Roll-over Republicans

One of the most amusing things about contemporary American politics is that Republicans are typically considered more "masculine" than Democrats. To risk falling into fallacious gender stereotypes, what's manly about being treated like shit and then asking for more? Congressional Republicans, left out to dry by the Dubai ports deal, having little input in the legislative process (since everything is re-written in conference committee anyway - and by the way you don't get to read the legislation), and watching their poll numbers sink into oblivion, decide that the best way to recover their fortune is to protect the President who has screwed them - no matter what.

Rather than hold hearings demanding to know why the President is breaking the law - which I bet would get his attention - they go begging for a "compromise" that retrospectively ratifies Bush's illegal wiretapping and lies to Congress. When asked why the legislation appears to be such a sell-out to the White House, they reply "it's the best we could do."

The supposed "moderates" in the Senate are even more pusillanimous than Democrats in Red States, because at least the former are unlikely to face a conservative electoral challenge. The most independent Republicans are no better than whiny lapdogs. An example of their cowardice?

Mr. Hagel said he and Senators DeWine and Snowe were "three of the most
independent Republicans" in the Senate and added, "I have never been accused of buckling to White House pressure."

You have now, buddy.