When Republican lawmaker Jean Schmidt called a decorated war veteran a coward this week she did more that just cause outrage across America. She also provided a window into the Republican Party and how their approach to politics has [by design] divided this country and turned so many of their supporters blissfully ignorant. This has been accomplished through cultivating candidates and supporters who survival depends on spreading hatred and embracing ignorance. Schmidt was reaching out to the base of the Republican Party – the core supporters. In her deep Red district in Ohio, Schmidt was elected by people knowing full well what to expect.
She grew up in the rough-and-tumble of a family auto racing business, went through concealed-weapons training, and bears a local nickname seldom applied to shrinking violets: "Mean Jean." When Representative Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, created a furor on her 75th day in Congress by lobbing the word "coward" toward a Democratic war hero, those who know her bestwere anything but surprised.
The Republican Party is a party whose survival depends on hatred toward fellow Americans. Sure they joined the mainstream in their opposition to Communism and terrorism, but it is their instinct is to attack their fellow Americans in order to have any electoral success. Nixon railed against Vietnam War protestors and won as a law and order President. (Ha!) Reagan told the make believe stories about [black] Cadillac queens robbing the middle class (then went about redistributing wealth to the rich), Bush I had Willie Horton, Gingrich had the Clintons, and Bush II attacks everyone and anyone who dares to disagree. Just listen to talk radio or FOX news (or talk to a Red). If you didn’t know better (and still about 1/3 don’t) you would think that rich, white Christians are the most persecuted people in the history of the world. Republicans say they are here to restore justice. But, of course they mean “just us”. Yes, calling a Vietnam war hero a coward is just plain mean. But it is the Red meat our Red Americans must have to survive.
Of course the Republicans game is almost up and comments like Schmidt’s is no longer bought by the majority of American. So, in a desperate attempt to save face right wingers are pleading ignorance.
Several Republicans who were on the House floor said afterward that Ms. Schmidt did not appear to know she was referring to a much-decorated veteran. "The poor lady didn't know Jack Murtha was a Marine - she really just ran into a hornet's nest," said Representative Jack Kingston of Georgia. Representative David Dreier of California said, "Very clearly, she did not know that Jack Murtha was a Marine."
Didn’t know he was a Marine! OK I follow politics a lot but I have to admit I was not all that familiar with Jack Murtha until this week. But in every single story I saw about him it mentioned that he was a decorated war veteran and a Marine in Vietnam. But that’s just me.
Think about it though. Jean Schmidt is in Congress, and takes the floor to criticize something she apparently does not now even the basic facts about! Even worse, Republicans now feel that stupidity is an acceptable excuse! Have the George W. Bush’s, Dan Quayle’s and Clarence Thomas’ of the world lowered the intellectual bar so low for Republicans that sheer ignorance of what you are talking about is an adequate defense? Talk about the bigotry of low expectations.
It will be easy to explain the Republican Party’s fall from power. The real challenge historians will have to tackle is how they got away with it for as long as they did.
