GOP future: The new 'Pottery barn' rule

Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:21 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Republicans

At the Republican Governors Association conference last week, Tommy Franks “appeared to be the only one who wanted to take responsibility for either war, even obliquely," the Boston Globe says. "The others who gathered in Miami seemed to relish the new freedom they inherited along with their party's devastating losses earlier this month: with President Bush and losing candidate John McCain drifting off the scene, Republicans no longer have to be the party of unpopular and seemingly unending conflicts abroad. Those are now Democratic responsibilities, one Bush ally noted with some satisfaction, hinting at a corollary to the ‘Pottery Barn rule’ about postwar responsibility: Republicans may have broken Iraq, but President-elect Barack Obama bought it."

The Boston Globe on Romney's New York Times op-ed from yesterday. "Leading up to the Michigan presidential primary, Mitt Romney cast himself as the savior of the beleaguered auto industry and jumped all over rival John McCain when he gave some 'straight talk' that 'some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back.' … Fast-forward 11 months, and Romney is speaking out against a federal bailout of the auto industry."

Huckabee acknowledged "an envy" at how Sarah Palin was able to "leapfrog the process." "I'm not frustrated by it," he said. "It's not a resentment on her part. It's an envy."

Newt Gingrich co-writes a Wall Street Journal op-ed agreeing with Obama that America needs a middle-class tax-cut; he just does't believe in Obama's plan.

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Huckabee acknowledged "an envy" at how Sarah Palin was able to "leapfrog the process." "I'm not frustrated by it," he said. "It's not a resentment on her part. It's an envy."
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Go Huckster! Be careful that you don't burn EVERY bridge in the Republican party. You really should play nice -- particularly with Palin, as she will likely be a colleague of your at Fox News really soon...

You betcha!

http://thepajamapundit.com/

the Pajama Pundit (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:28 AM)

>>>At the Republican Governors Association conference last week, Tommy Franks “appeared to be the only one who wanted to take responsibility for either war, even obliquely," the Boston Globe says....Those are now Democratic responsibilities, one Bush ally noted with some satisfaction, hinting at a corollary to the ‘Pottery Barn rule’ about postwar responsibility: Republicans may have broken Iraq, but President-elect Barack Obama bought it."
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Typical Republicans not wanting to own up to their own failures. Of course when the Democrats fix what they screwed up, they'll be more than happy to take the credit.

>>>The Boston Globe on Romney's New York Times op-ed from yesterday. "Leading up to the Michigan presidential primary, Mitt Romney cast himself as the savior of the beleaguered auto industry and jumped all over rival John McCain when he gave some 'straight talk' that 'some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back.' … Fast-forward 11 months, and Romney is speaking out against a federal bailout of the auto industry."
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Gee, Mitt. Flip-flop much?

>>>Huckabee acknowledged "an envy" at how Sarah Palin was able to "leapfrog the process." "I'm not frustrated by it," he said. "It's not a resentment on her part. It's an envy."
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Gee, Mike. Jealous much?

61 Days Until Inauguration Day!
http://jawillie.blog.com

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:36 AM)

Republicans may have broken Iraq, but President-elect Barack Obama bought it."
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These people are unbelievable. Their contempt for "regular Americans" is blatantly obvious. Do they really think that everyone is going to conveniently forget all of the REPUBLICAN missteps that got us into this mess in the first place? (Seriously, I think only the media is capable of that type of full-scale memory-flushing!)

Well, they have just tipped their collective hand as to strategy. Much like the failed McPalin campaign, they apparently plan to whine and complain about every move President Obama makes, without participating in any reasonable discourse.

Let them think that they can simply play the obstructionist game, and coast into 2012. The American people will be watching.

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:37 AM)

How can you possibly agree with Obama that a middle class tax cut is necessary when Obama's whole tax cut strategy is to cut taxes for the middle class? Gingrich should be politically castrated for the remarks he's made this week, but it won't happen. There are sadly far too many people who will actually believe there is a left-wing gay fascism taking hold of our country. What a load of horst $hit

Bentley in NY (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:38 AM)

That's funny how "Too Little" Tommy now wants to take credit for the foolish misadventure in Iraq. His "Blunder Run" was a pathetically planned offensive that deserves only derision for it's complete incompetence.

Huckabee has campaign envy, that's rich. He was the most pathetic candidate the repugnant ones had for preisdent.

"Adulterer" Newt just wants to keep the tax cuts he doesn't deserve or need. He said some really disgusting things about Obama and he needs to be ridiculed for his sinful mouth. I wonder when he'll dump wife #3 for a new floozie?

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:38 AM)

The republicans are even more pathetic than in years past. So, they acknowledge that they got this country into this mess, but now it's not their problem? They are cowards, and they are still not listening to what the American people have said. Enough of their divide and conquer, slash and burn tactics. Except Bush is still at it. To change the Endangered Species Act - still proves that he could care less about the environment and the species that inhabit it. It's all about the money - what's left of it, although I'm sure he and his cronies will be living in the comfort they have been accustomed to, while the rest of us worry and wonder what will happen tommorrow. Jan. 20th can't come soon enough!!

stephanie, ft. pierce, fl. (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:44 AM)

if YOU break it YOU buy it. YOU pay for your error. has no republican ever shopped at a pottery barn????

Barack didn't drop Irag. He wasn't even in the store when Cheney dropped it on us. Cheney and Bush have been lying for seven years about who dropped the Iraq mess on us and now they think they can blame it on a guy who has just now entered the store?!?! Does that analogy make any sense to any sentient being? GEEZE!!

PAUL Independence, Va. (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:48 AM)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt a wave of disgust reading about the speed with which some Republicans are abdicating repsonsibility for the wars and for our economic situation. To think Maine's Senators Collins and Snowe were called RINOS because they discharged their duties concientiously. Look who has returned to the Senate and who has lost. Those Republican ideolgues who put Party before country are gone and our Maine Senators are back.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:50 AM)

The meeting of the Gross Odd People (GOP) last week in Miami was a political "circus." It was a "cast of clowns" trying to deny and lie about as much as they could. These so-called Republican Governors of the Really Not Competent (RNC) accomplished very little. They let the "Dizzy Diva" have a few "News Conferences of Corruption" but that is it. What a joke America! Time to move forward.

Rock,Janesville,Wisconsin (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:58 AM)

Bush's ally is right - the repugs broke all the stock and inventory and we all will remember that.

Brian, Cedar Hill, TX (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:05 AM)

The republicans obviously have not learned anything over these last eight years. Not only are they responsible for almost destroying our country, the
Iraq war and many other diasters too numerous to mention, they are playing their usual games of not
acknowledging or admitting their irresponsible
leadership.
It appears they are in no way considering uniting
and trying to save our country.
Enough finger pointing, posterinn, ego trips!
It is our survival!!

katiec ekin, IL (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:09 AM)

Mitt Romney has never called for a bailout of the big 3. He's been perfectly consistent.

His criticism of McCain is not anti-thetical to his remedies for Detroit at all.

He has always said that Detroit can be saved and jobs brought back, but only after some tough medicine. How is that a flip?

Because his remedy is not maintaining the status quo, but rather, creating a new paradyme, which is what he has said all along, and therefore this will save the dying industry, not kill it.

You know, United Airlines was in chapter 11 for years and they are still here and people still fly them.

aj arizona (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:15 AM)

I think the voting public is well aware that Republicans pretty much broke everything and its up to the Dems to try and put it all back together. It's not going to be easy or fast so the last thing I want to read or hear about is all the stupid Republicans whining in 6 months that nothing is any better yet.

Obama is going to lay a new foundation for our country and I only hope the public stays informed and focused enough to keep building on it in the elections and decades to come. Hopefully we finally learned our lesson and won't let a selfish, moronic Republican anywhere near a leadership position ever again. Our children's future depends on it.

AP from IL (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:19 AM)

Let's be clear

the Pottery Barn Rule

Republicans broke it...America bought it...now they sit on the side while everyone else tries to figure out how to pay for it.

dl, exeter, nh (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:23 AM)

As for Mitt Romney's "plan" for the auto industry, let's call it what it is - a bailout in disguise.

And as little respect as I have for Romney personally, if this is what it takes, it's not a bad idea. What I dislike, however, is that Romney takes an excessively anti-labor view of the current problem. An improvement would be to call for more oversight of management decisions - and some wise legislation mandating fuel-economy standards.

On a meta-governmental level, though, I think we need to question some assumptions such as the future of urban sprawl, the role of public transportation, i.e., the value of the automobile itself.

Daniel, St. Charles, IL (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:31 AM)

The GOP/RNC have a barn of their own. It is called their "Burning Barn." Their the imcompetents politically stumbled, and babbled around in their burning barn. They gave meaningless press conferences, bumbling interviews, and they continued to spread enough cultural ignorance to last until 2012. They had their "Dizzy Diva, or as some called her their "Bimbo in the Barn" continuing the GOP/RNC wave of corruption. Remember America this saying. "Only fools fight in a burning barn!" Time to move forward America!

Rock,Janesville,Wisconsin (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:33 AM)

"hinting at a corollary to the ‘Pottery Barn rule’ about postwar responsibility: Republicans may have broken Iraq, but President-elect Barack Obama bought it."

If this is the ideology, people will learn never to give Republicans a chance to run anything. While we are shouting out to cut CEO benefits and salaries and rewards for their lack of oversight, perhaps one should also dock the salaries of government officials who also fail to meet their performance goals.

formerly of NY (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:15 AM)

I agree on the "freedom" comment by Franks. Yes, all us Republicans are freed from not appearing to disgree with our President and being forced to defend him. Although my disapproval was quite vocal and began back in 2004 when I told Andy Card here in Iowa during the campaign that Bush needed to use the veto pen. The Transportation Bill in 2006 was my last straw.

Repub Central Committees all over this country are analyzing the results and how this feels. Locally, we did pretty well here.

Now is the time for Republicans/Conservatives/Libertarians and those that cuss at their TV to come together and bring up any and all ideas.

Speaking of the wars. There was a recent Cato Policy Anlysis that examines the quandry that libertarians are in in the wake of 9/11.

May God Bless the USA!

Rob, from Iowa (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:19 AM)

Let's remember my lockstep Dems, that this whole economy "mess" started with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 passed under Carter. Then Clinton broadened it forcing the "securitization" of these loans to "hide" the bad loans. The lenders did not want to loan to these people, yet Congress added regulations forcing them to.

In defense of laizze-faire, it was government meddling (i.e. regulations) that forced lenders to make these bad loans. If the market was left alone, these lonas would not have been made in the first place.

Chalk it up to ambition. When someone is ambitious and works hard to get out of the situation they are in in order to attain a home, they appreciate it more than someone who is "handed" a home.

A basic conservative tennent. Teaching a man to fish, vs. giving him one.

Rob, from Iowa (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 11:30 AM)

C'mon folks, the Pottery Barn rule has NEVER applied to GWB - he's avoided paying for anything (business and career blunders) his entire adult life. He's dodged responsibility for all failures. Too bad for all of us that Daddy Bush and his buddies couldn't bail his sorry booty and our country out this time.

Doug (Sent Thursday, November 20, 2008 12:35 PM)

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