More on the Republican ‘suicide caucus’

By Peter Fenn – 08/29/13 05:29 PM ET

My guess is that many out there are thinking that I am sounding like a broken record (what an anachronism that is).

I have been constantly amazed at the “shoot themselves in the foot” Republican caucus. In the past we have watched as they embarrassed themselves on the Violence Against Women Act, aid to Hurricane Sandy victims, government shutdown efforts, killing the farm bill and then voting to completely gut food stamps for 48 million people.

But, really, this week takes the cake for the Republicans: Not one Republican shows up to speak at the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington; Republican-controlled states continue to introduce and pass legislation to suppress the vote of blacks and Hispanics, making all minorities furious; Republicans in the House are committed to halting progress on immigration legislation; 80 House Republicans sign a letter saying keeping ObamaCare is worse than a government shutdown; John Boehner changes position and states that any increase in the debt limit has to be accompanied by even greater cuts in critical programs. Yes, let’s default, Mr. Speaker.I don’t get it.

Republicans hold confabs and tell us that they are going to actively court the black vote, that they believe Hispanic voters should share their values and that they should be the party of women because they control the checkbook and want lower taxes. Really?

Then they run candidates like Ken Cuccinelli for governor of Virginia, whose record is antithetical to women. The party leadership looks and acts like the cast from “Mad Men.”

No major Republican office holder shows up at the march on Wednesday because they all had scheduling conflicts or weren’t “invited early enough.” And not one Republican agrees to speak. How do you spell “slap in the face”? What, they don’t think people are paying attention?

Republicans say they are too busy to pass immigration reform, there is just too much on the House calendar. Oh, when you engage in 40 votes to defund the healthcare law and stonewall budget deals and are in session all of nine days in September? If the Republicans wanted to pass immigration reform they could do so before Thanksgiving. “Too busy,” please!

This has been another week where Republicans continue to dig their own grave deeper and deeper. The suicide caucus rides again. The trouble is that their intransigence truly harms Americans who simply want to better their lives.