Fresh Loaf

Even worse than losing an election, the national Republican Party has lost its way. The party that worked so hard at dividing America with one cultural wedge issue after another now finds itself divided, split into two camps: those who realize they need to reform the party and those who don’t.

At this point, I’m hoping only the most blinkered partisan would deny in his or her heart that the GOP somehow ended up being the party of ignorance, fear and intolerance. At least, those have tended to be the tools that party strategists have used to rally the troops.

By ignorance, I mean the systematic attacks on book-learnin’, evolution and competence reflected in the personality cults surrounding Pres. Bush and Gov. Palin, and in the ridiculous war on “elites,” whatever that means. Fear-mongering – over terrorist attacks, Iran, etc. – was, of course, the Bush administration’s default position. And the intolerance shown against gays and immigrants is hardly in keeping with real American values.

In the waning days of the presidential race, David Frum and other Republican leaders and strategists acknowledged that their party was floundering and that the Rovian tactics of smear and knee-jerk social conservatism won’t work anymore.

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— The polls show we may actually have a race on our hands for Georgia’s Senate seat. There was a debate last night down in Perry and DriftGrift was on the scene. His account is more poetic than reportage, but the headline — Clouds and Clods — gives you a hint.

— Some conservatives get it, argues ATLmalcontent. But others do little more than mouth the agenda offered by the Sean Hannitys of the world. And why is Johnny Mac following the lead of pundits who, just a few months ago, were leading the charge against his nomination? Has J-Mac sold his soul?

— And the conservatives who do get it? Jason Pye contends they are turning away from the dynamic duo. Federal bail-outs equate to socialism and, Pye says, that puts Johnny Mac to the left of his opponent.

— At Politits, Dcup talks back to the mainstream media after she heard a CNBC anchor say that people aren’t shopping these days because they’re scared of the economy. Well, not quite, Dcup answers. They’re not shopping as much because they don’t have money. She’s also worried about the anger that Johnny Mac and Caribou Barbie are whipping up on the campaign trail.

— And Amy at Georgia Women Vote smells a Republican conspiracy. Why else would Karen Handel send 2 million names to the social security administration to check their identity? Funny how the states who also sent in huge lists of names happen to be … wow, what a coincidence … swing states. Ah for the good ol’ days when the voter rolls allowed you to vote from the grave.

— And, finally, on the personal political front — men and women, that is — Amber Rhea has some tips for the male species on showing a little respect.

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Influential talk-radio host Neal Boortz was shocked this morning — shocked, I tell you —as he blasted Barack Obama for failing to wear an American flag lapel pin in Iowa campaigning.

“Barack Obama will no longer wear a flag on his lapel because he says it is a symbol of supporting the war in Iraq,” Boortz said, in the midst of his incredulity and outrage over Obama’s near-treasonous wardrobe admission.

Never mind that Obama never actually said the lapel omission had anything to do with Iraq. Or that it’s pitiful to try to turn lapel flags into a litmus test for presidential candidates. Surely, I thought, Boortz must brandish the flag on his chest wherever he goes out in public! Then, Andisheh pointed out that Boortz (left) didn’t appear to be wearing a flag at an event CL photographer Joeff Davis shot last week. Neither did the ever-patriotic Newt Gingrich (center). Nor überpatriot Sean Hannity. Strange. Perhaps, they were wearing patriotic underwear.

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What do you call an American who supports terrorists and sells sophisticated weapons to the mullahs who run the anti-American regime in Iran?

Why, you call that person a headliner at Sean Hannity’s “Freedom Concert” scheduled for July 10 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. And the headliner’s name is, of course, Oliver North, who befouled the uniform of a Marine Corps officer by committing treasonous acts that became known as the Iran-Contra Affair.

Violating a law called the Boland Amendment, North was the point man in constructing the scheme that sold arms to Iran and funneled the money to Ronald Reagan’s pet terrorists, the Nicaraguan Contras. Those fellows, as detailed by investigative author Gary Webb, also raised money by selling cocaine on the streets of Los Angeles. North himself was well aware of the Contras’ – and possibly federal agents’ – drug dealing or complicity in drug dealing. North’s handwritten notes about funding the Contras from July 12, 1985, state: “$14M [million] to finance came from drugs.” Two DEA agents later said that in 1985 North had wanted to take $1.5 million in Medellin Cartel bribe money that was carried by a DEA informant and give it to the Contras. North was convicted on three felony counts – but like many lawbreakers avoided justice because of a convoluted technicality, that he had been immunized in testimony to Congress.

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