As if we needed more evidence of the vast right wing conspiracy, today’s Washington Post lays out more of the plans for the creation of the permanent conservative majority:
When President Bush stands before Congress on Wednesday night to deliver his State of the Union address, it is a safe bet that he will not announce that one of his goals is the long-term enfeeblement of the Democratic Party.
But a recurring theme of many items on Bush’s second-term domestic agenda is that if enacted, they would weaken political and financial pillars that have propped up Democrats for years, political strategists from both parties say.
Legislation putting caps on civil damage awards, for instance, would choke income to trial lawyers, among the most generous contributors to the Democratic Party.
GOP strategists, likewise, hope that the proposed changes to Social Security can transform a program that has long been identified with the Democrats, creating a generation of new investors who see their interests allied with the Republicans.
Less visible policies also have sharp political overtones. The administration’s transformation of civil service rules at federal agencies, for instance, would limit the power and membership of public employee unions — an important Democratic financial artery.
… All presidents weigh the political implications of their agendas, and hope that policies that prove popular will strengthen a party’s claims on particular constituencies. What is notable about the Bush White House, some analysts believe, is the extent to which its agenda is crafted with an eye toward the long-term partisan implications.
“I’ve been assuming all along that creating the basis for a durable Republican majority was one of the major purposes of the administration’s policy agenda,” said Gary Jacobson, a political scientist at the University of California at San Diego. “Indeed, I don’t think these guys do anything without weighing the potential partisan consequences and are particularly attracted to policies that might increase the Republican coalition.”
They’ve redistricted themselves into power. They’ve lied their way into war. They’ve used tragedy to cement their political futures. They’ve changed the rules governing Congress and eliminated rules that could hurt them. They’ve changed the balance of powers, the checks and balances, in their favor. And now they are working to destroy all the groups that support Democrats, from unions to trial lawyers — you know, the ones that protect people from the misdeeds of huge corporations.
A lot of people are looking for a change in government in 2 years, and especially 4 years down the road. If the Republicans bring their plan to fruition, we may never have a change of government. Folks, we are witnessing a takeover, a coup of our democratic, representative system of government.
