Profiles in Courage

June 06, 2011 at 4:45 AM

By: Richard Calkins

In a May 15 interview with Meet the Press, Newt Gingrich called the Ryan Plan “radical” and opposed the “social engineering” it represented, seeming to rekindle his 1994 position that the health mandate is necessary.  These wise words, even from Gingrich, were met with scorn from Ryan and his GOP colleagues, who would prefer to strip Medicare from seniors while granting tax breaks for the wealthy.  Social engineering?  You betcha.  Cowering, Gingrich then apologized, saying he was “trapped” by the Meet the Press questioning.

Forced to denounce his Massachusetts health care plan, Mitt Romney criticized President Obama for “imposing” a mandate to buy health care, the same mandate he imposed in Massachusetts, the model for Obama’s plan.  This “I supported universal health care before I was against it” shuffle didn’t wash with the minions of the far right, and Romney was compelled to reject his greatest achievement as governor.

Another GOP candidate, Tim Pawlenty, apologized to the right-wing orthodoxy for committing the unpardonable sin of once supporting cap-and-trade. 

Mitch Daniels, displaying uncommon courage, called for a “truce” in the culture wars.  Chastened, he then signed a law cutting Planned Parenthood funding in Indiana. Then he dropped out of the race. 

These are but four examples of Republican presidential candidates who have stated reasonable, increasingly mainstream positions, only to be cut off at the knees by conservative ideologues likely to participate in the Iowa caucuses.  Hardly profiles in courage, they unashamedly pander to the right.  Weakened, they seem so small.  

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