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."
Strengh has nothing to do with it. Your DIRECTION is off by a country mile. It's like asking "does blue weigh more than orange?"
I don't hate him. I do hold him in contempt. I am disgusted with him. I am disappointed in him, having supported him for YEARS.
But I don't hate him. Not in the least.
I came in here quoting JimRob's feelings on the Keyes bashing. If you don't like it, go to DU. But don't tell me what I can post. I WILL continue to post those words.
Michael Medved just called him psychotic.
50 million illegal Mexicans will need billions and billions of dollars of our tax money. We need every payer we can get. Besides, if the Blacks are mad at America let them go to the Sudan to live.
I keep bringing up what I think would be the worst unintended consequence of such a plan, which would be a deepening resentment of African-Americans as a whole. This country would be split into taxpayers and non-taxpayers; those who pull their weight and those who don't; those who leech off the taxpayers and those who don't....see what I mean? I don't think I'm overexaggerating this likelihood. Nobody should want this proposal to become reality, including blacks.
You're damn straight I'll oppose any selective tax break, if it's based on a bigotry-basis.
Want to offer a selective tax break based on skin color, sexual practices, gender, or national origin?
Then count me in as being OPPOSED to it.
You said Keyes is a ...moron...that's all. "hate" Seems right on target to me.
A lot of conservatives (myself included) have a visceral negative response to any kind of talk about reparations for slavery, perhaps because the issue has been pimped for so long by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
But positioning it as a TAX CUT really turns the whole idea on its head, doesn't it? I mean, instead of conceiving of reparations as a new entitlement complete with a new federal bureaucracy, Keyes is turning it into a means of reducing the overall tax burden. Hmm.....
A lot of conservatives (myself included) have a visceral negative response to any kind of talk about reparations for slavery, perhaps because the issue has been pimped for so long by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
But positioning it as a TAX CUT really turns the whole idea on its head, doesn't it? I mean, instead of conceiving of reparations as a new entitlement complete with a new federal bureaucracy, Keyes is turning it into a means of reducing the overall tax burden. Hmm.....
He is also going to need more than a few white votes. How will he get them by proposing something like this?
It's a political lever and if we just get out of the way and stop having hissy-fits, it might just propel Dr. Keyes into office.
So he doesn't really mean it? He is merely pandering to the black population in a blatant attempt to curry their votes? The fact that it directly contradicts earlier stands of his is of no importance? Where is that person who wondered why I would vote for Kohn?
Medved=RINO.
Oh, I'm sorry.
What's the politically correct term for someone who comes up with a MORONIC idea, and then makes it into the centerpiece of his political career?
If the effect of the proposal is to deepen the sense of resentment/entitlement created by the affirmative action regime, then it probably wouldn't be worthwhile.
We all commit the occasional faux pas.
But it takes a special kind of... something for someone to dig in and defend his brainfart as if it was his firstborn child.
When I watched Keyes on Scarborough Country this week, Keyes said he was against quotas and for affirmative action.
One thing you and I agree on is that favoritism for blacks is a stupid idea...even when Keyes suggests it. But, generally, he is on the side of the angels.
Yeah, we can eliminate taxes for a large number of people without making up for that deficit by raising taxes from anyone else.
Why, it's like free money, isn't it? ;-)
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