real ugly, real fast.
April 23, 2009 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kit Bond...you are my senator (gag). Should I move? I think there should be investigations. I wonder if I should move to a different state.
They are idiots.
For all their lofty ideals & talk of morality, Republicans seem to always be the party of high crimes.
April 23, 2009 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Random:
The great moralists of the Republican party are Tom Delay (indicted); Duke Cunningham (convicted); Ted Haggard (outed and shamed); and Dick Cheney (batshit insane.)
April 23, 2009 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let us not forget Richard Nixon. Or Ronald Reagan. Both committed crimes. Both got away scott free. Ronald Reagan even got to say "I do not recall" many times, before actually not recalling anything(my grandmother had Alzheimer's, it's an ugly thing, so I can say that about Reagan)
At any rate, it seems Evil Cheney is so desperate that he has come out of his cave to defend himself to anyone who will listen. Isn't he supposed to get away scott free, too?
April 23, 2009 6:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is McCain trying to protect himself? How much did he know?
After what they did to President Clinton, the Republicans are accusing the Democrats of conducting a witch hunt? Ha!
April 23, 2009 6:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know about Mr. Bond, but McCain has made his principles pretty clear. He speaks up bravely against the extreme right-wing of his party and even has some good ideas, until he's running for office. Then he kisses up to the "base".
To paraphrase Mr. Mcain, "THAT'S not integrity."
April 23, 2009 6:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
What liars! The GOP was still chasing Clinton in 2006.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180374,00.html
Even though he wasn't in office. Clinton was investigated even more than Bush about 9/11 too.
April 23, 2009 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, we have no bananas!!!
Someone please explain to these two clueless legislators that here in the USA we don't prosecute people for disagreeing with anyone. We prosecute them for breaking the law.
If it turns out that someone broke the law leading to people being tortured, they should be prosecuted.
And can they explain why they disagree with that?
In a banana republic, officials with connections can break the law and not get prosecuted.
What are we, a banana republic?
Type your answers neatly.
April 23, 2009 8:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uh, aren't banana republics those places where the rule of law is sort of iffy, or even nonexistent? Where they make people disappear, throw them out of helicopters and stuff, after, you know, torturing them? These guys seem a little confused about American... values. And is it possible to be any more convinced how fortunate we are as a nation that John McCain wasn't elected president, after his performance over the last few months?
April 23, 2009 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pathetic!
Rove may make up Rep. "talking points" for the party "leadership" to parrot. However,
It is practing "TORTURE" in violation of the law (which in Banana Republics is usually made up to suit the whims of the big banana) that makes a nation a Banana Republic, NOT the investigation and prosecutions for violating the law.
April 24, 2009 12:55 AM | Reply | Permalink