Scorcher

The Conservative Crack-up

P.J. O’Rourke on the corruption and arrogance of the GOP.

P.J. O’Rourke has in this week’s Weekly Standard one of the more entertaining displays of conservative self-flagellation. “Our 28-year conservative opportunity to fix the moral and practical boundaries of government is gone,” O’Rourke writes, arguing that conservatives have no one to blame but themselves. O’Rourke on immigration: “Conservative immigration policies are as stupid as conservative attitudes are gross.” On abortion: “If the citizenry insists that abortion remain legal—and, in a passive and conflicted way, the citizenry seems to be doing so—then give the issue a rest.” On taxes: “A low tax rate is not—never mind the rhetoric of every conservative politician--a bedrock principle of conservatism.” “It took a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives 40 years—from 1954 to 1994—to get that corrupt and arrogant,” O’Rourke marvels. “And we managed it in just 12.”