I agree with a lot of her policy position, but Representative Michele Bachmann is an embarrassment. Her appearance on Hardball yesterday should appall anyone with a sense of history. Here is what she said: "What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out if they are pro-America or anti-America." We have not heard that kind of rhetoric since the McCarthy days; such language is not only inappropriate is just plain ugly and possibly dangerous.

There is a concerted effort amongst most Republican officeholders to run away from George Bush. After all, he is extremely unpopular. Although they be running away from his record, it would appear that some Republicans such as Bachmann and the McCain Palin ticket have run toward the basic Bush campaign philosophy - vilify those who disagree with you and smear, smear, smear until the election. Here's the bizarre logic that underpins the startegy: You're with them or against them; you're a patriot if you are with them, and you are un-American if you are against them; you are a qualified candidate if your are patriotic, but you are not fit for office if you are un-American. Fool enough "low information" voters and you have won.

Winning for the sake of winning is not the style of Ronald Reagan. Reagan believed deeply in the value of ideas. He believed that communism was dangerous and told everyone why, but he did not vilify Jimmy Carter or Walter Mondale as un-American communists. He believed that government was the problem, but he did not tag Carter or Mondale as un-Americans because they (especially Mondale) saw government as the solution. It was the strength of his ideas that inspired people - not the toxicity of his rhetoric. People believed his words, and more importantly, believed that he believed his words, and they followed. The result, an effective presidency - the last popular President to call himself a Republican - the last Republican President who even came close to advancing liberty and shrinking government. The last great Republican President?

The Bushies, Rovians, McCainites, and Bachmannites all claim the legacy of Ronald Reagan as theirs. However, in both style and substance they all fail miserably. They grow the size of government, fight back the cause of liberty, and spew venom unbecoming of any civilized person, not to mention public figures. The day of the happy warrior who stood for something bigger than himself is gone. Instead, we are stuck with a bunch of immitators, who, increasingly, appear less and less believable. This crew of incompetent hacks have killed the spirit of the Reagan Revolution more surely than the Democrats ever could. They should be embarrassed of themselves; I know I am for them.