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."
Well, I wasn't referring to the budget deficit as a whole, just that deficit in revenues that would result from exempting from taxation a large number of current taxpayers. Maybe it seems old-fashioned, but I believe that if you exempt large numbers of current taxpayers from taxation, you will have to tax others more than you would otherwise have to tax them to raise the same amount of money.
I'll bet that doesn't really mystify you, does it? ;-)
I don't think so. You should tune in - he implied the contrary, actually, and it's much more than a disagreement. He really thinks Keyes is an embarrassment to the Republican Party.
He also said the taking of campaign funds for salary was illegal. That I didn't know...is that true?
Now, to clarify...you just wrote:
"I did not say selective..." (emphasis added)
Then you went on to quote yourself: "You're damn straight I'll oppose any selective tax break..." (again, emphasis added)
In other words, I quoted you...directly. Don't worry, though, I don't need an apology from you. After all, we're all big boys and girls here, aren't we?
I supported him for YEARS. I argued with people to vote for him until I was blue in the face. That era ended yesterday.
But, generally, he is on the side of the angels.
So was Lucifer, if you will recall.
No, I did NOT equate the two, so step away from the keyboard slowly.
I merely pointed out that being on the right side for a long time doesn't count for much if you cross over to the wrong side.
Who says we need to raise the same amount of money.
I am for the government raising less money.
Don't know whether this has already been mentioned regarding reparations, but if someone is part white/yellow/brown AND part black, would that disqualify one from receiving any reparations? I mean, who knows? Maybe I have some African-American ancestors I don't know about. Assuming reparations were to come to fruition, would I qualify?
Yeah, I don't know what's scarier -- that the True Believers break out the pitchforks and torches when anyone suggests the emperor is naked, or the emperor, who really truly believes in the beauty of his invisible threads.
I do know that the constant anklebiting from the "it MUST be right, because ALAN suggested it" crew is starting to get tiresome. I'm about ready to tune out.
I bet a lot of IL voters are gonna tune out too.
1.800.555.1776? That's from memory. (He's not SAYING it, and I can't find it on the KRLA or KTTH sites, nor can I find it on michaelmedved.com. Arrrgh!)
"Keyes is an embarrassment to the Republican Party."
No. But the way Keyes framed it was misleading. I know he wants to abolish the income tax--take us ALL out from under the yoke of the slave tax. It's just that he seemed to be parsing his words too much.
He has my total support. I voted for him during the 200 primary and I even wrote his name in on my ballot during this LAST primary. But we can support him without defending everything he says.
He also said the taking of campaign funds for salary was illegal. That I didn't know...is that true?
I don't know. That part of the plan hasn't been revealed, I guess.
I am for the government raising less money.
Well, that's a whole different topic, but at some point a decision must be made about how much should be raised. And, when you make that decision, no matter what that number may be, it has to be divided among taxpayers. The fewer the number of taxpayers, the more on average each will have to pay.
They just tell you it's more complicated than that. ;-)
DOAIJV: "Yo, Medved -- 'tame' wants on. Says he'll let you debate him, in the studio!"Um, my unsolicited advice? Let "tame" find his own booking agent. LOL!Medved: "You serious? You for real?"
DOAIJV: "Uh uh!"
Medved: "I was afraid of that. OK, I'll, um, see what I can do, OK? What's your location? I'm gonna switch you to the control room, give them your address."
Medved [hitting the cough-key], voice coming out of the squakbox in the control room: "Hey, someone, NOW, drop what you're doing, call 911, FAST!"
Maybe Medved was wrong about that...no one has called to correct him, but - maybe someone will.
He calls him "Michael". Michael calls him "SECURITY!!!" ; )
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