John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives, gave a speech to a gathering of Republicans in Washington, D. C., a couple of weeks ago. Boehner told the gathering the President was trying to destroy the Republican Party. So, Mr. Speaker, I have news for you! The President isn’t going to have to lift a finger to destroy the Republican Party. It is well on its way to implode and destroy itself.
It isn’t a case of having more than one side to an issue. It’s a case of obstruction, paranoia, and plain, old-fashioned stupidity.
The leadership of the party, if it can be called that, does not have even the slightest amount of control over its membership. It’s a sailing ship whose sails are propelled by hot air and on its decks a whole bunch of loose cannon balls. It doesn’t appear the Republicans can get together and go in a straight line on most issues. It looks as if more are against gun control than for gun control. Then there are those who are steadfast against any kind of female medical rights (call this anti-abortion, but it’s much more than that). Their hard-line stand about illegal immigration certainly was a big factor in the Hispanic vote for President Obama.
Our military budget is bigger than nearly any other in the world, yet the Republicans are divided on cutting any of that. But it does appear they want to throw Medicare, Social Security and other programs in the fire and the devil take the rest of it. At this point, the Republican Party can’t get unified on what they’re for and what they’re against. Frankly, it looks like they’re against nearly everything. The power brokers have their own agenda. The NRA is so right wing you can’t find a left-handed person in the building. (That’s a joke, son!)
Once there were certain things the Republican Party and the Democratic Party agreed upon. Now, they don’t dare be seen together having a cup of coffee. The rift between the two parties is wide and deep. The rift between the moderate Republicans and the hard-right Republicans is wide and just as deep. You can’t even call yourself a moderate Republican anymore or the storm troopers of the hard right will be out to hunt you down.
Perhaps, Mr. Boehner, it might behoove the Republican Party to actually split up into those who would like to think they are Eisenhower moderates and those Grover Norquist signers of no taxes. It’s an interesting thought. But I’ll leave the division of the Republican Party to its own ways and its own means. The question of whether or not the President is trying to destroy them will have to wait for another time to come to a conclusion.
Ronn Mott, a longtime radio personality in Terre Haute, writes commentaries for the Tribune-Star. His pieces are published online Tuesday and Thursday on Tribstar.com, and in the print and online editions on Saturday.
Opinion Columns
Related Photos
-
Ronn Mott
Discussion
RONN MOTT: Imploding
- Opinion Columns
-
-
RONN MOTT: Why Syria?
Russia is making a lot of noise in favor of Syria. They are supplying Assad’s army with more armaments and basic things such as ammunition and such.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Another beloved dog goes to heaven
We are short one granddog. This past week, “Indy” could no longer use her back legs and she went to that great dog kennel in the hereafter.
-
MAX JONES: For loyal readers, a bit of news from the T-S newsroom
As journalists toiling to create a content-rich, relevant and compelling community newspaper each day, we feel a special bond with our legions of readers across the Wabash Valley and beyond.
-
B.J. RILEY: Fathers are an inspiring figure
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a salesman. In grade school, I was so excited about selling candy bars or candles or whatever the chosen product.
-
RONN MOTT: Kill the Umpire!
I don’t know who appointed Major League Baseball’s umpires “Gods,” but if they have been appointed “Gods,” they have appointed people who cannot see or think very well.
-
RONN MOTT: What’s happening?
I know I may have looked at these situations differently when I was in my twenties. The world, my life, my career, and the growth of my family all lay ahead of me. So perhaps now, many years later, I see it differently.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Withdrawn society not very social any more
My Best Friend and I went out for lunch the other day. It was a sit-down place with our own “server” (in my day I was called “a waitress”) and everything offering personal attention. The manager even came over to ask if everything was all right.
-
Will you be happy if you win the lottery?
A Psychology Today article titled “What Will You Do if You Win the $550 Million Powerball Lottery?” caught my attention. Helping lottery winners with their money is my long-time gig.
-
RONN MOTT: The ‘wilds’ of Collett Park
-
RONN MOTT: Continuous War
The President spoke to the nation the other day about being at a continuous war, and he didn’t feel it is a good thing for the country. He is absolutely correct. So what do we do with the Muslim terrorists?
-
RONN MOTT: Sexual assaults in the military
The news reports about sexual assault of women in uniform have got to be sickening to those parents who have said goodbye and wished their daughters well in the military.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Technology, new fabrics made ironing much easier
As surely as Tuesday follows Monday on the calendar, ironing day followed wash day on Mom’s housekeeping chart.
-
MARK BENNETT: Commencement Advice
Today’s high school commencement speakers should repeat their speeches in hospital delivery rooms in the months ahead.
-
RONN MOTT: Reflecting on the costs of war
Memorial Day, which we celebrated Monday, began during the Civil War when women decorated the graves of Union soldiers. Since that time it has become a national holiday set aside for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
-
RONN MOTT: Anniversary
This is an anniversary of sorts. I’ve been writing this little bit of business for a year now. I am quite proud to be doing so in the same newspaper I learned to read by the time I was in the second grade. (I’m not bragging about me so much as the wonderful teacher who taught us to read phonetically … Marion Davidson. Learning to read actually started me on my career in the media.)
-
RONN MOTT: Decoration Day at my house
As a boy, I had to have an older relative explain to me that Decoration Day and Memorial Day were one and the same. Neither my father or grandfather had been in the military, but it was my mother who carried out the tradition of what she referred to as Decoration Day.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Looking back at memories of ‘history’
I was reading a whodunit the other day. The protagonist was trying to solve the mystery of what had happened to a local citizen soldier who had disappeared during the war.
-
MAX JONES: A Memorial Day tribute in boatman’s wake
God bless Bruce Borror.
-
MARK BENNETT: American nurses, medics, stranded behind Nazi lines, survived through tenacity, heroism, generosity
A story of survival, perseverance, danger, and extraordinary courage and generosity extended in the midst of war remained untold for decades, but thankfully not forever.
-
RONN MOTT: Ernie Pyle
I stepped back in time last week when I visited the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in Dana.
-
RONN MOTT: Pyle museum in Dana good way to study WWII
I stepped back in time last week when I visited the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in Dana.
-
RONN MOTT: Frustration
For those who know me well, they can say without contradiction I am not a patient man. But in this hustle and bustle world I’ve been a part of all my adult life, I’ve had to learn a little patience. On occasion, however, I find some experiences extremely frustrating.
-
RONN MOTT: Rabid Republicans
The so-called news people at Fox News can hardly sit still long enough to report on the latest gossip or untruth about our sitting President. They can hardly contain themselves.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Smell of fresh air gave way to dryers
Remember when clean clothes smelled like fresh air and sunshine rather than fabric softener and dryer sheets?
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
-
RONN MOTT: Mushrooms = Hoosier happiness
Someone wrote or said a few years ago a statement that would define the word “Hoosier.” According to this urban legend, a Hoosier is somebody dribbling a basketball around the Indy 500 while eating a fried, morel mushroom. It did not define me, at the time.
-
RONN MOTT: Israel’s Air Force
Recently the Israeli Air Force bombed and rocketed a convoy leaving Syria going to Lebanon with rockets that were going to be used to attack Israel. It did not get there. It was destroyed.
-
RONN MOTT: Media merry-go-round
Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. That isn’t a unique phrase to this writer or to this era in time. But, when it comes to the musical chairs of broadcasting, it certainly applies.
-
LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops
Have you ever noticed the transformation between the arrest of an accused lawbreaker and the first appearance in court?
- More Opinion Columns Headlines
-
Tiger on Sergio: 'It's Time to Move On'
Robot Action Connected to Human Thought
Rain Damages Brazil Soccer Stadium
NYC 911 Call Lasts for 8 Hours
Obama: US Has Helped Syrian Rebels
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
California Cops Cruise on Stand-up Paddle Patrol
Falling Cable Hurts 10 NASCAR Fans
Raw: 100K Protesters Flood Brazilian Streets
Afghan Forces Take Afghanistan Security Lead
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
Transgender Candidate Running in NYC
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
Man Who Disrupted Flight Ranted About CIA
Feds: 7-Eleven Stores Exploited Immigrants
Oklahoma City Thunder Players Tour Moore
Today in History June 18
Iran's Rowhani Urges 'Path of Moderation'
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
WATCH IT: Lil Wayne tramples American flag
Mariah Carey Looks Beautiful in a Tiny Cut-Out Swimsuit
Out of Control Boat Throws Passengers Overboard
See Lindsay Lohan in Rehab
Sofia Vergara Posts Perky Backside Pic in Thong
Gaga Ditches Her Crazy Couture
Caught on Tape: Teacher Accused of Beating Autistic Child
"Stay Classy" Campaign Aims to Curb Binge Drinking
Sesame Street Tackling Tough Topic Parents in Jail
Miss Utah Fumbles Interview Question
Deranged man claims Newark-bound flight was poisoned
Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton Show Off Their Amazing Bikini Bodies
NBA FINALS: Spurs Win Game 5, Lead Series
