The Republicans talk a lot about combating terrorists, but they spend most of their time combating opponents of their ideas or actions. Similarly, Republicans tell beautiful tales about a united America, but act every day to divide us. Remember when Bush vowed to be a uniter? He is the biggest divider in our history. Instead of combating opponents, Democrats believe our real task is to combat terrorists. Instead of unifying the "base" and thereby polarizing the country, we should do our best to unify Americans.
Republicans live on conflict. Take, for instance what Tom DeLay said on his last day in the House:
"It is not the principled partisan, however obnoxious he may seem to his opponents, who degrades our public debate, but the preening, self-styled statesman who elevates compromise to a first principle."
He has said worse. He has made all Republicans in the House feel like they are Brahmins, and all Democrats feel like they are Untouchables. Regularly, Democrats have been left off conference committees and disregarded in other discussions of bills. He has converted the K-Street lobbyists to a bunch of boosters of the Republican party. His aggressive approach remains with the Republican House.
Other famous Republicans question the patriotism of Democrats and liberals. Some, such as the infamous Ann Coulter, call all liberals traitors. She has even found fault with those who have lost loved ones in the 9/11 catastrophe. Republicans are happiest when they attack and smear those who disagree with them.
In addition to combating Democrats, liberals, the so-called "liberal media" and all those who disagree with them, they have torn the country apart with reference to religion. What else is the purpose of the federal marriage amendment? It's there to divide the religious right from the religious left and from the secular groups.
Republicans believe in "divide and conquer."
The only unity Republicans are concerned with is unity with the "base." Thus, House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert has a rule that no bill will be debated in the House unless a majority of Republicans favor it. He wants to make sure that Democrats do not get credit for anything, and that all passed legislation serves Republican interests.
The Republican "base" includes Big Business, to which Republicans have presented tax cuts, special subsidies, deregulation and tax loopholes. They did not pass the estate tax repeal, though they tried hard.
The Republican "base" also includes the Religious Right. They got this group excited with the viciously divisive federal marriage amendment. It did not pass in the Senate. So what? They stirred up enough division that they hope may help them in the coming elections.
Democrats are different from Republicans. Democrats don't want to combat all the different groups in the country that may not agree with them. Democrats believe that when Bush transferred troops from Afghanistan to Iraq he dropped the ball. Instead of combating terrorists in Afghanistan we are now fighting and getting killed in Iraq. As though this is not enough, Bush seems eager to fight Iran too. Democrats want to get back to the all-important fight with Al Qaeda.
Democrats want to unify Americans. We want to do this by restoring the rights they lost with passage of the Patriot Act. They want a halt to snooping on Americans without a warrant. They want to reduce secrecy that alienated good citizens from government. They want to fight for legislation that is good for all Americans, not merely for what's good for Big Business.
Should Democrats achieve power, they would try to make the country whole again. Democrats believe that "in unity there is strength."
The Republican and Democratic mottos are in sharp contrast with each other:
- REPUBLICAN - "Combating Opponents, Unifying the Base"
- DEMOCRATIC - "Combating Terrorism, Unifying Americans"