They Wish They Knew How To Quit Him

A quick return to prominence for the Republican Party would require some vision, some new ideas, or even old ideas bottled in a new package. I'm almost certain that the wrong way to go about this is through a loving tribute to the most hated President in history on the House floor:

George W. Bush is gone from office…but he is not forgotten, at least not by Reps. Trent Franks (R-AZ), Mike Pence (R-IN), and Steve King (R-IA). On Thursday, the three men spent almost 40 minutes delivering their final love letters to Bush. Some highlights:

• FRANKS: “President Bush often had to walk like a knowing lion — like a knowing lion, Mr. Speaker, through the chattering of hyenas. … [I]f those critics do not devour themselves in the meantime, Mr. Speaker, they may face the bared teeth of an enemy that will make us all wish the lion still walked among us.”

• PENCE: “I truly believe that this nation owes a debt of gratitude to George W. Bush.”

• KING: “I’m here to say thank you to President Bush for the things that he has done when he’s had his steady hand on the till of leadership, and especially with our national defense.”

At one point, Franks began to tear up when talking about how Bush made the country “brighter” and “more hopeful” for his children.

Republicans still love George W. Bush because George W. Bush was a through-and-through Republican. There have been times over the last several years when conservatives have tried to throw Bush over, but there's no denying that he embodied the full spectrum of conservative policies, proving them all to be a hideous failure. And the same arguments that Bush so eloquently made throughout his Presidency are the arguments that conservatives are making as they try to derail the stimulus package.

Next, write off anyone who asserts that it’s always better to cut taxes than to increase government spending because taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their money.

Here’s how to think about this argument: it implies that we should shut down the air traffic control system. After all, that system is paid for with fees on air tickets — and surely it would be better to let the flying public keep its money rather than hand it over to government bureaucrats. If that would mean lots of midair collisions, hey, stuff happens [...]

These are only some of the fundamentally fraudulent antistimulus arguments out there. Basically, conservatives are throwing any objection they can think of against the Obama plan, hoping that something will stick.

But here’s the thing: Most Americans aren’t listening. The most encouraging thing I’ve heard lately is Mr. Obama’s reported response to Republican objections to a spending-oriented economic plan: “I won.” Indeed he did — and he should disregard the huffing and puffing of those who lost.

As should we all - especially the paeans to their Dear Leader.