Nature or Nurture?

Are Republican politicians and their supporters born bent or does belonging to the GOP turn them out that way? From the Washington Post:

[Recently disclosed] financial reports showed that the party used tens of thousands of donor dollars for luxe hotels, private jets and other questionable expenditures. [...]

Although it is not unusual for either party to spend money in tony settings to cater to wealthy donors, the Republican National Committee's latest filings captured widespread attention for one expenditure at a risqué nightclub: $1,946.25 for "meals" at Voyeur in West Hollywood, which features topless dancers wearing horse bridles and other bondage gear while mimicking sex acts. [...]

An RNC investigation of the incident found that the Voyeur party was attended by a group of young Republicans who had been at an official party "Young Eagles" event at the Beverly Hills Hotel the same night, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post. The Young Eagles is an RNC program to cultivate 30-to-40-year-olds as major future donors.

While it's hardly news that there's a chasm between what members of the Republican Party loudly proclaim with regard to Family Values©™ and what they actually do privately until photos surface in tabloids, it's interesting that they acknowledge these preferences and orientations within their donor recruitment campaigns.

Going Really Rogue.

Omigawd. It looks like the Republicans, the GOP, have a real rogue on their hands.

And he's the party chairman.

Republican congressional leaders say they did not know that their party chairman, Michael S. Steele, was publishing a book until it was released this week, and they had no input in drafting what Steele is promoting as the blueprint Republicans should follow to win back power.

The release of Steele's book, "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda," surprised Republican congressional leaders, some of whom first learned of the book by watching Steele's television appearances this week, three top GOP congressional aides said Friday. [...]

Steele's book, which has been in the works for about a year, is separate from his role as party chairman, an RNC spokesman said. Steele has hired an outside public relations firm to help him schedule his media interviews and promotional tour.
The chairman has been under fire for a series of controversial statements he has made on his book tour. Republican congressional leaders were so angered by Steele's statements - including telling Fox News Channel on Monday that he did not think the GOP could win back their congressional majorities in 2010 - that their top aides pleaded with Steele's handlers to "get him to stop."

From here.

Oh, look. It appears that teabaggers inside the GOP have received their talking points - and marching orders. More, much more here.

Won't teabaggers please think of Ronald Reagan?

Today C. C. reminds us once again why we hold lying neocon christofascist rightwingnutters in such contempt. In this opinion piece, Kathleen Parker presents a lucid exposé on the derailment of the US Republican party at the hands of 9/12 pledgers and teabaggers.

You may remember that Parker broke rank with her conservative peers and was one of the first to suggest that Empress Palin had no clothes. No, it wasn't the v-p wannabe's MILF mojo she held up to scrutiny, it was Sarah's lack of experience, competence, expertise and knowledge for the job.

Unfortunately for Palin's rabid acolytes and groupies, they couldn't dismiss Parker's criticism as the bitter, envious verbiage of a lonely, single, unattractive, man-hating socialist harridan. As for her feminist creds ... though not a card-carrying sister, her analysis is relevant.

Oh Dodo? Doesn't this contradict your theory about Palin's detractors?

Ronald Reagan. Oh yes. Somebody thought of submitting to the Purity Test the political positions of the Republican president that some US conservatives consider the saviour of the GOP. Guess what? Reagan doesn't pass it. Ha!