What do the following Republican efforts have in common?
*Attacking a decorated veteran, leveling accusations of falsifying records, accusations with no basis in fact
*Changing Republican House rules so that an indicted Representative will be able to keep their leadership position
*Allowing doctors to violate their Hippocratic Oaths by denying patients information about their medical choices
*"Starve the Beast" tax cut policies, designed to incrementally bankrupt the government, jeopardizing much-needed and highly-respected social safety-net programs
*Billions of dollars of corporate tax giveaways passed in the 11th hour, on the weekend before a presidential election
*Congressional leaders refusing to allow the opposition the chance to even review legislation before it is brought up for a vote
*The entire Texas redistricting battle
*Republican lobbyists and religious leaders acting in collusion, scamming millions of dollars from Indian tribes
*Enron
*Bill Frist actively campaigning in Daschle's district to defeat him
*Everything else they do
The answer, following the jump.
(Context check- This is my effort at coming up with a "frame" with which to characterize our opposition and to state it in simple, understandable, repeatable, and humorous terms. This is meant to be a simple way of distinguishing what makes Democrats better for America than Republicans. This is the kind of thing which, in my perfect universe, all Democrats would be saying over and over again, to make people understand who we are and vote for us.)
Republicans are ETHICALLY BANKRUPT. They have no shame. They have no issue with lying, cheating, stealing and lying. And cheating. It's safe to assume, if you are dealing with a Republican, they will be trying to screw you over.
From my thesaurus-
"Moral implies conformity to established sanctioned codes or accepted notions of right or wrong; Ethical may suggest the involvement of more difficult or subtle questions of rightness, fairness, or equity."
The Republicans are engaged in an all-out assault to proscribe (to an entire nation founded on principles of religious toleration and inclusive government) a narrowly-defined notion of morality which demands strict conformity and seeks to punish and humiliate those who believe differently.
They are so hell-bent in their pursuit of this goal that they have abandoned even the pretense of ETHICAL behavior.
They are ETHICALLY BANKRUPT. They don't see themselves as having to abide by the same principles that everyday folks like you and me choose to live with. If a Republican goes to the grocery store and decides they like all the Chips Ahoy for their kids and theirs alone, they take all of them off the shelf, give the manager cash payments to deliver all the Chips Ahoy to their house, and then tell you that you just didn't work hard enough to get the Chips Ahoy so you don't deserve them anyway.
They are ETHICALLY BANKRUPT. If you are alone in an elevator with two people who talk about how happy they are that Bush won, get off on the next floor. If you meet someone at a bar and find out they are Republican, check your cash immediately.
Is it bad for me to bring this up? NO! It is important that this is discussed. Republicans stand for moral values? Maybe so. But Democrats have an even higher standard- ETHICAL VALUES. What good does it do the country when our leaders are so certain of their personal morality they are willing to screw everyone else and then blame them for it? What good are morals if the people who enforce them are liars, cheats, and thieves?
Democrats want to have an honest debate about the problems our country faces. We're willing to listen to all sides of an argument and consider other points of view. That's the ETHICAL thing to do.
Republicans, if you disagree with them, call you names, tell you to "SHUT UP", threaten your children, and call you crazy.
Democrats believe that all votes should be counted, and that everyone in America should have no doubts their vote will count, no matter what kind of machine you use. We should spend whatever money necessary to be certain this happens. This is the ETHICAL thing to do.
Republicans make touch screen systems with no accountability, and try to prevent poor people from voting.
Democrats think that fair tax policies can help ensure that every American has the chance at getting a decent education, basic health care, an honest system of law enforcement. We work for these goals this because it is the ETHICAL thing to do.
Republicans believe that if you are born into a wealthy enough family, than you are entitled to a decent education, health care, and proper legal standing. If you weren't born wealthy, than you should be grateful for what's left over. If you are having troubles, it's your fault, anyway, for not being born rich.
Democrats believe in transparency of government. The people should know what is happening, what is being done with their money and their good will as voters. It's a very simple concept, that elected officials should be honest about what they are doing and citizens have the right to know. Sure, it can be a pain in the ass, but it's the ETHICAL thing to do.
The Republicans think that it would be easier if we had a dictatorship. Really! The president said that!
The first thing George W. Bush did when he took the office of President was to immediately seal all the records of his father's presidency. The first thing! Imagine that- you just got the biggest, most important job in the entire world. What's the first thing you're gonna do? Work for world peace? Do something to help the millions of uninsured children? Nope! You're gonna cover your daddy's ass, that's what you're gonna do. Why? Because, as a Republican, you are ETHICALLY BANKRUPT.
It's such a shame, because Republicans didn't used to be like this. Democrats and Republicans will always disagree, but Republicans used to respect the laws of common decency. Now, the only way to be certain your President, Senator, Congressperson, or State Legislator is really an honest, decent gal or guy, who will behave in an ETHICAL manner, is to vote for a Demo