No Room for Brownback's Humanity in Bush's GOP

Sam Brownback tried to be the Reagan conservative in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Unfortunately, he was a little too Reagan-like for George Bush's GOP. A steady social conservative, "strong on defense," "tough on spending," he was right – way right -- on the issues. And as a native Midwesterner who tended toward optimism, self-deprecating humor and flashes of humanity, he was in many senses the friendly face of contemporary conservatism.

Too friendly. Instead of playing Idaho Senator Larry Craig's bathroom bungle for points with the gay-bashing base, Brownback expressed concern for Craig and counseled giving the senator space to sort through some serious personal and emotional issues. Then Brownback proposed a Senate resolution apologizing for slavery and segregation. And when it came to the actual issues of the campaign, Brownback kept talking about how he would like to form right-left coalitions to address big challenges like extreme poverty in Africa.

The senator's last major speech before ending his candidacy this week was an address at Boston University in which he embraced the goals of One: The Campaign to End Global Poverty. "Right now, we are witnessing humanitarian crises across the African continent: genocide in Darfur, violence in Northern Uganda, lack of access to basic health care, and a continent-wide AIDS epidemic that steals thousands of lives each month," Senator Brownback said. "America is a great nation and we have a responsibility to continue to lead the fight to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of so many," Brownback declared, with a rhetorical flourish that owed more to Reagan than Bush. "History will judge us harshly if we and other developed nations do not act quickly and compassionately to help the less fortunate."

That kind of talk doesn't play in George Bush's GOP.

Comments (9)

1. I've seen the other liberal blogs, and Mr Nichols' view of Brownback is in the minority, I'm afraid.

   It tends to be "Good riddence to another right-wing puke" kind of posts. Seems Brownback's concern for Africa, doesn't cut him much slack with THE LEFT either!

   Posted by Mask at 10/19/2007 @ 1:29pm

2. Well, if there's to be a 'silver lining', his departure further emphasizes the reptiles party lack of a conscience. And that can't be wrong, considering its lack of a conscience...

   Posted by hsuBfools at 10/19/2007 @ 1:52pm

3. Posted by HSUBFOOLS 10/19/2007 @ 1:52pm

   HEY, HSUB...how you doing this grand October 19th afternoon?

   Posted by Mask at 10/19/2007 @ 2:14pm

4. Good, maybe the senator can now get to work helping relieve poverty and leave the moral campaigning to the American Taliban, a group he has strong ties to. That is what scares of the general populace, not his statements about poverty in Africa. (although Mr. Nichols is right about that kind of talk not flying with the neo-cons that co-own his party along with the Taliban)

   I think this shows that even nut jobs can see the light of liberalism occasionally.

   Posted by crabwalk at 10/19/2007 @ 2:14pm

5. Posted by MASK 10/19/2007 @ 2:14pm

   Pardon me, sir.

   sir?

   sir, excuse me...

   you have...

   right there on your nose, there is some...

   You have some santorum on your nose.

   Posted by crabwalk at 10/19/2007 @ 2:17pm

6. Posted by CRABWALK 10/19/2007 @ 2:17pm

   Santorum pretty much the indicator for the social cons come 2008. All the pretty boy looks (sort of the Right's answer to Edwards) and "steadfast family values and devotion to life" couldn't put Humpty Ricky back together again.

   Posted by Mask at 10/19/2007 @ 2:39pm

7. scroll down for a definition of santorum. yuck! [thestranger.com]

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/19/2007 @ 3:58pm

8. Brownback's nasty right wingism was tempered by Catholic Social Thought. In a pinch a rightwing Catholic is better than a rightwing Protestant evangelical

   Posted by torquemada at 10/19/2007 @ 4:25pm

9. That is true about Brownback; he seemed to be a "whole cloth" pro-lifer in that he paid attention to poverty issues and, I think, the death penalty, besides the abortion matter.

   Posted by The Goods at 10/19/2007 @ 5:16pm