79 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 42 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 2/22/14

The Senator from Oz Fights Crazy with Crazy

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   3 comments

Jim Hightower
Message Jim Hightower
Become a Fan
  (45 fans)

Source: Other Words

Pat Roberts is dancing like a fool with right-wing ideologues who want to elect one of their own to the Senate.

Pat Roberts Senator Kansas Tea Party Moderate Senate
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy assessed the odd things she was experiencing and said to her little dog, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Lately, Sen. Pat Roberts has gained a new understanding of what Dorothy meant.

The Kansas Republican has been in the Senate for 18 years and was in the House for 16 years before that.

So he's been away for a long time, and now that he's running for another six-year senate term, Roberts has learned that the Kansas he thought he was from -- a state of relatively moderate, Eisenhower-style Republicans -- has become the Political Land of Right-Wing Oz.

A rabidly extremist, Koch-headed, tea party Republicanism has taken hold of the GOP's primary process and blown out the moderates.

The upshot for Roberts is that Republican voters are now hard-right, howl-at-the-moon lunatics who demand ideological purity over everything else.

And they've put up one of their own to run against him in the August primary.

But, by golly, the senator is fighting back. Unfortunately, he's not doing it by standing up for his principles and refusing to be intimidated by crazies. Instead, Roberts has put on his own crazy pants, altered his beliefs, and is dancing like a fool with the ideologues.

He recently opposed the Farm Bill he helped write, he joined the certifiably goofy Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the silly political stunt that shut down the U.S. government last October, and he even became a member of the tinfoil hat club by voting against a United Nations treaty to ban discrimination against people with disabilities.

Come on Pat, you've been in Congress for 34 years, you're 77 years old, and you're getting a gold-plated pension for the rest of your life. Is six more years in the Senate really worth selling out people with disabilities -- along with your own integrity?

Well Said 2   Must Read 1   News 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Jim Hightower Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Jim Hightower is an American populist, spreading his message of democratic hope via national radio commentaries, columns, books, his award-winning monthly newsletter (The Hightower Lowdown) and barnstorming tours all across America.

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership is not about free trade. It's a corporate coup d'etat -- against us!

Trump Hates the American Public -- Here's How He Reveals His Disdain

The Post Office is not broke -- and it hasn't taken any of our tax money since 1971

The plutocrats who bankrolled the GOP primaries -- and what they want in return

Citizens United Against Citizens United: A Grassroots Campaign to Restore Democracy

The Audacity of Greed

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend