Marsha, Marsha, Marsha...

Former senator Rick (Man on Dog) Santorum- the only politician we can think of to have a bodily byproduct named for him- is fretting about John McCain:

"Conservatives understand just how consequential the 2008 election will be. It could very well result in the election of a Democratic president who's prepared to reshape America culturally and economically and unprepared to defend the nation against our foreign enemies. Yet we see a presumptive Republican nominee who has too often joined the very people who seek to destroy and replace what we fight to conserve and improve. And so we wonder: Is this the man we can trust to take our case to the American people?

"Many of us want a leader who believes in his core that this race is a fight for the soul of America, her Judeo-Christian tradition, her sovereignty, her courage to defeat not appease or surrender to her enemies, her belief in capitalism and limited government, and her commitment to equality of opportunity, not result. We want a leader who's not interested in moving the country in the same direction as Clinton and Obama, only slower. "

As much as it pains us to say so, the GOP is being run- at least via the op ed pages and the cable news shows- by complete wingnuts.The other day we heard Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, useful talking points idiot for her party, chattering on about how the next president has to "make certain that we continue to fight terrorists, that we have national security, economic security, that we have border security, that we keep a focus on moral security. And I believe he's going to address retirement security for all of our citizens."

Moral security is an issue we have to admit we've let slip past us. Ms. Blackburn hoisted her flag on the issue on the House floor October 26, 2005:

"SECURITY AGENDA -- (House of Representatives - October 26, 2005)(Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, while the Democrats are working to develop a message for the upcoming year, Republicans have more than a message. We have an agenda: the security agenda.We know that Americans have strong views on how this country ought to run, and this Republican majority represents those views. We believe in focusing on four areas: retirement security, homeland security, economic security, and moral security.We are aggressively fighting terrorism both here at home and abroad to strengthen our national and homeland security. We continue to work to be certain that our seniors are taken care of and provided for in their retirement years. We are working to keep taxes low, regulation light, and shrink the growth of government to be certain that our economic security is not threatened.Madam Speaker, we want to preserve the right of every American to worship as we choose, defend the sanctity of marriage, and we are fighting to advance the culture of life in order to guard our Nation's moral security.Madam Speaker, Republicans are focused on these security issues. We know this is an agenda where the American people join us in the actions they would like to see."

Two years ago, she elaborated, if briefly, on the notion:

"MORAL SECURITY -- (House of Representatives - February 14, 2006)(Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, our constituents expect us to not only guard the economic and national security of this Nation; they expect us to preserve the moral security that has made this Nation great. Just the other day, I had the chance to deliver the keynote address at an event for the Tennessee Boy Scouts.Mr. Speaker, in this job we do as Members of Congress, there are times when you speak to a group and you can just feel that they are doing the right things. The Boy Scouts fit in that category. They are teaching our boys what it means to serve their community.We are a Nation built on shared moral values. Families across the country know that our communities are strong and that this country is strong when those values are respected and protected and preserved for future generations. House Republicans know this, and we will be working here each and every day to protect this Nation's security. "

On July 27 2006 she expanded on the concept:

"We are fighting to defend the moral infrastructure that has made America great as part of our moral security agenda."

Surely Ms.Blackburn is onto something here: while the Democrats natter on about billions for green industry jobs and replacing decaying infrastructure (surely part of a free market economy is the risk you take that a highway bridge has passed its sell-by date), how many thousands of jobs could be created by the GOP restoring our moral infrastructure?