March 23, 2005
The arrogance of power
Many moons ago, the Democratic Farm-Labor Party won every seat on the Minneapolis City Council. While that seemed like a good thing, I remember running into an old friend, now departed, David Graven, who told me he did not think so. My first campaign experience in Minnesota was in support of David when he ran for Governor.
David puffed on his pipe a moment and said, "It is not probability a party without serious opposition will destroy itself, it is a certainty." And, true to his prediction, the DFL headed into decline for a long stretch.
The rightwing Republicans control all three branches of federal government and they appear intoxicated with power. The Schiavo intervention is a case in point. To please the so-called neo-cons, Congress and the president flew to Washington to intervene in the removal of the feeding tube. A balanced government would have kept to its own business. As moderate Republican Chris Shays said, "My party is for state's rights unless they don't like what states are doing."
In this case, 70 percent of those polled think the neo-cons have gone too far and 68 percent think removal of the feeding tube made sense. But when you are in complete control, you do not care what people think. You are the biggest kid on the block. It is your ball and your bat.
Graven was right in the 1970s and I firmly believe hubris will take down this crowd as well.
post a letter about this blog »
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003