Let's face it, it's inevitable. It's going to happen, probably sooner than we think. Herewith I have a suggestion for a scene using an old song because I don't think any modern musical composer could come up with anything that's more on the mark.
Scene: The House Senate Republican Caucus. President Obama has just reversed Bush's cowardly stem cell evasion. There's no earthly rational reason to oppose it. (Background:)
So, what has the right come up with to criticize today's announcement? Apparently, the president's move is a "distraction."
President Obama's impending reversal of the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research is meant to distract from the economy, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) suggested Sunday.
"There's a reason it's coming up this week," Cantor said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "Why are we going and distracting ourselves from the economy? This is job No. 1, let's focus on what needs to be done.... Let's take care of business first -- people are out of jobs. And again, there is a reason why all of this is happening right now."
Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), a former Speaker of the House, told the Fix late Sunday that Obama's move on stem cells was an "ideological sideshow" that took focus away from the continued decline of the economy. "It is dangerous for the Obama administration to pick a wide series of fights," said Gingrich. "Each of these fights simply drains energy away and increases the coalition which decides it has a collective interest in stopping everything."
This doesn't make any sense. And not just in the usual way -- the arguments against stem-cell research have never been coherent -- but also in these specific concerns.
(End background)
The Caucus Room:
Olympia Snowe: We shouldn't oppose this. It makes scientific and humanitarian sense.
Rush Limbaugh: That's just why we must oppose it, you lib'ral New England douchebag. How'd you get in here, anyway? The GOP is a He-Man Woman-Haters Club!
Mitch McConnell: No matter how good an idea is, if a Democrat supports it, we're against it!
(The entire Caucus begins singing and dancing:)
We don’t know what Dems have to say,
It makes no difference anyway --
Whatever it is, we’re against it!
No matter what it is, if they commenced it,
We're against it.
Their proposition may be good
But let’s have one thing understood --
Whatever it is, we're against it!
And even when they’ve changed it or condensed it,
We're against it.
McConnell: That's our strategy!
(With apologies and many thanks to Bert Kalmar.)
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