Originally posted at BobGiloth.com
"I hope he fails."
Rush Limbaugh, quoted in: "Limbaugh, Did he get in Obama's head?"The Week, February 13, 2009.
I remember those terrible months after 9/11 when the country was torn by anger, fear, and sorrow. There were a few people who said we deserved the attack or we caused the attack or we shouldn't have been surprised by the attack given past US policies. This was not a time for mincing the historical record. It was a time for patriotism and compassion. These dissident voices were publicly denounced.
In large part, George W. Bush was given the space and support to do his job.
These are different times. And I don't want to equate 9/11 with our current economic downturn. They are human disasters of a different sort -- but each requiring significant presidential leadership.
So, what does it mean when someone like Limbaugh roots for presidential failure? Do we really want the economy to nosedive further to prove a political point? Did we root for George W. Bush to fail after Katrina and Rita? Did we root for Bush's bank bail-out to fail last fall?
These are high stake times for our country. Let's have fierce debate. But let's hope for success. It's time for patriots.