It hasn’t been an easy week to be a Republican. But, I predict that last week’s defeat at the polls will be the best thing that has happened to Republicans in our lifetime. I say that because every day we hear another sane voice emerging from the ranks of the party calling for moderation. Those voices have always been there, but they have been drowned out for the last few decades by the religious right and the power brokers of Wall Street.

Bill Kristol is the latest example of a Republican breaking ranks. He said yesterday that the Republican party should accept new ideas.

“It won’t kill the country if we raise taxes a little bit on millionaires,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.” “It really won’t, I don’t think. I don’t really understand why Republicans don’t take Obama’s offer.”

“Really? The Republican Party is going to fall on its sword to defend a bunch of millionaires, half of whom voted Democratic and half of whom live in Hollywood and are hostile?” he (Kristol) asked.

According to most polls, rank and file Republicans have much more complex views than is expressed by the leadership of their party. Most Republicans believe in raising taxes on the rich, in protecting a woman’s right to choose, and most believe that, at least some of our nation’s recent wars, have been a mistake.

Mitt Romney may be the last Republican nominee asked to push the lie that we can lower taxes and increase the military. He may be the last Republican Presidential candidate to mock the poor, to demean immigrants or imply that single women who want birth control are morally suspect.

It is not an easy week to be a Republican, so when one of them stands up like Bill Kristol or George Will, or like so many Republicans have done this week to distance themselves from the bullies in their party, be sure to say “thank you” for their courage.

To read more of Kristol’s statement, click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/bill-kristol-taxes-millionaires_n_2113671.html