Politicians dropping the ball

Or a basketball game with airballs and traveling on both sides of the court?
You get the idea. Bear with me, because as always, sports is an easy metaphor
for that other team competition, Politibal. And I’m not even talking about
Tiger Woods.

This is about the conservative comeback. Are you noticing how they’ve resumed a
ferocious offense? This year’s CPAC meeting is almost a celebration of the
cheerleaders, as the old vets perform their old tricks.

There was Mitt Romney, still trying to turn white bread into red meat. There
was Dick Cheney, giving the same pro-torture, anti-Constitution speech. Add to
the lineup the rookie, Marco Rubio, trying to outdo Cheney as he vies to become
the new senator from Guantanamo. All of them Palin comparison to Sarah, who
wasn’t there, but if she was paying attention, she could learn a thing or two
or more.

What a contrast to just a year ago, when the liberals were running all over
them, led by new President Barack Obama and his huge Democratic offensive line
on Capitol Hill.

He and they made all their gains after the GOPers spent about four years
showing how shoddy their team was, which was just the opportunity the Dems
needed.

What did the blueshirts do once they took over? From the left side of the
field, they threw a lot of long passes, but each time they dropped the ball or
tossed it smack-dab into the hands of a redshirt defender. They kept swinging
for the home run and striking out. Worst, they continuously collided with each
other, leaving a clear field for the other side, while the ideologues and the
pragmatists stayed behind, arguing over blame.

When Obama the quarterback called the healthcare play, he was sacked,
completely unprotected from a blitz. Same thing with the economy, where even
gains were a huge loss for him. He hasn’t seemed able to get anything to work.
Or anybody.

So, now that they’ve come roaring back, the big question with Republicans is,
How far to the right do they want to go? There are those conservatives who have
a game plan that’s, uh, conservative, that is careful, with hints of good
sportsmanship, which is called “bipartisanship” in Politiball.

They are being pushed off the team by the purist conservatives, as in against
everything, for nothing. In fact, they insist they’re not even a team, even
though they operate now out of a Tea formation.

They play before huge crowds of spectators, the American people, who have
gotten so disgusted they don’t root for either side. Why would they, since
there are no winners, just losers? The two teams and the rest of us, too.

Visit Mr. Franken’s website at www.bobfranken.tv.