First Draft

…as do I. Why settle for .0000001247% of the voting public when you can whittle it down to .000000000943%?

Well, we have time for one more before post deadline – let’s see what the Bland Of Brothers has to say about civility:

p> Courageous Call For Civility

Washington Post ^

| 11/30/09
| E.J. Dionne Jr.

Posted onMonday, November 30, 2009 2:15:22 PM bysteve-b

The most surprising and disappointing aspect of our politics is how
little pushback there has been against the vile, extremist rhetoric
that has characterized such a large part of the anti-Obama movement.

President Obama’s White House has largely ignored those accusing him of
“fascism” and “communism,” presumably believing that restraint in
defense of dignity is no vice.

Republican politicians, worried
about future primary fights, have been reluctant to pick a fight with a
radical right that seems to be the most energized section of their
party. Their “moderation” has consisted of a non-benign neglect of the
extremists and of accusing the president merely of “socialism.” And so
it is that the first genuinely ringing call for moderation has come
from a man who is effectively without a party and whose own demeanor
and career define temperance.

Jim Leach spent 30 years as a
Republican member of Congress who went his own way. If this meant
standing almost alone against his caucus, he was content to do so…

…Leach offered his critique of extremism in a speech at the National
Press Club titled “Bridging Cultures” a few days before Thanksgiving.
It deserves far more attention than it has received.

“Little
is more important for the world’s leading democracy in this
change-intensive century,” Leach argued, “than establishing an ethos of
thoughtfulness and decency of expression in the public square.”..

Leach’s speech is the kickoff for a 50-state “civility tour,” and my
hunch is that this very civil man may have to put up with a lot of
incivility along the way. It’s strange that a call to consider
respecting each other more might become a controversial endeavor. This
is precisely why Leach’s witness to moderation requires an immoderate
dose of courage.

(Excerpt) Read more atwashingtonpost.com …

One poster weighs in on civility:

To: steve-b

Steve, I’m sure you get a thrill up your leg when you post E.J. Dionne’s cyber-vomit.

3
posted onMonday, November 30, 2009 2:17:47 PM
bybuccaneer81
(ECOMCON)