Sen. Bob Rucho's tweet about Nazis and terrorists was beyond offensive, and not just because it had three grammatical errors in one sentence.The Republican from Matthews demonstrated that he has lost all touch with reality. He tweeted it at 7:41 a.m. on Sunday, so it's unlikely that he was under the influence of anything other than far-right delusional thinking.
Saying that Obamacare -- or any legislation passed by Congress, whatever you think of it -- is worse than the killings of millions of innocent people shows utter disrespect for the victims of the Holocaust, 9/11 and other tragedies. Did Rucho consider for a moment the feelings of their descendants? Obamacare is unpopular and appropriate fodder for debate. But labeling it as worse than some of the worst atrocities in world history shows a complete lack of perspective.
Many of us have said -- or tweeted -- things we later regret. Not Rucho. He defended his comments with this:
But of course, that is precisely why Rucho's tweet deserves condemnation. Words and ideas are powerful, they do matter. Because the pen is mightier than the sword, one of the leading Republicans in the state should be immensely more careful with his pen.
Tweeting vitriol isn't a new thing for Rucho. Last week, he dismissed his critics as "liberal weenies," not exactly the level of discourse you'd want from a Senate leader.
So do Rucho's Republican colleagues -- and Republican voters -- endorse him? Rucho is not some forgotten back-bencher; he is the co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, chairman of the Redistricting Committee and chairman of three other joint legislative committees. If Senate leader Phil Berger leaves him in these positions, it is a tacit endorsement of Rucho and his ideas.
Rucho represents a district that's exceedingly safe for Republicans. It's highly unlikely he could lose next November. If Republicans let him run unopposed in the May primary, that will speak volumes about what they stand for and about what kind of people they want running the state.
-- Taylor Batten
No Taylor, if Rucho runs again it actually no more says anything about what NC Republicans believe in than the long career of Ted Kennedy indicated that Massachusetts Democrats believed in adultery and negligent homicide.
ReplyDeleteRucho's tweets are more nearly a reflection of the reality that winning elections is not, for either party, a process of finding the best and brightest. Clowns like Rucho or for that matter Jim Black or the last three governors of this state should all stand as warnings that giving too much power to government never works well because the people who exercise it are elected for their ability to pander to dolts, to lie convincingly, and to reward interest groups. Being intelligent, moral, effective or responsible have nothing to do with it.
If Rucho runs again it will be because he is able to leverage his connections and to lie well.
(An honest media could help with the matter a great deal. Alas no one older than 13 actually trusts news media to present an unbiased look at candidates.)
Since Gov Jindal is coming to co-host (with Gov Pat McCrory) a Republican fund-raiser for Congressman Patrick McHenry -and I'm sure McCrory's pal Rucho will be in attendance - I hope Jindal remembers to pack his "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteAh, Savvy, they could all wear one of those. But then merely because they'r elected government employees doesn't raise them above the run of the mill drones. It merely means they're a slippery as well as useless.
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ReplyDelete[No Taylor, if Rucho runs again it actually no more says anything about what NC Republicans believe in than the long career of Ted Kennedy indicated that Massachusetts Democrats believed in adultery and negligent homicide.]
ReplyDeleteThat would be true if the NC GOP, and the GOP itself had not taken the time to ally itself with the Religious Right and brand itself the party of family values and moral integrity. Remember, this is the party that ran, in part, on the platform of "we're morally superior to the current regime" (to paraphrase). To my knowledge the MA Democrat Party never made such grandiose claims. Ergo, *because of their own statements about morality/values, integrity, and so on in general," from the perspective of an internal critique of their actions, Taylor is absolutely correct. If they let such a person run unchallenged or inadequately challenged by someone/s within their own ranks, yes, that does, in fact, say something about the NC GOP.