Back in May, noting the absence of magnanimity about victorious Democrats, Amity Shlaes observed that in the past

. . . politicians and policy thinkers tended to be magnanimous in victory. They and their friends focused, post- victory, on policy and strategy — not on trashing individuals. . . .

Still, somehow, the magnanimity isn’t there. Indeed, the closer the Democrats get to total power, the nastier the commentators friendly to them have become.

Earlier today, wondering how Democrats who “own everything” can get away blaming “Republicans for anything” the folks at tehresistance alert us to a post over on Ace where Drew M. offers a similar observation:

Gee, why the sudden focus on a minority party with zero ability to actually block or even slow down the Democrats? Maybe it’s because his health care proposals are tanking with the public.

While that blogger believes the attacks are designed to divert attention from the shortcomings of the Democrats’ policies, I wonder if something else is at play.  So many on the left, including the supposedly postpartisan President Obama ostensibly committed to a new kind of politics where everybody just stays “focused on doing the job instead of trying to figure out who you can pass blame on to,” just “need” to attack Republicans for their own psychological peace of mind and/or sense of self-righteous self-satisfaction.

Just like the scorpion, such venom is in their nature:

The story is simple.  A scorpion asks a frog to carry him across the river.  The frog is afraid of being stung.  But the scorpion reassures the frog that, if stung, the frog would drown, and therefore so would the scorpion.  The frog agrees.  Halfway through, the scorpion stings the frog.  They will both drown.  The frog asks the scorpion, “why?”  The scorpion says, “I’m a scorpion; it’s my nature.”

Pardon me for not jumping for joy (or even blogging) when former President Bill Clinton came out earlier this month in support of gay marriage.

Once I read the headline, I knew what it was all about.  With his wife serving as President Obama’s Secretary of State, the Democrat has been effectively sidelined and can’t otherwise get much media attention.  Here’s a way he could speak out without criticizing the Administration (would anyone pay much attention if he supported his fellow Democrats?) and garner a few headlines.

Not just that, there’s no political cost.

Back in 1992, he supported overturning the ban on gays serving in the military to win the support (and earn the financial contributions) of gay activists eager to support a Democrat.  But, soon after he took office and realized there was a political cost to keeping his promise, he changed his mind.  If he had vetoed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, he might have alienated some conservative Democrats.  If he signed it, he knew that gay activists, most of whom are more committed to the Democratic Party than they are to gay issues, would stand by their man.  He was right; when he signed it, they stood by the double-crossing Democrat.  Even HRC refused to drop its endorsement.

But, now the former President wants to win back their support admiration, perhaps doing so to spite the current Democratic President, rapidly falling out of favor with principled gay leftists.  And heck, social conservatives don’t like him any way, so there’s no real cost to changing his mind now.  He can’t run for office again, so there are no votes to lose.

So, gay leaders will quickly forget how he betrayed gay people once in office, signing more anti-gay legislation than the did the oft- and ever-reviled George W. Bush.

Providing a number of examples of Clinton’s cynical use of gay marriage as a political issue, Jamie Kirchick remains “cool toward the latest tergiversations of this congenital liar and shameless opportunist“:

Earlier this week the Freedom to Marry coalition issued a press release praising the former president. In their rush to extol him, however, gay activists should be wary. For the most important thing to know about Bill Clinton is that the man never takes a position based upon considerations of things like morality or justice. He takes positions based entirely upon a cold calculation of what will advance his political (and, of late, business) interests. If, for whatever reason, his cynical support for marriage equality gets in the way of his wife’s political career or a shady business deal with an Arab oil sheik, Clinton will abandon the cause faster than he fled the 1992 campaign trail to carry out the execution of Ricky Ray Rector, a mentally retarded black prisoner who had shot himself in the head after committing a double homicide.

Kirchick may understand Clinton’s motivations, but it looks like a lot of the gay leftist lickspittles are already swooning.  They do have a habit of doing that every time a Democrat say something to their liking.

So, now, when are they going to praise former Vice President Dick Cheney for going out against the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) while he was still in office?

ACTION ALERT FROM GOProud:

Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA) were successful in negotiating an agreement that will allow the Respecting States Rights Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (Amendment # 1618) to be brought up as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill.  This vote is expected late today or sometime on Tuesday. Last week, the Senate amended the Defense Authorization bill with the Matthew Shepherd Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Today, the Senate has the opportunity to do something to actually prevent hate crimes before they happen. Amendment # 1618 will empower individuals to lawfully defend themselves from becoming victims of violent crime. Call your Senators today.  Tell them to support this important legislation. Call (202) 224-3121.

GOProud has been a leader in advocating for this amendment.  Other organizations supporting this legislation include the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Pink Pistols, Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, and Passenger-Cargo Security Group.

We can’t do this alone – we need your help.  First, call your Senators!  Then, click here to make a secure donation to aid this effort.