Posted on 08/17/2004 5:58:48 AM PDT by Aquinasfan
One day after their first meeting, U.S. Senate hopefuls Barack Obama and Alan Keyes were back on the campaign trail again Monday.
Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, Republican Keyes added to his now familiar talking points his stance on slavery reparations.
Prompted by a reporter's question, Keyes gave a brief tutorial on Roman history and said that in regard to reparations for slavery, the U.S. should do what the Romans did: "When a city had been devastated [in the Roman empire], for a certain length of time--a generation or two--they exempted the damaged city from taxation."
Keyes proposed that for a generation or two, African-Americans of slave heritage should be exempted from federal taxes--federal because slavery "was an egregious failure on the part of the federal establishment." In calling for the tax relief, Keyes appeared to be reaching out to capture the black vote, something that may prove difficult to do, particularly after his unwelcome reception at the Bud Billiken Day Parade Saturday...
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
I should have said that I demand equal reparations for past wrongs done to my family as well.
While we are at it, I want a check, a new car and free medical care for life.
No, I do not care who has to pay for it......................I believe that my demands are those of a patriot and a war hero.[double sarc]
I do not believe I will make it to November without hospitalization.:-)
I think he does understand IL politics. It's a rat stronghold. In short he needs to short out that Chicago machine. Regardless of this proposal, Keyes supports low taxes in general. Simply taking a message of low taxes into Chicago will get him funny looks. He's going to have to gain their ear.
As far as the rest of the State goes, he doesn't have to work as hard as he does around Chicago. Obama's a Chicago politician, folks elsewhere don't have any particular attachment to him. (excluding the typical rat orgs) All he has to do is show up down there and those folks will feel loved. He already has the conservative credentials to counter Obama.
The important part of this story that's been missed sofar is the lack of support he got from the party. Seems he was essentially the only one that showed at the Chicago parade. The other candidates from the primary don't seem to be that concerned about the principles and issues they promoted. Keyes has the ball now. They're not there backing him up. They should be if their candidacy was not just about them.
Yeah, I'm ALWAYS posting in a nasty tone. I'm sure the majority of people here on FR would agree with that statement - not.
However, one wonders how you can tell my "tone" from printed characters on a screen?
Whatever. I'm done with you - you believe Keyes can do no wrong, and even when he plays a blatant race card you give him a free pass. That tells me everything I need to know about you.
Statistics please.
Exactly right. We can't correct past inequalities in the law by creating more. I apologize for accusing you of liberal tactics based solely on your response to me.
I think a lot of people who would have voted for him are second guessing. As I said before, he better hurry up and explain because all a lot of white people are hearing is 'handout for blacks'. If he has some other larger point about taxes, he better make it fast.
I take it you don't want them to reduce the Federal government?
Statistics please?
I agree completely. The press needs to give him lots of airtime to do it.
We will never have, nor should we ever, have "no taxes". Taxes should be reasonable, and FAIR - i.e. everyone pays the same percentage. Anything else is unjust.
Letting one specific group pay less is unjust. Period.
Not really. If Keyes is in and promotes this, he can cut off Mayor Daley and all the other dim bozos around the country raiding the US Treasury.
that's okay. What's a little spirited debate among FRiends? Anyway, I think reparations would engender more racial division, more ethnic discrimination,etc... it's just a TERRIBLE TERRIBLE idea. I bet the islamonazis are laughing, since they don't care who is black,white or otherwise.
So you believe the government (which is code word for taxpayers) should be responsible for compensating everyone who has had some injustice visited upon them? Plus, that "compensation" should not only be awarded to those suffering the injustice but to all their heirs, and their heirs heirs, for hundreds of years?
Wow.
Watch it, Bob - this is how "tigerseyes" does it. Totally ignores the point, and twists stuff into what is not there.
Thank Gawd! I thought you'd never go away.
They won't. They'll take soundbites and run with it. Keyes has to force himself upon the spectrum of debate.
I thought you were gone. Can't trust a thing you say.
Hold the phone: I'm late to this thread; are "real" conservatives now in favor of reparations?
I think he just has. What a storm this has created. Let's see if the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times can ignore it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.