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Mafia-like "family" runs Republican Party
Category: Politics • Republicans
Posted on: July 16, 2009 2:39 PM, by Greg Laden
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Comments
I'm getting this book: The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet
This sounds like some scary shit. Not illuminati scary, real life scary.
Posted by: Kammy | July 16, 2009 2:37 PM
I had that book on my Kindle before the guy stopped talking last night. And that is not my usual modus operendus.
Posted by: Greg Laden | July 16, 2009 2:40 PM
Rachel Maddow (msnbc) has been talking about it for more than a week I think. She goes in depth with the author on two shows that I've heard.
Posted by: Kammy | July 16, 2009 2:42 PM
Are there no "Sunshine Laws" for congress?
How is it that they are allowed to live together?
This is scary. I agree.
Posted by: Stacy | July 16, 2009 2:54 PM
We've heard about The Family for a few years now. I'm not surprised at any of this.
Posted by: Dorid | July 16, 2009 2:58 PM
How is it any creepier than the military?
Posted by: becca | July 16, 2009 3:28 PM
Because the military doesn't make laws that the rest of us have to obey.
Posted by: JJ | July 16, 2009 3:30 PM
dude, try to catch up with the times!
http://sundappledforest.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/scary-subversive-elements-controlling-our-government-aiiii/
http://physioprof.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/guest-post-by-monkeypox-on-depraved-right-wing-religious-fuckwads/
Posted by: BikeMonkey | July 16, 2009 3:34 PM
It's not just Republicans--even Hillary Clinton is a Family supporter:
http://ehrenreich.blogs.com/barbaras_blog/2008/03/hillarys-nasty.html
Posted by: Jim Lippard | July 16, 2009 3:44 PM
Many members of the House and Senate do not have their own homes in the D.C. area, just keeping personal family homes in their districts in the state they represent --- especially those in the House of Representatives who have shorter terms. So they share living quarters. That's not the problem. Millions of people have roommates, but don't have the kind of power-sharing pact these guys have.
Posted by: stillwaggon | July 16, 2009 3:50 PM
I gotta say, I'm not sure this is that big a deal. I mean the hypocrisy is ridiculous, and this behaviour does have serious implications for democracy, but I think she's making a mountain out of a molehill. This sounds like a group of ignorant congress hypocrites playing at secret societies so they can feel powerful. I'm sure there are more secretive and genuinely powerful groups that deserve more scrutiny.
Posted by: itzac | July 16, 2009 3:51 PM
Whoa epic ammunition for the Daily Show!
Posted by: Gozza | July 16, 2009 4:00 PM
Wow, a cult of politicians, united in fanatic religion, shot through with hyprocrisy, protected by a web of secrecy, dissembling and obfuscation.
I've been reading a lot of early cyberpunk and dystopian SF lately... maybe I should be taking it more seriously.
Posted by: jdac | July 16, 2009 4:38 PM
There are a couple of answers to that. The cheap on is, "who's going to stop them? Congress?"
The less-cheap one is that Congressmen don't make all that much money, especially for people who can manage to raise millions every few years. (Despite this, there seem to be a lot of them who've become very wealthy in office.) The typical freshman Congressman already has a home in hir home district [1] typical of the income s/he could make outside of government. Then they get to add the cost of a second residence in Washington -- which isn't low-rent. A lot of Congresscritters solve the problem by rooming together; it's not like they typically have lots of time to enjoy hanging around.
[1] With exceptions like John McCain, who has several in lots of places and got started by buying a "home" in an up-for-grabs district just in time to establish nominal residency.
Posted by: D. C. Sessions | July 16, 2009 5:34 PM
Another SciBlogger Ed Brayton just did an interview with the book's author on his last podcast.
For those interested it's the latest podcast at
http://www.declaringindependenceradio.com/index.php?/site/podcasts/
It's about the second half of the show.
Posted by: Michael | July 16, 2009 9:31 PM
Other thing is that Jeff mentioned in the interview that the reason they've been so resilient is that they reach across the isle with I think 20% of their members being democrats.
Which I believe includes Hillary Clinton (as a "friend" which is a level below a full "member")
Posted by: Michael | July 16, 2009 9:34 PM
Sounds like a religious version of the Freemasons, Illuminati male groups, the Bohemian Grove. Even the high level worldwide power groups are just like this, IT's ALL BAD.
Posted by: megan | July 17, 2009 12:03 AM
Dude, you have no idea how bad I think it is. This is only the tip of the iceberg. These fuckers have been steadily establishing themselves within the Armed Forces for years. You know where that leads, right?
Posted by: Dunc | July 17, 2009 5:57 AM
Ok here we go again with the crazy republicans and their "shady" shenanigans! Yes there are a few dems (that attended once) however repubs continue to go and C street is in fact run by repubs. Wow repubs are getting more and more weird as time goes on.
Posted by: Jonathan Taylor | July 21, 2009 9:11 PM