This is a summary of John W. Dean’s book, “Broken Government, How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislature, Executive, and Judicial Branches.” This is the third book reflecting Dean”s concern over what is happened to American government. The first two were “Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush,” and “Conservatives Without Conscience.” Dean provides much detail showing how Republicans have ignored honored political processes established by rules, traditions, laws and constitutional mandates. He, and others, have noted how the simple acts of running a democracy have been turned into deliberate 24/7 never ending warfare.
Let us start with the conclusion. Dean, looking for a way to close his book, talked with “A lifelong Republican who told me he voted for Bush and Cheney twice, because he knows them both personally….He explained that he constantly has to bite his tongue, and the reason he does not speak out more is that one of his sons is in an important [non-political] government post, and we both know that Republicans will seek revenge wherever they can find it. How about an off-the-record comment…That he agreed to.”
“Just tell your readers that you have a source who knows a lot about the Republican Party from long experience…knows all the key movers and shakers, and he has a bit of advice: “People should not vote for any Republicans, because they’re dangerous, dishonest, and self-serving…I have come to realize the Democrats really do care about people who most need help from government; Republicans care most about those who will only get richer because of government help. The government is truly broken, particularly in dealing with national security, and another four years, and heaven forbid not eight years, under the Republicans, and our grandchildren will have to build a new government, because the one we have will be unrecognizable and unworkable.”
Those words were written in 2006-07. Ask yourself, based simply on what you heard for the eight years of the Obama presidency, and what went on in states taken over by Republicans during that span – can you now connect the dots and see the pattern this man TOLD you was going to happen? Ask yourself, based on what has already happened in 2016-18, can you see the truth of what this Washington insider TOLD you was going to happen? Just an easy one: remember the death of Supreme Court Justice Scalia, and Obama’s appointment of a well-respected moderate judge. What was the Republican response? Refused to hold any hearings, wanting to deny a non-reactionary judge on the Supreme Court. Not only that, Republicans said if Hillary Clinton won the presidency, they’d refuse to allow her to appoint a judge either – if necessary hold a U.S. Supreme Court seat vacant for the next 4 years. Is this how you expect “your” American government to be run? By this very public, evil action, the Republicans proved every word of the “lifelong” Republican insider’s prescient warning. And……this is only one example from a 40 year PATTERN of deliberate broken government.
Dean: “Once elected, Republicans are extremely inclined toward opposing Democratic programs, not only because their philosophy is inherently anti-government but because they are instinctively contrarian to anything liberal or progressive…..Republicans are unmatched in modern politics for their willingness to play dirty, to go negative and nasty, and to play hardball, a ruthlessness….. Today’s conservative-based Republican Party in fact excels at everything in modern politics except governing the nation.” If you doubt this, just remember the recent tragic murder of a young woman jogging in Iowa. The Republicans immediately jumped on this unspeakable tragedy to use it in an ideological manner. This, over the objections of her family, who said the Republican position was contrary to the young woman’s beliefs. “unmatched….willingness to play dirty..ruthlessness…” proven to America.
Dean offers the following passage by political scientist Alan Wolfe as a “succinct explanation of the quintessence of modern Republicanism: ‘Liberals, while enjoying the perquisites of office, also want to be in a position to use government to solve problems. But conservatives have different motives for wanting power. One is to prevent liberals from doing so; if government cannot be made to disappear, at least it can be prevented from doing any good. The other is to build a political machine in which business and the Republican Party can exchange mutual favors; business will lavish cash on politicians [called campaign contributions] while politicians will throw money back at business [called public policy[.” So…..how does this line up with the 2017-18 Republican rule so far – like say, the big Republican “win” – i.e., the 2017 tax cuts for corporations? Case closed.
Dean devotes a chapter to each branch of government. These are the sub-chapter headings for Congress: ‘Consensus Analysis of Failed Republican Congressional Rule;” “Step One: Rule By Cabal;” “Step Two: Work as Little as Possible – and Screw Up What Little You Do;” “Step Three: Let the President Whatever He Wants;” “Step Four: Spend, Spend, Spend;” “Step Five: Line Your Own Pockets;” Politics of Polarization: The GOP’s Wedge-Driving Legacy.”
Dean: “Bush and Cheney have taken this institution [presidency] to a place the Founders of this nation, and the Framers of the Constitution, so clearly sought to avoid.” Chapter sub-titles: “Bush/Cheney Presidency as the Worst Ever;” “Cheney’s Vice Presidential Mission: Neo-Nixonian Government:” “Cheney’s Legacy: Beyond the Imperial Presidency.” “Bush is an ideologue remote from fact, he has failed comprehensively and surely is the worst president in American history – indeed, in the damage he has caused the nation, without rival in the race to the bottom.” “Cheney has “…reinvigorated..efforts of conservative Republicans that began in the Reagan years to ignore, nullify, or simply violate the efforts of post-Watergate Congresses to check and balance the executive branch, and then to expand presidential powers far beyond those of even the imperial presidency.”
Dean on the Supreme Court: “Few people are aware how Republican presidents have spent the last four decades remaking the judiciary in their own image, and in so doing have politicized – and diminished – the nonpolitical branch.” Chapter sub-headings: “Nixon’s Politicization of Supreme Court Appointments;” “Reagan’s Hard Right Push While Perfecting Nixon’s Politicized Process;” “Appointing the First Fundamentalists: Rehnquist and Scalia;” “Slouching Toward Extremism With Robert Bork [conservative senators opposed; Reagan’s staff told him Bork unqualified]; “Bush I & II: Continuing Reagan’s Push to the Right;” “American Law Radicalized by a Fundamentalist Supreme Court.”
Dean makes several possible predictions of a U.S. Supreme Court dominated by right wing fundamentalists: unilateral and Unitary Presidentialism; elimination of campaign finance restrictions [done by “Citizens United”]; restricting congressional powers; business will have a friendly court [Roberts & Alito among all-time most business friendly justices; “Citizens United;” “Janus’]; direct impact on individuals [weaken & limit “Roe; affirmative action; Bill of Rights; – 3 current justices oppose applying Amendments to states; cruel & unusual punishment; environmental protection; gay rights; guns – “Heller” overturns 5 previous rulings]; habeas corpus; religion [small decisions already made to give churches tax money]; sex; standing to sue [narrow people’s rights against corporations] voting [already gutted 1965 Voting law]. Several big decisions already – the U.S. Supreme Court is on its way toward being the bastion of privilege – like it was over a century ago; and a big club to be used against ordinary people.
So – is all this “old news?” Ten years have passed, let’s move on? NO – this ISN’T old news. John W. Dean has been in big demand, 2016-2018. Many people want to hear his take on what is now occurring. Dean had talked about the violation of sound governmental processes. He, and others, talked about the risks to American democracy from the authoritarians that were taking over the Republican Party. He, and others, have talked about the “take-no-prisoners” Republican philosophy. He, and others, have lamented the purging of the Republican Party of moderates and liberals.
Here is why this book and Dean’s other books are relevant. Quoting from Dean’s “Conservatives Without Conscience: “Conservatism is not inherently moralistic, negative, arrogant, condescending, and self-righteous. Nor is it authoritarian. Yet all of these are adjectives that best describe the political outlook of contemporary conservatism…..Conservatism has been co-opted by authoritarians, a most dangerous type of political animal….the behavior of both authoritarian leaders and their credulous followers constitute a hazardous way for politics and governing. In fact, these people cannot be trusted to exercise the powers of government responsibly.”
In “Conservatives Without Conscience,” Dean relates the work of the 1986 American Academy for the Advancement of Science prize-winning researcher, Bob Altemeyer for his essay, “Authoritarian Aggression.” Here are some research-backed profiles of authoritarian leaders: typically men, dominating, oppose equality, desirous of personal power, amoral, intimidating and bullying, faintly hedonistic, vengeful, pitiless, exploitive, manipulative, dishonest, cheats to win, highly prejudiced [racist, sexist, homophobic], mean-spirited, militant, nationalistic, tells others what they want to hear, takes advantage of “suckers,” specializes in creating false images to sell self, may or may not be religious, usually politically and economically conservative/Republican. With very little imagination, it should be very easy for readers to pick out a person or two in the news!
This goes back decades. Consider the PATTERN of Republicans in power, not just an incident or two, but the 40 year PATTERN, and more. Why was Nixon going to be impeached? Why could Reagan have been impeached [for sound Constitutional reasons]? Why was Bush II despised around the world? Which party has threatened, multiple times, to shut down the government if it didn’t get its way? Which party has passed several immoral tax cuts for the rich – all of which have dangerously raised the national debt? Which party has threatened to use the national debt crisis [which it created] as a club to cut Social Security and Medicare? Which party changed the entire atmosphere in the U.S.House to one of “open warfare?” Which party looks at the very idea of compromise as disdainful? Which party set up the infamous “K Street Project” mechanism, and told people give us money or don’t bother to call? Which party wants to destroy public education? Which party refuses to accept almost any scientific evidence if it doesn’t fit their ideology? Which party was in power when both the 1929 Crash and the 2008 Crash occurred? Which party, according to eyewitness testimony politicized the U.S. judicial system – and now accuses opponents of reactionary judges of doing the same? Which party is openly trying to subvert the environmental protection of the air you breathe and the water you drink? Why do people say that Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Eisenhower couldn’t be nominated by the current Republican Party? And, the crime that will be worst of all – assuming people are still around – which party is opposing massive evidence that “global warming is occurring and man has himself to blame?
All these questions, and dozens more, are why John W. Dean’s books are relevant today. For those too young, Dean was Nixon’s Watergate lawyer, the man who told Congress there was a cancer on the presidency. He went to jail for Nixon. Dean was also a friend of conservative icon, Barry Goldwater. The original plan was the two men would collaborate on any books. But Goldwater died. Late in life, Goldwater, a man of great principle and integrity {haven’ t we just heard this again in 2018?], became very concerned about the direction in which the Republican Party was moving [haven’t we just heard this again in 2018?] . Among other things, Goldwater said the Republicans has sold their soul to win elections {haven’t we just heard something similar again in 2018]? Many of the details of that “sale’ are in Dean’s books. Every patriotic American should be reading Dean’s books. Like Goldwater and McCain, he tells it like it is/was. Can you handle the truth? And – what will you do with the truth?
With Justice For All 