Posted on 03/23/2005 2:49:53 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Democrats in Congress are in a battle for the very soul of our nation with Republicans whose arrogance and abuse of power have made a mockery of Congress. As House Democratic Leader, I should know.
We must ask ourselves, do we want to adopt corruption, indifference to suffering, and contempt for democracy as American values? Will we allow the progress America has made over the past five decades under Democratic leadership to be erased in a few short years by an extreme right-wing Congress run amuck?
The Republicans in the House of Representatives, Senate, and White House are awash in scandals involving everything from bribery and intimidation on the House floor to vicious attacks on America's most vulnerable. Are these the "moral values" that the Republicans like to crow about?
They are not my moral values.
This morning, my fellow House Democrats and I signed the Pact for Progress, a simple statement of unity in defense of the American ideals and democracy we cherish. I ask you to join me today as a Citizen Co-sponsor of this Pact in a strong statement that we will not stand by as Republicans try to turn back the clock on all that America has accomplished as a nation:
http://www.democraticaction.org/pact
The Republicans' arrogance and abuse of power have risen to new heights in this 109th Congress. Never before has the institution of the House of Representatives -- which is supposed to represent all of the American people -- been used so cynically by one party to protect its own power.
Here are just a few examples of Republicans' abuse of power...
The Assault on Social Security. Social Security is the most popular, most successful government program in history, and now the Republicans are attempting to turn this cornerstone of the New Deal into a raw deal for millions of Americans by privatizing it, which would slash benefits by more than 40 percent while adding trillions to the debt. A new study from Yale University informs us that 71% of recipients would likely lose out through privatization, and yet Republicans charge on without a care.
A Reverse Robin Hood Budget. President Bush and House Republicans are pushing a budget that will shortchange housing, education, and veterans, while heaping even more tax cuts on the extremely wealthy and handing out sacred lands that belong to all of us as prizes to their political contributors in the oil industry. Nowhere is our government's morality tested more starkly than in the hard numbers of the federal budget, and this year's proposal fails this test miserably.
http://www.democraticaction.org/pact
The Gutting of Medicaid. President Bush and House Republicans have targeted the social program providing the most basic health care to struggling Americans, with a staggering $40 billion cut that will have repercussions for virtually every state in the union. The Republicans hope to dismantle our great social contracts, destroy our very moral fabric, and make America into a country that leaves its most vulnerable destitute -- even as tax giveaways for the super rich are given the highest priority.
Leading an Unethical Government. Judging by the steady stream of scandals revolving around Republican House Leader Tom DeLay, involving everything from bribes and intimidation on the House floor to junkets paid for with millions in extorted casino money, ethics must somehow be the opposite of moral values. This comes after three separate ethical condemnations last year and the looming threat of indictment for shady corporate fundraising in Texas. But rather than curtail his corruption or humble himself, Tom DeLay and his loyal rubberstamps in Congress have simply rigged the ethics rules to protect him and purged from the Ethics Committee the Chairman, Members and staff who held him accountable last year. The American people do not conduct their lives in an ethical vacuum, and our Representatives should not either.
These are not my moral values and I am sure they aren't yours either. In fact, they're an affront to the values of tens of millions of Americans who believe their government should work for all -- not just the well connected and the very wealthy. We are for progress, we are for REAL reform, and we will not tolerate attempts to turn back the clock on our beloved country and our democracy
In the last Congress, House Republicans became the most arrogant, unethical and corrupt majority in modern Congressional history. Tragically, this profoundly immoral behavior is continuing without a pause in the first few months of this Congress.
Please be a Citizen Co-sponsor for the Pact for Progress and stand with us:
http://www.democraticaction.org/pact
Thank you so much, and I look forward to fighting along side you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Pelosi Democratic Leader
That is the same bug eye look that Hillary has, and I have
always thought that Hillary's stare was a result of having
seen Janet Reno naked.
We must ask ourselves, do we want to adopt corruption, indifference to suffering, and contempt for democracy as American values?
Seems like we answered this question on 11/2/04.
LOL. Yes, that could account for both of them. But what an awful thought!
"A new study from Yale University informs us that 71% of recipients would likely lose out through privatization, and yet Republicans charge on without a care."
Is this a real study, or did she just pull this factoid out of her wrinkled hindquarters? She didn't bother to provide a link.
I Googled the hell out of this, and I can't find any Yale study on Social Security privatization newer than 1998 (cowles.econ.yale.edu/P/cd/d11b/d1194.pdf), and it is a good read, but long. Actually shows how it is doable, from my cursory read of it. Nothing about any 71% of recipients losing out though.
I guess she agrees with Pat Buchanan on this then, RIGHT?
Finally Pelosi and I agree on something. We are in a battle for the soul of this country. And we intend to win it to the dismay of the leftist like Pelosi.
Must be a typo. Should read:
"Democrats in Congress are in a battle for the very soul of our nation with Republicans.
Whose arrogance and abuse of power have made a mockery of Congress? As House Democratic Leader, I should know.
imho. We know, too.
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