The party of Lincoln or the party of Nixon

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: January 18, 2004 – January 24, 2004 Archives:

“This story in today’s Boston Globe should knock everything else off the front page. It’s an amazing story, a huge scandal. Read the lede ….

”Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told The Globe. From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access restricted Democratic communications without a password. Trolling through hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight — and with what tactics.“

Remember the kids we all knew in school who cheated at every turn? This is where they end up: not necessarily as Republicans but as cheaters, liars, and thieves. It’s not credible that someone raised with good solid values would suddenly take up this behavior as an adult: I believe it’s been part of them all along.