Boies Penrose (1860-1921), a Republican boss in Pennsylvania, proposed the Political Law*: "Politics is a profession. Better to lose an election than lose control of the party."**
How the 'establishment Republicans' will react to the head line Eric Cantor succumbs to tea party challenger - The Washington Post, should be interesting.
In the old days, when party's meant something, leaders might follow this sensible, though long term, advice.
I think, in the end, the political leaders of the Republicans will buckle down, and accept. After all they want power, and believe (with good evidence) in co-option by money.
The moneyed interests behind the party seem to believe they can turn the extreme reactionaries to their will in the end (they being moderate reactionaries).
Anyone choosing to draw and analogy between these forces and the Rhur industrialists are welcome to.
However, I think those moneyed interests may be right. You see there is another Pernrose insight worth considering -- "I believe in the division of labor. You [moneyed interest] send us to Congress; we pass
laws under which you make money...and out of your profits, you further
contribute to our campaign funds to send us back again to pass more laws
to enable you to make more money."
---
* There is another Penrose's law, attributed to Lionell Penrose, which posits an inverse relationship between the number of psychiatric beds and prison population.
**This is often ascribed to "Tammany Hall." This is incorrect.
0 comments:
Post a Comment