John Conyers: "GOP Heading Over Political Cliff"

[Nothing Without Hope]

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/04/con05129.html
April 8, 2005

GOP Heading Over Political Cliff

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by John Conyers, Jr. and his blog readers

The country first recognized the excesses of the Reagan Administration when his budget director proposed classifying ketchup as a vegetable to help justify budget cuts for school lunch programs. The Gingrich Revolution began to unwind in 1995, when Newt complained that part of his intransigence on the budget was the result of being forced to exit the rear of Air Force One upon returning from Yitzhak Rabin's funeral.

When the history is written concerning fall from political grace of the Bush presidency, I believe we will point to the emergency passage of the Schiavo legislation as constituting the turning point. Clearly there is short term political fall-out from the unprecedented legislative intervention into a private family matter. The most recent CBS poll shows the president's popularity is at an all time low - 43%, while the Congressional approval rating is down to 34%.

The political significance of improper intervention in the tragic Schiavo case is likely to be long term in nature, and goes beyond the narrow facts of the case and concerns about federalism and separation of powers (as important as they are). With Schiavo, the entire nation was exposed to the win at all costs mentality of the Republican Party, and the fact that their deeds do not match their rhetoric.

To begin with, Americans now understand that Republicans can no longer claim the mantle of being "pro-life," when they are decimating Medicaid, when they are preventing life-saving stem cell research, when they allow guns to flow freely to terrorists, when they ignore the tragic school shooting in Minnesota, and when more than 1,500 American soldiers and more than 100,000 innocent civilians have died in Iraq as a result of a misguided war.

(snip - more at link)

[coloradodem2005]

1. Let's hope the final nails in the coffin are being set as we speak.

Looks good thus far.

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. Oh yes, that's a good hope to keep in mind at the end of the day

which this definitely is. Good night to you! :hi:

[barbaraann]

3. Why isn't that man President???

Or at least Vice President?

[Pab Sungenis]

4. Because he's black?

That would have kept him from being tapped for VP when he was in his prime. He's more of an elder statesman now at 75.

...although I'd gladly vote for him.

On second thought, he's too honest, too. That probably held him back more than his color.

[barbaraann]

8. Exactly.

Perfect analysis. I feel like crying.

[calimary]

15. No kidding! Another hero on my list, along with Dean, Boxer, and Waxman.

And I hope to GOD he's correct. It sure makes sense to me, but then again, what do I know?

[barbaraann]

17. We can only guess because we are truly in uncharted territory.

n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. Probably true. But I'd rather celebrate what he IS doing now!

He is really making a difference by standing up to the administration and reaching out to the people. He is working hard on voting reform and against corruption. And by doing so with such obviously sincere integrity and purpose, he has given new hope to so many. Never in our history has there been more need for hope and positive action, because never have we been closer to an irreversible slip into corrupt fascism. And there he is, giving us both.

Like I told him in an email once, "I hope you are not discomfitted at being a hero to so many, sir. I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with that."

[Skidmore]

5. He's so right. They'll keep screeching toward oblivion just on the

sheer weight of mass from so many of them jumping on board the agenda train without considering where it could be headed. As much as I want unity among Dems, I don't want the party to become the Borg either. Now that's a good nickname for the Rs--the Borg party.

[BlueIris]

6. Is Conyers married? Because I would totally marry him.

And if you're familiar with my posting history on this site, you may know that marriage is not a form of commitment that works for me. Dude, Conyers has been so wonderful throughout all of this. It's impossible not to love him.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Now if only the Democrats have the good sense to

stand at the bottom of the cliff finishing them off instead of either 1) jumping off the cliff with them, or 2) Saying "There, there, poor babies."

[GOPBasher]

10. I hope he's right, but I don't think so, because the media is

totally pro-Bush and will never try to bring these things to light.

[jen4clark]

12. so true

When the GOP falls it will be despite the media and not by any help from the media. We're it now. Even C Span is limiting covering anything that brings the war to the forefront of people's minds. The House Armed Services committee testimony and hearing the other day was not aired.

Conyers is beyond wonderful. On top of everything he's been speaking out on and working on, now he's putting time and energy into blogging because he knows it's the only way his voice will be heard. It's up to us to get it out there. We're all we've got now kids.

Maybe we should go back to having town cryers. A combination of the "paper chase" where we print out articles and leave them laying about and standing on street corners yelling out headlines and handing out printouts.

[Pithy Cherub]

11. The GOoP lemming mobile needs to stop conserving energy

use more steroids, purchase top of the line Iraqi oil, clear away the forest, make the Hummer run at top speed and approach the cliff with serious momentum! They have clearly demonstrated this is their intention...
:popcorn:

[ArtVandaley]

13. He'd be an AMAZING Attorney General

Should be at the top of any Dems list in 2008

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. Kick! n/t

[realFedUp]

16. Rep. Conyers has been an unsung hero for a long time

Through the inane impeachment hearings,
through all the Bush crimes, he's been
a clear and courageous voice for the truth,
the lifeblood of liberals.

He really needs holding up and celebrating.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. Yes, not only because he has earned it but because we NEED to see

someone inside the government fighting to make it work for all of us.

[KoKo]

19. kick.......

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. kick n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. Another kick for Conyers n/t

[EVDebs]

22. While we're still kicking, please read this by David Cay Johnston

Stroke the rich
IRS has become a subsidy system for super-wealthy Americans IRS winks at rich deadbeats

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/11/INGV560VO41.DTL


"The federal tax system that millions of Americans are forced to deal with before April 15 is not at all what you think it is. Congress has changed it in recent decades from a progressive system in which the more one earns the more one pays in income taxes. It has become a subsidy system for the super rich.

Through explicit policies, as well as tax laws never reported in the news, Congress now literally takes money from those making $30,000 to $500,000 per year and funnels it in subtle ways to the super rich -- the top 1/100th of 1 percent of Americans.

People making $60,000 paid a larger share of their 2001 income in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes than a family making $25 million, the latest Internal Revenue Service data show. And in income taxes alone, people making $400,000 paid a larger share of their incomes than the 7,000 households who made $10 million or more."

This article is the most incendiary thing I've seen in a long long time. DUers should demand Congress act on this scandalous subsidy program and bring the country back from the abyss.