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Where Do You Go When Your Party Lets You Down?
boblonsberry.com ^ | 3/15/05 | Bob Lonsberry

Posted on 03/15/2005 5:33:57 AM PST by shortstop

I'm confused.

About politics in Washington. I'm forgetting who the good guys are.

Mostly because they seem to have forgotten as well.

Here's what I mean. As Republicans stumble over themselves to reform Social Security they seem intent on throwing out whatever principles they or their party are supposed to stand for.

Not so much President Bush. His idea of personally managed accounts -- while pretty meager and meaningless in its specifics -- at least gives lip service to a conservative idea or two. The problem is with the rest of the Republicans, particularly in the Senate. They are legislating like Democrats.

Liberal Democrats.

We Republicans have given our party the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Pretty much, it's a dead lock on power. And yet the party and its politicians seem like they can't quite get around to doing anything they promised they'd do. For a decade we've controlled Congress and for a term we've controlled the White House and yet Democratic ideas are advancing and Republican ideas are retreating.

Why is that?

Why is it that the party of fiscal conservatism can't, with total control of the federal government, get a handle on the budget deficit? Why is it that the Republican president and the Republican Congress are advocating every larger and more costly government programs? If we are the party of small government and individual liberty, why in the heck are the officeholders we elected going in exactly the opposite direction?

But back to Social Security.

It is the suggestions of two "conservative" Republican senators which has me hopping mad.

Whereas the president has suggested placing some tiny amount of our Social Security taxes under our own severly limited control, these knuckle heads have a completely different idea for Social Security.

Enter Bob Bennett, a Republican senator from Utah. He wants to dramatically reduce the Social Security payout for two-thirds of Americans. Specifically, Bennett suggests dividing the public into three categories -- low earners, medium earners and high earners. He would leave Social Security payouts alone for the bottom third of earners, but would cut them for the top two-thirds of earners. In fact, he would essentially cut them in half.

Which is an interesting proposition. Inasmuch as Social Security tax is nothing more than a second income tax, the more you make the more you pay. So the bottom third of wage earners pays a very small Social Security tax, in terms of real dollars. While the middle and upper income earners pay a substantially higher Social Security tax.

So that means that "conservative" Republican Bob Bennett wants to pay the most to those who contributed the least and pay the least to those who contributed the most. That's redistribution of wealth. That, patently, is socialism. And that is what the Republican Party is offering up.

Wouldn't Karl Marx be proud?

Indeed, he would be.

But "conservative" Republican Lindsey Graham from South Carolina wants to make him even prouder. Graham wants to increase the Social Security taxes paid by upper-income workers. As if 15 percent wasn't enough.

So the disproportionate ripoff of successful people didn't satisfy Senate Republicans. They want to make it even bigger. Cut the benefit to middle and upper income people by half, and then jack up the taxes they pay -- taxes that are already dramatically higher than lower-income workers.

And this is the plan of the Republican Party.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s came up with the largest socialist scheme ever foisted on the American people and 70 years later the Republicans are defending it and creating new excesses.

Here's the simple rule: Your money is your money. You earned it, you ought to be able to keep it. For the government to take it away from you and give it to somebody else is not good policy, it is governmental theft.

It is legitimate for the government to tax us to fund its essential and constitutionally mandated activities. But for the government to use taxation as not a funding mechanism for itself, but as a wealth-redistribution scheme among citizens is immoral and unconstitutional. It was not the Founding Fathers of this system who would favor such a system, it is the Founding Fathers of communism.

Republicans are supposed to stand up for property rights, for the interest of those who are employed. They are supposed to speak against socialism and confiscatory taxes. They are supposed to fight the social engineering of "progressive" tax. The Republican Party is where we're supposed to go when we feel like our government is ripping us off, like we have turned into nothing more than tax slaves.

But we will find no relief in the Republican Party.

It is Republicans in the Senate who are binding us down, who are breaking campaign promises, who are forgetting what it means to be either a Republican or a free American. These "solutions" to the Social Security problem are nothing more than a con to take more of our "earned" money and transform it into "entitled" money, to take money from those who earn it and give it to those who don't.

It used to be that it was Democrats who pulled crap like that.

Now it's the Republicans.

And that leaves a bunch of us with nowhere to go.


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KEYWORDS: cutoffnose; lonsberry; malcontent; socialsecurity; turdparty
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To: shortstop
The commies succeeded their goal of fully taking control of the democratz party and made huge leaps in taking control of the republican party, too. The commies that placed these ratz are gone, but their putrid legacy lives on in these scumbags.

Step 1: Fully discredit and destroy the demcrat party to the point of pathetic ridicule. In replacement, establish a 'loyal opposition' based on truth and honesty, those things completely devoid in the democrat party.

Step 2: Nail the repuboratz, shake the nutz from the tree. Let the demonstration of Step 1 be warning enough.

Count me as considering the repuboratz in the senate to be neutered wimps.

21 posted on 03/15/2005 6:53:50 AM PST by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 68-69, 0311)
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To: frankiep
The only way a third party can succeed is to infiltrate one of the two existing parties. To run as a seperate party is tactically impossible. Third party candidates always loose on a national level. They have few seats at the local level but nationally they will never win.

It has never happened and it never will.
22 posted on 03/15/2005 6:57:37 AM PST by Khepera (Do not remove by penalty of law!)
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To: shortstop

And I thought I was the only one totally disgusted with our government/politicians.
I have always said..."Take a good man, elect him, and within 1 yr he becomes a politician."


23 posted on 03/15/2005 7:00:22 AM PST by sheana
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To: VadeRetro

It's time for a strong (conservative) third party to surface.
Oh, it's time for a Hillary presidency?


I would hope not. But you will notice that Hillary is taking an anti-immigration stance. Ought to be a real heads-up for the GOP. This issue runs deeper and stronger than can be imagined by Bush.


24 posted on 03/15/2005 7:12:04 AM PST by Sterco
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To: shortstop
"If we are the party of small government and individual liberty, why in the heck are the officeholders we elected going in exactly the opposite direction?"

There's your problem right there. The Republicans are not the party of small government and individual liberty. That dream died with Ronald Reagan. The GOP is now a huge government party, with different priorities than the dems. If you want a party pushing for truly limited (Constitutional) government, your only choice is a 3rd party.

25 posted on 03/15/2005 7:14:07 AM PST by Capitalism2003
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To: shortstop
Real conservative will leave when the GOP gives up sovereign to the UN. Are we there yet ?
26 posted on 03/15/2005 7:15:37 AM PST by John Lenin (Abortion has created lots of atheists because no one wants to go to hell)
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To: shortstop

bookmark


27 posted on 03/15/2005 7:18:15 AM PST by Double Tap
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To: Sterco
Constitution Party Platform

and my personal favorite... The Libertarian Party Platform

Here is the LP statement of principles:

We, the members of the Libertarian Party, challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the individual. We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose.

Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than our own grant to government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent.

We, on the contrary, deny the right of any government to do these things, and hold that where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, (1) the right to life -- accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others; (2) the right to liberty of speech and action -- accordingly we oppose all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form; and (3) the right to property -- accordingly we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation.

Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights, we oppose all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders; and the resultant economic system, the only one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free market.

28 posted on 03/15/2005 7:18:56 AM PST by Capitalism2003
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To: shortstop

I've made the point here many times that Republicans and Republican ideas are winners. So-called Republicans have proved they can win, but they have yet to prove that they can lead: make tough choices, do what's right for the future of the country, and suffer the consequences if necessary - that's political leadership and it ain't happening.

Furthermore, look at the political history of the United States. We can argue about how far back it goes, whether to 1789, Marbury, the Civil War, or the 16th Amendment - take your pick. The point is, we've been on a steady, progressive march toward socialism for a long time. The only difference between the periods in which we've been "led" by Democrats and Republicans is the speed at which we're marching. The end results are essentially the same.

Flame away!


29 posted on 03/15/2005 7:24:53 AM PST by ManHunter (You can run, but you'll only die tired...)
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To: aliquis

"The Republican senators want to make sure they are reelected."

And this is what is wrong with our government. Our representatives are CONSTANTLY in election mode. They elected and then they start campaigning again the next day. Term limits are the only answer -- for every elected office in every state. Doing away with the exorbitant pensions they amass while in office would go a long way in keeping these guys from making Congress or the Senate a lifelong job.


30 posted on 03/15/2005 7:26:34 AM PST by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: frankiep

BUMP!


31 posted on 03/15/2005 7:32:05 AM PST by jpsb
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To: monday
"Good. The government was more fiscally responsible during Clinton's presidency than it has been under Bush. The Democrats might be an improvement."

Do not think for an instant that Hillary will not remind the American people of that fact during her run for the presidency.

32 posted on 03/15/2005 7:38:11 AM PST by jpsb
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To: monday
" Good. The government was more fiscally responsible during Clinton's presidency than it has been under Bush. The Democrats might be an improvement. "

Right. Those who call Bush a wild spending government grower have never been able to tell me how government grows LONG TERM, defying the laws of physics, while taxes are reduced. Congress was going to spend our nation into dept right up to the point of it being unsustainable anyway. Bush just chose not to fight the popular tide and went for tax cuts instead. It was brilliant!

Let the Clinton’s who’d really like to grow government try now. It would require very unpopular tax hikes.

33 posted on 03/15/2005 7:42:01 AM PST by elfman2
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To: elfman2
" Right. Those who call Bush a wild spending government grower have never been able to tell me how government grows LONG TERM"

Borrow and spend dude, borrow and spend.

34 posted on 03/15/2005 7:44:35 AM PST by jpsb
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To: mysterio

What we have is a fedgov run more like a corporation depending on the UCC and Admin. Procedures Act for direction vs. the Constitution/BOR. We're paying a terrible price because the fedgov has strayed so far away from the limitations placed upon it by the Const. and the public is so dumbed down it doesn't know how to react to what's going on right under our noses.


35 posted on 03/15/2005 7:55:24 AM PST by american spirit
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To: frankiep

Sadly, that won't happen while conservatives continue to lend blind support to the GOP. The only realistic option is for true conservatives to make a clean break.

36 posted on 03/15/2005 8:02:57 AM PST by sheltonmac ("Duty is ours; consequences are God's." -Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson)
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To: shortstop
..What is needed is to take ALL THE PERKS AWAY, like the very, very generous (separate from SS/Mil.) retirement pay/(separate from Medicare) medical care/(publicly paid) travel expenses/"limit the gravy train" mindset, limits their maximum terms in (both House/Senate combined) Congressional office/forbid ANY KIND of lobbying...and go back to private life (like 'forefathers' originally intended)
37 posted on 03/15/2005 8:03:05 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :^)
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To: Polyxene

Agreed.


38 posted on 03/15/2005 8:06:11 AM PST by aliquis
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To: skinkinthegrass

AMEN and AMEN!!


39 posted on 03/15/2005 8:11:16 AM PST by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: shortstop

do what i did and get rid of your republican party card and trade it in for a libertarian card and vote straight ticket i have for the last three elction cycles and i no longer hold my nose when i vote and get a scummy dirty feeling afterwords


40 posted on 03/15/2005 8:21:30 AM PST by freepatriot32 (Jacques Chirac and Kofi Annan, a pantomime horse in which both men are playing the rear end. M.Steyn)
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