GOP Is Now the "Fraternal Twin" of Socialist Democrats

Chuck Baldwin Ministries ^ | 12-16-03 | Baldwin, Chuck

[Theodore R.]

GOP Is Now The "Fraternal Twin" Of Socialist Democrats

By Chuck Baldwin

Food For Thought From The Chuck Wagon

December 16, 2003 The Republican Party's full-court press to enact the biggest expansion of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" welfare state by passing the recent Medicare reform bill proves that the GOP is the "fraternal twin" (Howard Phillips) of socialist Democrats. In fact, G. W. Bush and his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill make Bill Clinton look like an economic conservative!

Furthermore, Robert Novak was quoted in The Washington Post as saying the arm-twisting of recalcitrant conservatives within the GOP by party leaders was nothing like many Republican congressmen had ever seen. Novak quotes Rep. Nick Smith of Michigan as saying he has never seen anything like it in his 11 years in the House.

According to Smith, threats and intimidation to swallow his convictions and support the bill got "personal." After rebuffing midnight appeals from House Speaker Dennis Hastert and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, fellow House Republicans told him they would make sure Brad Smith (Nick's son) never came to Congress. (Brad is running for his father's seat as Nick is retiring from Congress after this term.) After the bill passed without Smith's support, California Congressman Duke Cunningham, and other Republicans, taunted him, saying his son was "dead meat."

Other conservative Republicans who refused to support the socialist Medicare expansion bill, such as Florida's Rep. Tom Feeney, had to resist insistent phone calls from President Bush. Regarded as an up-and-coming leader within the GOP, Feeney was told a 'no' vote would delay his ascent into leadership by three years, or more.

In the end, only 25 Republicans in the House of Representatives had the courage to oppose the Medicare bill. Those brave souls include Todd Akin (Missouri), Gresham Barrett (S.C.), Dan Burton (IN), Steve Chabot (Ohio), John Culberson (Texas), Jim DeMint (S.C.), JoAnn Emerson (Missouri), Tom Feeney (FL), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Scott Garrett (N.J.), Luis Gutknecht (Illinois), John Hostettler (IN), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jeff Miller (FL), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Charles Norwood (GA), Ron Paul (Texas), Mike Pence (IN), Jim Ryun (Kansas), John Shadegg (Arizona), Nick Smith (Michigan), Thomas Tancredo (CO), Pat Toomey (PA), and Zach Wamp (TN).

The sad truth is, the current crop of Republicans has increased federal spending more in three years than the Clinton administration did in eight. With Republicans in charge of all three branches of the federal government, spending at the federal level now consumes some $21,000 per household every year. That's up from $16,000 some four years ago. In fact, federal spending has grown by more than 25% since G. W. Bush took office.

Rep. Ron Paul correctly pointed out, "With Republicans controlling the administration and the legislature, and nominally controlling the Supreme Court, the party has run out of other people to blame. One thing is certain: Republicans who support bigger entitlement programs and bigger federal budgets have lost all credibility as advocates for limited government."

It is time for conservatives to see the Republican Party for what it really is: another big-spending, socialist party that cares nothing for the U.S. Constitution, limited government, or conservative principles. However, before conservatives can see anything, they must open their eyes to the truth, and that doesn't appear likely to happen anytime soon.

© Chuck Baldwin

[StatesEnemy]

Who was it that spoke of Democracy 'eating itself' once the populace realizes that it can vote its own largesse?

[Theodore R.]

I think that was Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote of failure when people begin to vote themselves unearned benefits from the public treasury.

[Consort]

And who do you support?

[StatesEnemy]

Thanks... I think he enumerated 'stages' of disintegration.

[Southack]

Tell me again how Chuck Baldwin was going to get 40+ Democratic Senators to vote for *his* plan to Privatize Medicare. Oh, that's right, Chucky doesn't even have a plan to even start Privatizing Medicare.

Of course, that won't stop him from whining about Bush doing it. No telling how loud Chucky boy will squeel when President Bush Privatizes Social Security next, either!

Presidency of George W. Bush -- the first 34 months

 

Banned Partial Birth Abortion

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down every home business in America.

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses

Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first ten ABM silos in Alaska so that America has a defense against North Korean nukes

 

Pushed through THREE raises for our military.

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

 

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right

Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e. the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty)

Successfully executed 2 wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom

 

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

 

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.

Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Signed 2 income tax cuts ---- 1 of which was the largest Dollar value tax cut in world history

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Passed Medicare Reform (authorized $39.5 Billion per year for preventive medicine such as drugs and doctor visits as well as included a ten year Privatization option)

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims

Submitted comprehensive Energy Plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, EU, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.

Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens
S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003.
It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.

[viaveritasvita]

One thing is certain: Republicans who support bigger entitlement programs and bigger federal budgets have lost all credibility as advocates for limited government.

Truer words have never been spoken!

<><

[KantianBurke]

Was there any part of that article that was factually incorrect or false?

[deport]

G. W. Bush and his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill make Bill Clinton look like an economic conservative!

---

Naw..... you don't say..... Who could do better?

Welcome to FR.... why don't you complete your profile page and fly your state flag?

[DoctorMichael]

What a revoltin' development!

[reed_inthe_wind]

Sit tight until we get the judiciary straight. That will take a few more GOP victories, and a little spending now is the price. Then the pressure from the religious (that's me) will subside. When the religious become more docile, the fiscal conservatives can take the GOP agenda.

[Orangedog]

No telling how loud Chucky boy will squeel when President Bush Privatizes Social Security next, either!

If he "privatizes" Social Security the same way he "privatized" Medicare, Chuck and the rest of those who really want smaller government will most certainly make noise...and rightfully so.

[Howlin]

Food For Thought From The Chuck Wagon

[Consort]

The last paragraph, for example, is totally false, as you know.

[Orangedog]

When the religious become more docile, the fiscal conservatives can take the GOP agenda.

If the fiscal conservatives don't get control of things much sooner than that, there won't be a country left for us to argue over. At least not one any of us would want to hand down to our kids.

[sinkspur]

It is time for conservatives to see the Republican Party for what it really is: another big-spending, socialist party that cares nothing for the U.S. Constitution, limited government, or conservative principles.

That's false, Burke. Completely, totally false.

Chuck belongs to the Constitution Party, and spends more time on politics than preaching.

Kinda reprehensible for a so-called "Christian" pastor.

[agitator]

"Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed"

I'd keep quiet on this one, it doesn't help his case.

[x]

There are plenty of different versions of that quote on the Internet. Here's one of the more authoritatative:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Attributed to ALEXANDER FRASER TYTLER (1747–1813), LORD WOODHOUSELEE, Unverified.

The country is still hung over from the 1990s. Clinton's 1992 campaign convinced a lot of people that they were essentially helpless, only a paycheck away from the poor house. And the late 90's boom produced an unreal atmosphere of expectations and entitlements. Attitudes have changed, so it's hard to rely on the old arguments and objections.

[KantianBurke]

His statement, while designed to inflame, is not baseless as you claim. See the following:

"With Republicans in charge of all three branches of the federal government, spending at the federal level now consumes some $21,000 per household every year. That's up from $16,000 some four years ago. In fact, federal spending has grown by more than 25% since G. W. Bush took office."