It's not my fault

You have to hand it to the Party of Greed, they're still operating as though nothing is ever anyone's fault. Like feckless fools, they stand by and watch their Republican colleagues systematically destroy America's reputation in the world, all the while claiming, "it's not my fault." Things just "happen" to them, they are not responsible for anything.

And if you don't believe me, just ask Liddy Dole. She's quoted extensively in Barbara Barrett's interview in O-No! today.

Now, after two years in the Senate's GOP leadership, Dole tumbles into the minority -- back to her status as freshman senator from North Carolina and, perhaps, out of favor among Republican activists frustrated at election results. Dole is satisfied with her performance.

"I can sleep well at night knowing we did everything possible to hold the Senate," Dole said in a telephone interview Thursday. "All I know is I worked my head off, and that's all you can do."

Satisfied with her performance? God help us.

Maybe she did work her head off, but that is by no means "all you can do." Because working body parts off is not the most important measure of anything. It's what you're working on that matters most, and Liddy Dole has been working on the wrong things. She's been working to rubber-stamp a criminal administration. She's been working to prop up an emerging dictator, while ceding the power of the Senate to the president at every turn.

The reasons for the GOP losses are varied: not enough money, not enough time, not enough political magic to counter the curse of voter dissatisfaction with Iraq, President Bush and congressional corruption. "It was just too massive to overcome it," Dole said.

This is where I go livid. Senator Dole, with her head Botoxed into oblivion, appears to have no understanding that the reason things were "just too massive to overcome" was exactly her responsibility. She, along with all the other Senators in the Party of Greed, had countless opportunities to direct US foreign policy down a saner, more ethical road, and they failed to do so again and again and again.

Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report in Washington, said Bush should shoulder most of the blame. "Is there going to be criticism of Senator Dole? Yes," Cook said. "Is it justified? Well, look: Is she the greatest fund-raiser the Republicans and the NRSC have ever had? No." But, Cook said, blaming the losses on Dole "is just crazy."

Anyone with her eyes open can see that there's more than enough blame to go around. What's missing, however, is anyone willing to say "I am accountable." The Party of Greed is bereft of individuals willing to take responsiblity for anything. These free-market fundamentalists just love to tout their ownerhship society, but when it comes to owning the problems they've created, they're more like cockroaches, scurrying into dark corners when the bright light of accountability shines in their direction.

As far as politics goes, Dole now turns to another important race: her own re-election in 2008. She already has begun raising money.

For the record, I've changed my mind about whether Dole should run again. I definitely want to see her as the Republican candidate for Senate in North Carolina in 2008. She'll have to defend an indefensible record - and if the 2006 elections showed anything, they showed that's next to impossible.

Boom. Boom. Boom.