The Balance Of Shame

More Benen today on Republicans making political hay off singed underpants:

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee and a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, has been desperately trying to exploit the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas for political gain. But even by Hoekstra's low standards, this is one of the more craven displays of any politician this year.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is now jumping upon the Northwest Airlines attack -- and using it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign, the Grand Rapids Press reports.

In the letter, Hoekstra denounces the Obama administration on a whole range of national security issues -- ranging from Flight 253 itself to Guantanamo Bay, investigation of the interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration, and what Hoekstra calls Obama policies that "impress the 'Blame America First' crowd at home and his thousands of fans overseas."

First, when a Republican's first instinct in the wake of an attempted attack is to blame the president and U.S. officials for the terrorist's actions, he's more or less joined the "Blame America First" crowd.

Second, as a substantive matter, Pete Hoekstra is completely, demonstrably wrong about every aspect of national security policy.

And third, just how pathetic does a politician have to be to try to raise money off the attempted murder of hundreds of innocent Americans? Just how desperate does that politician have to be to see a plot to blow up an airplane over American soil and think, "You know, maybe I can exploit this to pick up a few checks."

Steve, Steve, Steve, my friend, bro...there's a distinct segment of the population where the balance of shame of having a black man with a funny middle name in the White House is more than the shame of Pete Hoekstra's attempt to capitalize on this attack.  Hoekstra is playing to this segment.  He has no choice.

This distinct segment of the population controls the political future of Republicans like Hoekstra in 2010 and 2012, period.  Republicans like Hoekstra must cater to this segment or be replaced by someone who will.  This is pure Hoffman Effect, plain and simple.

Look, one of two things will happen in 2010:  either the Republicans will be able to hold on sliding around Teabagger's Corner at top speed making their right turn into destiny and make massive gains in the House and Senate, or they will wipe out, flip over and smash into the wall.  In a sense, it doesn't really matter what the Dems do at this point, and that's just another sign at how messed up the universe is.

Dem success in 2010 is entirely reliant on the GOP crashing and burning and the centrist voters just saying "You know what?  Even the Dems are better than these assholes."  That's not something I'd absolutely bet on happening before November 2010.  Now, 2012...different story.  That's almost assured with Obama himself presumably running again.