ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607150020
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG McMAHON
ART POSKOCIL'S July 1 commentary, ``Shameless GOP has created a beast,'' would be humorous except for the fact that he probably believes what he wrote, and there's the danger that others reading it may actually believe it. He writes, ``[T]he GOP bears much of the responsibility for turning the entire electorate into a monster: a shallow, cynical image-consuming beast.''
Funny, it was only eight months ago, when threatened with losing control of the Virginia General Assembly, that the Democrats ran one of the most demagogic fear-mongering campaigns ever. They had seniors believing that if Republicans took control of the General Assembly they would be eating dog food, lose their Meals on Wheels and health care, and be homeless. Talk about appealing to the worst in people.
Poskocil further writes that Republicans represent ``only a fairly small segment of wealthy Americans.'' This is typical Democratic class warfare. Appeal to the worst in people, play one segment of society off another, create as much bitterness and anger in society as possible. Millions of Republicans nationwide belong to the GOP because we support holding the line on spending, keeping taxes low, getting tough on violent criminals and, yes, making able-bodied people work for their welfare check.
His claim that Republicans ``do whatever [they] can to minimize the number of actual voters from the ranks of those who are less likely to support [Republicans]'' is both strange and bizarre. The motor-voter law he cites invites - in fact, begs - voter fraud. What we are for is fair and legitimate elections. We don't support the concept of dead Democrats voting on Election Day or allowing people to vote both absentee and at the polls on Election Day or voting as often as they like. When I arrived in Virginia, it must have taken me two minutes to fill out the voter-registration form. I challenge him to cite one example of a person legally eligible to vote in Virginia not being allowed to register.
Poskocil writes: ``That the Christian right has become politically powerful, and a dangerous threat to personal freedom and to free inquiry in research and education, is clear to many.'' Talk about demagoguing and fear-mongering! Liberals are good at spouting off First Amendment rights to free speech until the minute someone disagrees with them. At which point, anyone who disagrees with them is a threat.
He cites that we ``shamelessly court one-issue voting groups.'' Oh, really! Let us go back in time to January 1993 when our new president had just taken office. What was one of his first acts in office? It was to repeal the ban on gays in the military. Of course, the fact that the homosexual community had raised $4 million for his 1992 campaign had nothing to do with this. But I guess this isn't a fair comparison, for surely the homosexual community isn't a one-issue voting group.
And labor unions, teacher unions, environmentalists, animal-rights activists and minority groups that are the Democratic Party aren't one-issue voting groups. Of course not.
He writes that Republicans ``set out to kill public broadcasting, to drastically reduce support for education and the arts, to reduce the tax burden of the rich, to turn their backs on environmental protection, to pull safety nets away from the growing population of poor Americans.'' Oh boy, is he factually challenged! It's a good thing he doesn't teach math at Hollins College. Otherwise, a confused generation of Hollins students would be out there. He has trouble understanding the difference between an actual cut and a cut in the rate of annual growth. The Republican - yes, Republican - budget will increase Medicare spending at two times the rate of inflation. Medicare spending will be $4,800 per person this year. Under the Republican plan, it will rise to $7,100 per person in 2002. Everything I ever learned about math tells me that going from spending $4,800 to $7,100 is an increase.
Poskocil then goes on to attack ``mean'' Gov. George Allen. The ``mean'' Gov. Allen who actually has the nerve to make murders, rapists and armed robbers serve their entire sentence before returning to the streets by abolishing parole for violent criminals. The ``mean'' Gov. Allen who actually has the nerve to require all able-bodied persons to work for a welfare check. The nerve of the man! How dare he take up any more oxygen.
My favorite line was: ``Republicans have suffered not only a dramatic waning of public support for many of their proposed initiatives, but also one embarrassment after another from the excesses, personal as well as political, of their once vaunted freshman class.'' The Clinton administration is the most ethically challenged administration in a generation. From Travelgate to Whitewater to Filegate, this administration is an embarrassment and a national disgrace. Maybe Poskocil isn't bothered by this White House compiling an enemies list and using the FBI to help, but many are.
The really bad news for Poskocil: We're America's majority party. We control 31 governors' mansions, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. In fact, 70 percent of all Americans live under a Republican governor. In November, we will retain control of Congress and, yes, Republican Bob Dole will be elected president. In the first year of the Dole administration, we'll see the first balanced budget in a generation and real welfare reform. Republicans will save Medicare from bankruptcy, and pass tax relief for all Americans. If Poskocil thinks we have problems, then these are problems I love to have!
Greg McMahon is a member of the Roanoke City Republican Central Committee.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 linesby CNB