Glenn Greewald has a tremendous post up today about his disillusionment with the "independent Republicans":

I was operating on the assumption that certain excesses would be so intolerable and repugnant to their worldview that they would be virtually compelled, by their own consciences and sense of personal dignity if nothing else, to take a real stand, partisan allegiances notwithstanding.

...

The dynamic is most vividly seen in the much-documented humiliations of Arlen Specter, but, with the rarest of exceptions, it's really how all of them -- John McCain, Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, John Warner -- regularly conduct themselves. Nothing has been less significant than the "independent-minded" GOP Senate caucus because it really does not exist in any substantive way.

I don't know how many times over the past six years I've written about "looking for a patriot" to step forward. Glenn makes the case, with footnotes no less, of how pathetic the Republican moderates have been as patriots. He also mentions the disrespect these so-called "moderates" should receive noting that at least the true believers like Jeff Session or John Cornyns are staying true to themselves while Collins, McCain, Hagel, Snowe, Spectre (yes I know it's misspelled, and done so on purpose) are deserving of the reptile hall of fame.

This is one of those issues that some folks might say happens by both parties. But I simply don't believe that. Had a Democratic President mislead the nation and committed the crimes that Bush has, he/she would be toast. Witness the innumerable defections of Democrats over the stupid Lewinsky matter. Hell, as a minority party Democrats still have idiots like Lieberman who defect whenever the winds blows (or is that whenever he breaks wind?). And Democrats often take a lot of guff for the "circular firing squad". But it's that very independence that makes it possible for the Democrats to be in the majority and still not sell out the Constitution like a two-bit ho.

Good job Glenn putting into words and documenting the idiocy of the "moderates" who are without conscience. Oh, and by the way, I'm extremely concerned that the rock star known as Obama is headed down this very path.