Occasionally, after a glass or four of wine, usually amongst a very politically mixed crowd, my wife will say in a loud voice, "Well, John (that would be me) thinks all Republicans are evil, and I just don't think that's true." Obviously I adore the woman or I would have divorced her years ago for throwing me under the bus like that, but still it gave me great pleasure just now to email her
this article from the NY Times, with the personal note "No, honey, not ALL Republicans are evil"
-- more --
Here's a slice, which is an interview of Senator Chuck Hegel:
On the other hand, with our deficit now exceeding $400 billion, aren't we sort of out of money?
In terms of the deficit, we have blown the top right off. We're a bunch of Democrats.
I've never heard anyone call President Bush a Democrat.
That's my point. We're less honest about it. We built the biggest government history has ever seen under a Republican government. The Democrats are better because they are honest about it. They don't pretend. I admire that. They'll say: ''We want more money. We need more money.''
Where do you think the Republican Party needs to go?
I'd take it back to the party of Eisenhower, Goldwater and Reagan. It was a pretty simple party in those days. It was all about limited government, fiscal responsibility, strong national defense and pro-trade foreign policy.
Here's a guy who is clearly in the reality based community, and who knows the truth when it blows up in his face.
While I do not want to see another republican elected president for many years -- there's going to be to much damage control to be screwing around with that, I am hoping to see the radical theocrats booted from the Republican leadership, and looking forward to the return of the party as a respectable player in American politics.