We'll never escape politics.
Next to baseball, it's our national pastime. Sometimes it's tart, sometimes it's ugly, sometimes it makes everyone want to say "to hell with all of them."
Still - there comes a time when a nation should say enough is enough. Rancor may intrude on our politics, but it should not rule it. Anger and passion win elections, but it shouldn't spark violence.
The DNC today asked RNC leaders to join them in issuing a joint statement calling for:
...elected officials of both parties to set an example of the civility we want to see in our citizenry."
"We also call on all Americans to respect differences of opinion, to refrain from inappropriate forms of intimidation, to reject violence and vandalism, and to scale back rhetoric that might reasonably be misinterpreted by those prone to such behavior
The GOP's response:
And upset our base?
It goes without saying that neither the left nor the right have a monopoly on grassy knollers and nuts. It goes without saying that both sides are quite able to engage in hyperbole.
However - there comes a point when legitimate, civilized leaders need to step up and say "ENOUGH!"
The cynic can certainly say this 'joint statement' is purely politics.
Republicans see the statement as an attempt to force them to either reject the statement — allowing Democrats to say the RNC finds the incidents acceptable — or to sign on to something that the DNC would later wield against them.
The proposed statement was faxed and hand-delivered to the RNC at midmorning Friday. POLITICO learned Friday afternoon that the RNC would not sign the DNC statement.
Yet, the Politico story makes no mention of a media fax blast.
As of 7 PM Central - I see no mention of the statement (nor the GOP rejection of it) on the DNC website.
Even if it were - would it really be so unreasonable to join in a statement that simply calls for civility? That calls for a rejection of violence and vandalism? The portions of the statement quoted in Politico make no mention blame.
Is it really so hard for the GOP to say "cool it"?
Are they so held hostage by Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and the rage peddlers that even a rejection of violence and a call for civility is too much?