The 11th Commandment

Working on the final podcast for National Poetry Month...phew. Trying to make something classic. But keep getting distracted.

Saw a think piece this morning about how the Republicans are violating Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican". The news seems to be that they are breaking this highly held principle in the run up to the 2008 campaign.

My only problem with this news story is that it is non-news. Perhaps not in the manner that Paris Hilton is non-news, but still there is nothing of value to it. We saw in 2000 the push-polling fratricide of the Bush campaign as it slandered John McCain to the point that he stands little chance, even seven years later, of being taken seriously again as a front-runner.

That people would forget that hate-filled, unethical and malignant campaign in such short order merely speaks to the failure on the part of the electorate to hold candidates and parties responsible for their transgressions. The Bush campaign, under Karl "I hate everybody" Rove so severely smeared John McCain in their rush to win at any cost (What profiteth a man...?) that they have hobbled the Republican Party for future elections.

I hope the architects of that season of shame are judged harshly by the history books.