Tuesday, September 8, 2009

What lesson can conservatives learn from the resignation of Van Jones?

Some Republicans and conservatives are celebrating the resignation of Van Jones. They misunderstand the significance of what just happened.


By marginalizing a 9/11 truther, mainstream Democrats took a step towards restoring civility and rationality to our national discourse. In her column today, progressive African-American Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Cynthia Tucker agrees.


Responsible conservatives and Republicans now need to do the same to the conspiracy theorists and other extremists in their own camp: the birthers, deathers, tenthers, and those who openly carry firearms at political rallies or make other suggestions of violence. 


Two recent actions provide tiny rays of hope.


Mainstream Idaho Republicans quickly condemned fringe Republican gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell for joking about buying a license to hunt President Obama.


In an act of courage and integrity, former educator and former First Lady Laura Bush condemned  the attacks on President Obama’s back to school pep talk and decried the increasing polarization of the nation.


What is unfortunate is that neither her husband or father-in-law, the two living former Republican presidents, joined her.

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