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A Party In Limbo – The Death of the Conservative Movement.

Concerning Barack Obama’s appointment of Eric Holder as the new U.S. Attorney General, a commenter at Volokh wrote the following:

Ashcroft had views similar to most Republicans, including the elected President, George Bush, on issues such as abortion and gun control. Yet Senator Kennedy did not pay heed to that, and voted against Ashcroft. I don’t believe that Republicans should do with Holder anything different than what Kennedy did with Ashcroft.

You write that arguments such as Kennedy’s objections to Ashcroft were widely viewed as “pretty stupid arguments”. And you write that “a lot of people were quick to point that out”. However, I don’t remember many people calling Kennedy’s objections stupid (and I don’t necessarily think they were, even if I disagree with them). I asked you to provide some evidence that such objections were viewed as stupid in 2001, and you provided none, instead resorting to attacking my truthfulness and integrity.

It may seem obvious to you that, there mere fact that Democrats made “stupid arguments” against Ashcroft doesn’t militate in favor of Republicans returning the favor by making similar arguments against Holder. But attacking the truthfulness and integrity of the commenter is not an effective means of convincing people.

Even assuming, arguendo, that they are stupid arguments, I don’t see any reason for the Republicans to refrain from using them if the Democrats didn’t. What do Republicans have to gain from being the sole party that refrains from using stupid arguments? Surely some arguments – even if stupid – are effective. And I see no reason not to use stupid but effective arguments.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I submit to you the evidence of just how far the conservative movement has fallen. We used to argue that, partisan wise, we took the moral high ground. We did not try to block Clinton’s judges, and that, unlike liberals today, we supported the President when he took action in Bosnia. We had some semblance of honor. Now we’re reduced to – “They did it to us, so lets do it to them”. The transformation is complete. The Conservative movement has fallen from the party of great men such as William F Buckley, to become the party of Rush and Hannity. Congratulations!

PS. I don’t know that much about Holder, but I do know Obama could have chosen worse. He could have picked Jerry Brown as AG!!!….

Actually, I kind of wish he would have, then at least my fellow Californians would be free of that scourge 🙂