Posted on 08/19/2004 5:27:04 AM PDT by kattracks
His voice rising to a yell, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Alan Keyes told a bipartisan civic group Wednesday he "will not budge" from his belief that descendants of slaves should be exempted from income taxes to help heal the wounds of past discrimination and segregation.The former presidential candidate disdainfully brushed aside questions over whether his suggestion should apply to rich African Americans such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Oprah Winfrey.
"Do you know how many Oprah Winfreys there might have been running around in the 1930s or in the 1920s or in the 19-teens that got nowhere because the doors were shut in their face?" Keyes thundered. "If you think that because I wear a conservative label, I have forgotten that history and am not mindful of that injustice -- then I will tell you now that you are wrong."
Keyes delivered his blistering defense at a luncheon of the City Club of Chicago, scolding fellow conservatives who challenged his proposal and evoking the struggle of his African-American parents, saying they had talent and "hearts and spirit and strength and faith."
"Why didn't they get to a point where they could stand on this platform?" Keyes aked.
Vying against Democrat Barack Obama, Keyes drew heat from conservatives earlier this week when he proposed exempting descendants of slaves from income taxes for a generation or two, a view he insists "involves a traditionally Republican, conservative and market-oriented approach."
On Wednesday, Keyes ridiculed the fuss over his position, saying it is simply a tax break, something "Republicans and my conservative brethren" don't object to when applied to a "wealthy corporation."
Conservative activist Jack Roeser met with Keyes for what Roeser called "a long argument and an intense one" over the issue before the speech. A Barrington businessman, Roeser said he still is not sold on Keyes' reparations proposal, but still plans to support him anyway. "I will tell my friends that this is a good man, and we should support him."
They already exist and they are called the Ghetto.
Yes but this is singling out a specific group of people to receive a tax break, the 'descendants' of slaves, which I assume he means black descendants. Why isn't Keyes talking about vouchers, about improving schools? Instead of a tax break for black slave descendants, what about things that would actually improve life for poor people? Poor people will not benefit from this.
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Your memory is faulty. You're simply remembering RINO spin against me, rather than facts.
The proof is that I have been a firm supporter of the reelection of George W. Bush, even though I have had serious disagreements with him on numerous domestic policy issues.
IOW, just because you claim it, that doesn't make it true.
Document how the decision caused significant economic hardship and exclusion form the economy and propose joining with other similar groups in requesting relief in the form of waiving the income tax.
He's going to be known as the "reparations" candidate.
No it's not. He's kicking tail on the ground in Illinois.
Don't invent some alternate reality based on your disagreement with him on one thing.
You're better than that.
Who is this guy?! I thought he was one of us...
Yep. I think he made a mistake with this one. It's a bad idea.
Are you saying that Keyes has never talked about any other issue?
No that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that tax breaks for black slave descedants is a bad idea. Vouchers and other ways of improvements are better and not half as racially polarizing as reparations. He should talk about that instead.
That's funny. A couple of days ago, Alan's detractors were claiming he was going to be known as the abortion candidate. Before that he was going to be known as the carpetbagger candidate.
Hilarious.
I recall several presidents in the past arguing that they didn't "raise taxes," they just "got rid of deductions". You obviously bought it.
Your IRS refund is determined by the amount of money you choose to withhold. It does not affect the amount you owe. A tax break is determined by the government and affects what you owe, i.e. your share of the public debt. Keyes "tax breaks" more analogous to GW's extention of the child tax credit to people who don't pay taxes - they are a stealth form of welfare.
Your true colors are showing.
So you are saying that he's not talking about anything else.
Giving preferential status to a group on the basis of their ancestry is a horrible idea. And to excuse it on the basis of a political advantage is moral relativism at its worst.
Well said, and well worth repeating. I am shocked at the number of times I've read "It's okay to lie, pander and flip-flop because the Democrats get away with it" on these Keyes threads.
22% of blacks (per US Census Bureau data) doesn't sound like "most" to me, unless you have some statistical information that I don't have at hand.
What proof do you have that Keyes is kicking tail in Illinois? I see this guy as being lucky to draw 40% of the vote.
I know Alan Keyes has discussed other issues, but since he brought up this idea what has anyone else talked about? He needs to scrap this bad idea.
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