Bankrupt is the work of David Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau-based attorney and brother of Rush Limbaugh. I must have gone into the book with the wrong expectations. I expected a deep thoughtful and historical look at problems in the Democratic Party, key events, key decisions and key figures that produced the party we see today.
Instead, I was treated to a rant more suited to the Rush radio show. Right out of the gate, Limbaugh uses top Democrats' own words to hilight contradiction and absurdities in Democrats' positions on Iraq and the War on Terror. From there, it's one issue right after another: values, partisanship, the 2000 election, and so on. His favorite targets are some of the most visible Democrats of recent years: Howard Dean, John Kerry, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill Clinton.
My problem with the book is that Limbaugh commits the same acts of hyperbole and hypocrisy he's grilling the Democrats for. "They promote abortion on demand" (p. 119) and (The Democratic Party) "has become the home for those pushing the 'culture of death'" (p. 121) are just two examples where Limbaugh's partisanship distracts from his intention. He's right about some things and hung up on others.
He also writes about Democrats' attacks on John Ashcroft during his confirmation hearings to become the U.S. Attorney General. In that section, Limbaugh offers his prophetic blurb: "In truth, Ashcroft almost surely would have won if Carnahan hadn't died. Ashcroft was ahead in the polls by double digits shortly before Carnahan's death" (p. 263-264).
(CNN and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch both reported the two were in a near dead-heat in late September and October 2000. )
Again, I went into the book with the wrong expectations. If you're looking for 350+ page diatribe against Democrats, enumerating the stupid things they say and do and why they don't often make sense, this book is for you, but not what I was looking for.
3 comments:
Mr. Trower,
I'm hoping Santa put some better eyewear in your stocking this year. Maybe then you'd notice it was Brad Belote that wrote this post and not myself. But why let little, minor details like that get in the way of your rant? I should know better to expect so much by now.
But to call for my firing on Christmas! That's harsh.
A true conservative would at least wait until a non-religious Friday to call for my ouster. But on Jesus' birthday!?
I'm just glad I went to church.
Dave, you had a good response to Tim's comments. It's just too bad that Tim won't get to read how wrong he was b/c he wrote that he never again will read or respond to more postings.
On second thought, I bet he will look again just to see if he has any comments written about what he thought was a good response to the posting.
David, I'm sorry you wound up as the target of Trower's post.
To answer his claims, I didn't have a problem with the things David Limbaugh wrote. Democrats said them; they were often full of hyperbole; and they look partisan and intellectually dishonest for doing so.
I'm just telling you I went in with the wrong expectations. I thought I would get a narrative that traced the Democratic party from its ideological and political peaks to its nadir in recent years. I didn't get that here.
I doubt Mr. Trower knows David very well. If he did, he would know David is NOT morally bankrupt and is one of the best reporters in the Ozarks. Without his initiative, this forum and source for information would not exist.
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