Have Republicans destroyed the concept of a "loyal opposition" ?

[pinto]

I love politics - the history, the trends, the back and forth along the way. Yet something has changed in the process of late, it seems.

Republicans appear to be caught up in an extremist position of opposition for the sake of opposition. Obstruction of legislation seems the prime agenda, not legislation - which is their job that we pay for.

I mean the House of Representatives, specifically.

Considered debate, discussion and resolution has gone by the wayside. And the result is time spent on extraneous proposals, knee jerk amendments and junk that we and they all know will never pass muster.

Loyal opposition implies being a constructive part of the process. Republicans have abandoned that long held standard. The nation as a whole and our public discourse is the poorer for it.

I encourage us all to play our part and challenge them - from local, county and statewide races to the national election.

Republicans are no longer the loyal opposition. They are the national failure.

[Warpy]

1. They're only loyal to each other and a few rich men

They aren't loyal to the country or its people, that's for certain.

However, they've managed to stand in opposition to everything, even their own former proposals, and especially to the country.

[longship]

2. In that context loyalty means loyalty to a principle

In the context of this country it can only be loyalty to the law, the Constitution. Anything short of that is not loyalty to anything but self-serving rubbish.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. IMHO Yes

They seem to adopt a "scorched earth" and/or "poison the well" strategies whenever they are out of power- though they are not usually portrayed that way by the corporate media.