Limbaugh Hates America!

Yeah, yeah. What else is new. On his Friday show, Limbaugh publicly hoped for Barack Obama's failure. Now, if we learned anything from the previous administration, it's that ill will toward the chief executive translates to ill will toward the country as a whole. I expect the ringing condemnation from the rest of the conservative movement to begin any moment now.

But on a more realistic note, if Obama fails, chances are that he brings the rest of us along with him. After all, was Bush's failure over the past eight years his own, or did it reflect back on the rest of us? Can America prosper if Obama fails?

Limbaugh's obviously grabbing for headlines, and he's displaying that he and his cohorts have no plans on rising above partisanship or seeking common solutions. And, of course, I don't expect there were very many out there who were expecting anything other than that. But as the right goes back to its more comfortable position in its sniper's nest, I've been wondering if there's really anybody out there who knows how to move forward constructively. Over the last several years, conservatives never seemed happy to hold the reigns of power. That gave them the responsibility to make constructive contributions to the nation, and they didn't really seem to have it in them. I'm talking about more than just conservatives, though. What started me along this line of thinking was a maneuver by Democrats in the Tennessee legislature, which had just shifted to a 50-49 Republican majority. Instead of allowing the Republicans elect their choice for House speaker, the Democrats usurped the process and put all their votes for speaker behind an obscure Republican backbencher who also voted for himself. When first heard about that, I'll admit that I smiled, but then I got to thinking about how, by being obstructionist, the Democrats were getting the way of any real accomplishment. National Republicans (and the radio talkers who love them) are plotting to do the exact same thing in Washington. That's not what we need now.

Barack Obama, with all his talk of inclusiveness, seems far more ready to live and let live and let bygones be bygones, and follow through on all those other cliches than I am, but part of me hopes that he's proven right. It's time to get things done.