Democrats Accuse Republicans of Rooting Against America
Fury over Republican responses to Chicago's failure to land the Olympic Games is a crazy partisan's dream come true, but cooler heads have remained decidedly calmer.
In the wake of the presidency of George W. Bush, when various members of the president's cabinet and of a Republican-controlled Congress accused Democrats' patriotism, it is understandable that Democrats would like to return the favor. Now, with the jubilation that was exhibited after Chicago lost its Olympic bid and similar incidents, it appears that the ammunition to make such a claim is there. Rush Limbaugh, who last January noted that "I want him to fail," with regards to President Obama, is probably the best-known of the Democrats' antagonists.
After Obama put a great deal of effort in persuading the Olympic committee to choose Chicago, however, many Republicans responded gleefully when the president's home city was bounced before even reaching the finalist stage. Said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, "Some of these people are starting to put politics first and country second. The American people are starting to wonder if they are rooting against America." The acrimony has grown so great that liberal spokesman Josh Marshall was heard to say, "I wonder if right wingers would be less stoked if Chicago were part of America."
Another "progressive" spokesman, Markos Moulitsas went even further into the partisan abyss when he noted, "So when did wingnuts start cheering against America? Their unbridled joy at losing out to Brazil is a bit unseemly, isn't it? 'America, f- yeah,' has become 'F- American, Yeah!'" The debate appears to be raging primarily among the mindless masses, however, with cooler heads reacting not at all to the fury. Kevin Madden, former spokesman for Mitt Romney, is a good example of this, noting, "He has a lot of really wrong ideas. But does that mean his effort to bring the Olympic Games to Chicago and a chance to put America on the world's stage should also automatically be subjected to scorn? I don't believe it should. That's just criticism for criticism's sake. Reactionary criticism could even dilute any valid and legitimate criticism of his bad policies."
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 10/6/2009
