When I was growing up as a kid, I thought of the Republican party as a lot of nice folks who believed in financial responsibility and a strong national defense.
As I am nearing my 60th birthday, I have a completely different view of the GOP. Instead of being the nice folks who wouldn't hearm a fly, they have become nothing but a bunch of ideologies willing to bankrupt our nation just so the richest 1 percent can retain their tax cuts.
Instead of being folks who want to keep the government off our backs, they have become the party that wants government to stand between women and their doctors, spouses, and consciences when it comes to decisions that should be made in bedrooms.
And while fighting to help the richest 1 percent keep their tax cuts, they want to gut Medicare and Social Security and replace them with alternatives that put seniors (and seniors to be like me) at total risk.
The Republican party has become financially and morally bankrupt. And by continuing to insist on preserving irresponsible tax cuts and loopholes designed for millionaires and billionaires at the expense of everyone else, the GOP has proven that it is totally and completely unworthy to hold any position of public trust in this country, states, and localities.
More below.
While I have learned a lot about Grover Norquist and the hold he has over Republicans from the reporting of Lawrence O'Donnell on his "Last Word" MSNBC show, I was particularly struck by the diary from jamess entitled, "Is it 'Constitutional' for Representatives to 'Pledge their Allegiance' to the Norquist Tax Pledge?"
To me, the issue goes far beyond Republican lawmakers' loyalty to Norquist and their stout belief in what many of them signed. The issue, to me is this:
By signing Norquist's pledge and placing our nation's financial future in jeopardy by refusing to agree to any raise in tax rates for the richest 1 percent, these Republicans have shown that our nation meens nothing to them.
Instead of fostering the shared sacrifice our nation demands, the Republicans have instead decided to take key benefits away from our most vulnerable citizens, most notably the elderly. All in the name of preserving tax cuts and loopholes designed to benefit the richest 1 percent who don't need any of those benefits.
I'm not willing to live in a society where our nation's most vulnerable are thrown to the wolves by politicians who prefer to provide financially and morally irresponsible tax cuts to those who don't need them.
Yes, I'm angry. I can't stand the pit the Republicans and their allies are trying to throw us to. Again, all in the name of preserving tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
The time for talk and resignation has long ago past. The time for action against these Republicans, their supporters, and the laws they have imposed against our will is NOW.
Never again must Republicans be allowed to ruin our nation and its citizens. It's time for them to be thrown out of office and for laws designed to keep many of us from voting to be overturned and undone.