Kennedy Almost Right On Republican Party

email | Friday, January 14, 2005 | Michael A. Peroutka

[TBP]

Dear Friends of the Constitutional Republic,

The headline on a recent "New York Times" story (1/13/05) was definitely an eye-catcher. It read: "Kennedy Warns Democrats Not To Be Republican Clones." The story was reporting on a "defiant" speech at the National Press Club in Washington DC by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) in which he warned his fellow Democrats not to become "Republican clones" in response to George Bush's re-election.

Kennedy, accusing the White House of using "scare tactics" to try and push through changes in Social Security, is quoted as saying: "The biggest threat to Social Security today is not the retirement of baby-boomers --- it's George Bush and the Republican Party….[they] want a cut in Social Security benefits."

Pretty scary, huh?

Well, yes. But, clearly, Kennedy thinks there are good "scare tactics" and bad "scare tactics." He believes, obviously, that it is good and perfectly OK for him to use "scare tactics" if he is fighting the bad "scare tactics" of the Bush Administration.

Then I read something Kennedy is quoted as saying that was really interesting. The "Times" quotes him as saying: "As I have said on other occasions, the last thing this country needs is two Republican parties." But, Kennedy's fears are a little late, to put it mildly. For example, on the basic issue of whether there should be a Social Security program, both parties are already "clones" of each other. There once was, of course, a time when the GOP opposed such socialistic, statist programs as Social Security. But these days are long gone.

Now, both parties support the basics of Social Security. Thus, they are "clones" of each other by favoring this un-Constitutional program. As for Kennedy's assertion that the last thing our country needs is "two Republican parties," well, again, Kennedy is a slow-learner. The truth is that there are virtually no major differences, in principle, between the two parties on any significant issue. There used to be but not any more.

Now, I can't be absolutely dogmatic here. I can't say, for sure, that we now have, in every respect, "two Republican parties" or "two Democrat parties." And I can't say this because, in some areas --- for example, Mr. Bush's $500 billion annual Federal budget deficit --- the Republicans are actually worse in running up this debt than any Democrat Administration has been.

But, I can say, for certain, what I've already said: There are no major differences, in principle --- note, please, I say in principle --- between the two parties on any significant issue. Does this mean the GOP Tweedle-Dees have become more like the Democrat Tweedle-Dums, or vice-versa? As I say, I am not sure.

In any event, I agree, sort of, with Sen. Kennedy. But, I would state things a little more dynamically. He says: "The last thing this country needs is two Republican parties." I say that considering how much the GOP has come to be like Kennedy's party, the last thing this country needs is ONE Republican Party. What we need is a Christian, Constitutional party that represents what the Founders of our country believed. And we have such a party, the Constitution Party, whose Presidential banner I was honored to carry last year along with my excellent running mate Dr. Chuck Baldwin.

For God, Family, & the Republic, Michael A. Peroutka

[An American In Dairyland]

Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

[presidio9]

The time place and description is right.

[supercat]

The question is, is the GOP reformable from within or is a new political vehicle needed?

Cleaning up Democrat voter fraud would, IMHO, improve things a lot. Unfortunately, left-wing Republicans rely upon Democrat voter fraud even more than left-wing Democrats, so I doubt that there will be much push for change from within the system.

If Republicans didn't have to overcome a 10% gap imposed by the media and by voter fraud, they'd be able to actually homor their conservative principles. Of course, there'd be no need for people like McCain and Specter in the party, so they'd be kicked over to the Democrats where they belong. Left-wing Democrats would still be pretty safe within their party, though, since they would continue to "best" represent their base.