Tea Party Republican Governors Embrace Socialism

„One of the most brilliantly salient moments from The West Wing occurred in the episode titled »Game On« in which President Bartlet debates the governor of Florida and Republican presidential nominee Robert Ritchie. In case you haven't seen it, consider this your spoiler warning. In the opening remarks of the debate, Ritchie, played by James Brolin, makes a case against both federal spending and interference in state issues such as education and healthcare. He hamfistedly excoriates the Department of Education for forcing students »to learn Eskimo poetry« and mocks the idea of an »unfunded mandate« - suggesting it's »a big word.«

President Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, rebuts, »Well, first of all, let's clear up a couple of things. 'Unfunded mandate' is two words, not one big word. There are times when we're fifty states and there are times when we're one country, and have national needs. And the way I know this is that Florida didn't fight Germany in World War II or establish civil rights. You think states should do the governing wall-to-wall. That's a perfectly valid opinion. But your state of Florida got $12.6 billion in federal money last year - from Nebraskans, and Virginians, and New Yorkers, and Alaskans, with their Eskimo poetry. 12.6 out of a state budget of $50 billion. I'm supposed to be using this time for a question, so here it is: Can we have it back, please?«

Can we have it back, please? I can't help but to return to this totally ass-kicking Sorkin interrogative whenever I hear Republicans, especially Republican governors, resurrecting the zombie corpse of Joe McCarthy and going full Red Scare against »socialist« liberals and »big government« federal spending programs.”