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It’s the Influence Peddling, Stupid! [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-06-28
As I finished reading the scathing rebuke of the modern GOP written by retired judge Michael Luttig, I couldn’t help but do two things: nod vigorously in agreement, and scream at the lack of solutions to this state of affairs.
Luttig does a fine job calling the party out for all its malfeasance stating,
“If the indictment of Mr. Trump on Espionage Act charges — not to mention his [culpability] on Jan. 6 — fails to shake the Republican Party from its moribund political senses, then it is beyond saving itself. Nor ought it be saved .” (emphasis mine)
Thus my vigorous nods. Just as I’ve also been nodding vigorously these past years to the many other actions by Republicans and conservatives to publicly denounce the party’s descent into turpitude. It’s about time and it must continue, but it’s often not enough.
Case in point, Luttig ends his critique with, “ It’s finally time for the [GOP] to put the country before their party … If not now, then they must forever hold their peace. ” which is a laughably naïve sentiment. The party has absolutely no intent nor motivation to change itself, and it’s damn sure not going to ‘hold its peace’ about this or anything else in the near future. [cue the screaming]
As much as I applaud the judge’s words, it’s just not enough. It’s all but certain there will be no more than a handful of Republicans who will even read this op-ed, much less be swayed by it.
The reason for the party’s intransigence is there is simply nothing for them to gain by acting otherwise. They have acquired all the money and political power they have by doing exactly what they’ve been doing, and there’s currently nothing that would lead them to think anything different would work better. One of the pillars supporting this system of perverse incentives is the current state of political influence peddling and campaign financing, which has legalized what is essentially bribery and graft in all but name.
One of the first things a person or system seeking power does once it gets it, is to make sure it can keep it. Thus our long history of allowing the “little sins” has opened the door to ever bigger and bigger forms of public corruption until we have this post-Citizens United country we currently live in.
The only way for the party to change for the better of the country is if the economics behind its behavior change. This would require some or all of the following:
That’s a lot of tall orders, admittedly. But it’s either that, or we wait for the American public to spank the party hard enough in the next (several) elections that the influence of the pro-MAGA wing is finally diminished. I’m not sure which I’d bet on happening first.
For Further Reading
Never Mind Super PACs: How Big Business Is Buying the Election
Justice Stevens Suggests Solution for ‘Giant Step in the Wrong Direction’
Justice Stevens’ book Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution
The Dark Politics of Dark Money
How Dark Money Shields Political Donors
US is paying for letting dark money and disinformation run riot
If We Don't Pass H.R. 1, 'We Are F*cked as a Nation'
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