Craziest Republican of the Day: Spencer Bachus

By Michael J.W. Stickings

For pulling a Joe McCarthy and pointing fingers:

Some of these guys I work with, the men and women in Congress, are socialists.

Actually, he only pointed a finger at one guy, Vermont's Bernie Sanders, who is, admittedly, a socialist of sorts, specifically of the Scandinavian variety, but he claims that there are 16 others.

Now, so what if there are 17 socialists in the House? Whoever they are, they were elected, were they not? It's up to their constituents to judge them, not Bachus or the right-wing mob.

Besides, it depends on your definition of socialism. If by "socialism" you mean progressive taxation and a robust social safety net, including universal health care and government-run anti-poverty programs, the sort of socialism that exists in most of the world's advanced (capitalist) democracies, including Canada and Western Europe, then I would hope that there are far more than just 17 socialists in the House. If by "socialism" you mean Communism, or the "democratic" socialism of the former Eastern Bloc and totalitarian states like North Korea, then, well, that would be different, wouldn't it? -- I would hope that there are zero of them in the House, or anywhere else in the U.S. government.

But Bachus is obviously referring to the first kind -- though he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about, let alone understand just what socialism is. He won't name names, other than one, but anyone who isn't a neo-liberal Republican, an extremist ideological capitalist who worships Ayn Rand, is apparently a target.

And, names or no names, what he evidently wants is another McCarthyite witch hunt.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Republican Party of 2009.

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