Here is the Quote of the Day, Month, Year, Decade — the quintessential reason of why independent voters stay independent voters when they see evidence of the double standards partisans use to justify whipped up outrage that was missing when their side indulged in the same political behavior that they once deemed acceptable.
You’d think that Arizona Senator John McCain — who is shedding past assertions almost as quickly as former Massachesetts Gov. Mitt Romney is shedding his past positions in his previous incarnation as a respected Republican moderate Governor as he tries to win over the GOP’s conservative base — would win the prize for his outrage over Barack Obama’s 15 recess appointments today. After all, McCain openly called for them when he wanted President George Bush to appoint people who he wanted.
But McCain is increasingly coming across to all but those who are willing to give him unconditional political support or love as someone still upset over his Presidential loss and running scared as he fights to win a primary that he probably will win.
At this point even McCain’s dog probably looks at him and thinks: “That’s not what he said before…”
However, the prize for the quintessential quote that defines how bereft of unwavering principle our politics has now become is from the lips of Sen. John Barrasso as quoted by The Politico:
Republicans — when confronted with Bush’s recess picks — counter with a “two wrongs don’t make a right” defense.
“Recess appointments have been occurring in this country for decades,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). “It’s not unusual, but that doesn’t make it right.”
In other words: you use it and pooh-pooh the other side’s protest when you use it, and you know it’s used — but if the other side does it THEN it isn’t right.
Or is it that you know it isn’t right but you do whatever you have to advance your agenda since that is the way the game is played.
That is, it’s played that way when your party (Democrats or Republicans) is in power.
When the other side comes in, the game’s rules change.
Until you get in power again.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.