Is History Repeating Itself?

David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, wrote an interesting column, "The Vanishing Neoliberal", on March 11, 2007. In the column, he talks about the birth and death of neoliberalism.

What I found more interesting was the opening paragraph of his column.

On July 25, 1981, Michael Kinsley published an essay in The New Republic called "The Shame of the Democrats." The Democratic Party, the young Kinsley wrote, is viewed "with growing indifference." It is run "by lawyer-operators with no commitment to any particular political values." It is filled "with politicians who will do or say anything for a word or a dollar of support." It represents "a dwindling collection of special interest groups whose interests are less and less those of either the general populus or the tired and poor." In short, Kinsley wrote, "the Democratic Party has collapsed not just politically but morally."

Twenty-five years after Michael Kinsley wrote those words about the Democratic Party, I'm wondering if he could write the same words about the Republican Party?

Right now the Republican Party, or at least its members, are being attacked on many issues, most of which they brought upon themselves. From the recent firings of nine U.S. Attorney's to the appearance of, and sometimes out right proof, of corruption.

Following the scandal involving President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky, the Republican Party held itself up as a model of morality. To me it appears as though instead of looking at themselves in a mirror, Republican politicians were looking at themselves through a digital camera after being doctored through PhotoShop.

The question to be asked now, how long will it take the Republican Party to replace its failed leaders with new leaders who can resist the urge of corruption that follows being elected to political office.