"meanies and hypocrites"
I borrow EJ Dionne's title for his column today calling the Republicans meanies and hypocrites for attacking the 12-year-old kid (Graeme Frost) who had the nerve to speak up in defense of SCHIP (that's the health-insurance-for-kids thing that de facto President and Chief Meanie Bush vetoed). Dionne points out the hypocrisy in their arguments against Frost's family, which benefited from SCHIP after terrible car accident that badly hurt Frost and three of his siblings, which essentially boiled down to this:
The Republicans would rather force a family to sell their home, all investments, pull their kids out of private schools (Graeme was in one on scholarship) and basically crash into financial ruin after a devastating accident or disease, than allow some sort of subsidized access to health care on any terms but those of the big health insurance companies.
Very nice.
Adding to the meanie chorus is surprisingly, former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson. Gerson, discussing the recent Republican presidential debate, noted that apart from Mike Huckabee, none of the GOPsters expressed any concern for those who (in Huckabee's words) "handle the bags and make the beds at our hotels and serve the food; many of them are having to work two jobs." Mayor Rudy "9/11" Giuliani singled out Hillary Clinton's proposed "baby bond" plan - which Gerson likes. But as Gerson concludes, the "meanies and hypocrites" seeking to succeed Bush "Instead, during the Republican debate, the idea was dismissed in a partisan attack line, and the audience applauded. This reveals a party that is not effectively speaking to people who handle the bags and make the beds and serve the food -- and who live so close to the edge that one shock can leave them in bankruptcy and ruin."
Remember, when it comes to economic policy, if you aren't somewhere in the Steve Forbes range, the Republicans really don't care about you. I'm afraid that includes you, evangelical Christian voter - they'll pander to you on the social issues, but they'll screw you rotten economically. You aren't their base. As George W. Bush famously quipped a few years ago, the real Republican base is the economic elite - their base, and their master.
The Republicans would rather force a family to sell their home, all investments, pull their kids out of private schools (Graeme was in one on scholarship) and basically crash into financial ruin after a devastating accident or disease, than allow some sort of subsidized access to health care on any terms but those of the big health insurance companies.
Very nice.
Adding to the meanie chorus is surprisingly, former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson. Gerson, discussing the recent Republican presidential debate, noted that apart from Mike Huckabee, none of the GOPsters expressed any concern for those who (in Huckabee's words) "handle the bags and make the beds at our hotels and serve the food; many of them are having to work two jobs." Mayor Rudy "9/11" Giuliani singled out Hillary Clinton's proposed "baby bond" plan - which Gerson likes. But as Gerson concludes, the "meanies and hypocrites" seeking to succeed Bush "Instead, during the Republican debate, the idea was dismissed in a partisan attack line, and the audience applauded. This reveals a party that is not effectively speaking to people who handle the bags and make the beds and serve the food -- and who live so close to the edge that one shock can leave them in bankruptcy and ruin."
Remember, when it comes to economic policy, if you aren't somewhere in the Steve Forbes range, the Republicans really don't care about you. I'm afraid that includes you, evangelical Christian voter - they'll pander to you on the social issues, but they'll screw you rotten economically. You aren't their base. As George W. Bush famously quipped a few years ago, the real Republican base is the economic elite - their base, and their master.
Labels: politics
posted by Don Q Blogger at 7:40 AM
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