Most of us have come to expect arrogance from Republican leaders, as well as some disconnect from reality. Rod Adair seldom disappoints on both counts. In his latest column for the Journal, Adair explains that everything good is and always has been Republican and everything shifty and immoral is and always has been Democrat.

Adair writes about “our ancient foes in the Democratic Party.” That’s a healthy attitude. Listen to this: “Our opposition [is] to Democrat ideas, whether slavery, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, poll taxes, Jim Crow laws and the like…” Yes, Rod Adair believes slavery is a Democrat idea and the KKK is a Democratic PAC. Which party supports unfettered private property rights and opposes an intrusive Federal government forcing change on those who would not have it?

Let’s be clear about one thing that Adair does not understand. The GOP is NOT the Party of Lincoln. They tell themselves that to comfort themselves, but in the early 1900’s, the Republican party became the party of the rich, the party of the landholder, the party of unchecked business, the party of the anti-progressive reactionary and the redoubt of angry white males — Adair being a case in point. Lincoln’s influence ended in the late 1960’s, when the Republicans began to appeal to white Southerners who resented Federal intrusion in their state’s rights. Since the 1960’s, the Party of Lincoln has not said, “You Dems are finally getting on board with desegregation and affirmative action.” Instead, they’ve said, “Those Dems are interfering with your time-honored ways.” Ways that include Jim Crow and lynching.

Adair claims, “We are the party that fought against slavery and won. Who opposed us every step of the way? The Democrats.” So Jefferson Davis was a Democrat? The last election shows the Republican Party has become the party of the South–perhaps Trent Lott’s return is another indication, scooping up all those former Democrats who despised Kennedy and King. So, while Adair wraps himself in the flag, he’d better make sure it isn’t confederate (like George Allen’s).

Adair writes, “We must admit that over the past 12 years, our congressional majorities and then our administration tried to out-Democrat the Democrats— pork-barrel spending run wild, copying Democrat ideas that legitimize illegal immigration, complete abandonment of fiscal discipline at all levels.” Everything wrong in the past 12 years is due to the GOP embracing the Democratic ideals. Yeah, right.

Finally, Adair beats the drum again against “the liberal media.” The very media that publishes him? The media that makes Lush Limbaugh an idol of countless ditto-heads? The media that burned Dixie Chick records? Fox News? Please, Rod. mjh

ABQjournal: Voters Hold Republicans to Higher Standard By State Sen. Rod Adair, Roswell Republican

mjh’s blog — Rod Knows Bigots
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Embittered Insiders Turn Against Bush – washingtonpost.com

Some insiders said the White House invited the backlash. “Anytime anyone holds themselves up as holy, they’re judged by a different standard,” said David Kuo, a former deputy director of the Bush White House’s faith-based initiatives who wrote “Tempting Faith,” a book that accused the White House of pandering to Christian conservatives. “And at the end of the day, this was a White House that held itself up as holy.”