In
literally one day, three events occurred that showed the
continuing disingenuousness of the party of “family values,”
“personal responsibility,” and country first “patriotism”
as three of the highest profile Republicans slipped on their
party’s platform. When
the Republicans show out, they show out…but it’s always
after they’ve questioned someone else’s patriotism, someone
else’s motives, someone else’s value system.
It
is clear to me and to most of the country why the rich get
richer and the poor get poorer, because the rich gets to
keep theirs while everybody else gets their taken away,
one way or another. The continuing rape of free enterprise
and holding the capital markets captive doesn’t hide the
deceit that we’ve come to know as the Republican Party.
As long as you’re willing to attack the poor, the minority
and the middle class for living above their means, the breakdown
in the “traditional” family, loose sexual morays, and for
being “un-American” (coming into the country illegally),
regardless of the skeletons in your own closet, you can
represent the Republican Party.
This
week, Donald Trump gave up his “running for President” charade,
new Presidential Candidate, Newt Gingrich, was outted for
stiffing jewelry maker Tiffany on a quarter-to half-million
jewelry bill, and the Govenator, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
disclosed that he fathered a baby fourteen years ago with
a family housekeeper…and kept it a secret. I’m sure all
of you said what I said upon hearing the news (Now ain’t
that some sh#t!!!), but moreover, you certainly had to come
to the conclusion that the Republican personal responsibility
mantra is a bunch a bullsh#t.
For
the last 30 years (since Reagan), the Republicans nave been
lecturing the nation that the problems of the poor and middle
class are because they don’t “live up” to family values
and accept personal responsibility for the life choices,
and lifestyles (depending upon to whom they were directing
their comments). They put the American public on a yo-yo
and pull them in when they want to receive compassion (their
vote) and let’s them out when they want to refuse compassion
(a tax break). Yet, consistently over the years, Republican
leadership not only tripped over the bones that fell out
of their closets…they gagged on ’em.
Most
people have a small closet to hold their skeletons. The
Republicans have a small graveyard and still the bones fall
out. No small stuff either. An infidelity here, a small
tax case there…they come up with the most egregious stuff…toe-tapping
in airport bathrooms…charging high-end prostitutes to the
government credit card…shooting people in the face on hunting
trips, nobody does it like the Republicans do it. Deceives
the American public, I mean…
Take
Mr. Donald Trump…who managed to alienate the whole black
community with this flirtation in running for President.
He did it twice before (1988 and 1992), faked a run, I mean.
Trump is the ultimate publicity hog and saw an opportunity.
We knew he was bullsh*tting but the public bit the apple
anyway because of the issue he chose to wave as his launch
piece, the Obama birther issue. Now black people had connected
to Trump based on his shows, Apprentice and Celebrity
Apprentice, which they watch in relatively high numbers.
But when he started waving the birther issue, black folks
got pissed off and stopped watching his show…at a time when
three popular black folk (Lil Jon, Star Jones and NeNe)
were in the running. Instead of gaining viewers in this
publicity stunt, he lost viewers. The Donald put money before
country (in a release statement “Business is my passion”)
on this one and did what Bill Cosby said he was doing, “nothing
but running his mouth.”
Newt
Gingrich, who recently announced he was running for President,
carved his career on the 1994 “Contract with America”
Republican takeover of Congress, of which welfare reform
(personal responsibility) was his mantra. The Republicans
have refused “Main Street” relief on home mortgages while the
banks got a bailout. Wall Street can get relief for selling
risky loans but Main
Street can’t get relief for buying them…what’s wrong with
that picture? Now we know why. We have to pay for the rich
one’s jewelry bills…that they themselves haven’t paid. Obviously,
Gingrich, in confession mode, trying to clear out his closet
for a presidential run, confessed a couple months ago that
the affair he had while he was Speaker was attributed to
him working long hours…Uh, huh. So, when caused the $250,000
to $500,000 Tiffany bill? Rewarding the staff that kept
you working long hours?
The
Republicans are something else, but it’s Arnold who takes
the cake. Californians knew he was a “grabass” when he ran
for Governor, because it came out in the campaign. However,
it takes A LOT to hide a baby for over ten years. In the
same house. I’m sure Maria did a couple of double-takes
as the housekeeper’s child ran around the house. He probably
looked like a little terminator…and probably had an accent
too (Mommie, I’ll be BAACK). In one week, the Republicans
violated their whole platform.
I
don’t care what you say about little Shaniqua, Donte and
Pookey…but they can’t come up with more bling, more street
game and more household drama than the Republicans. The
Republicans’ whole mantra is to tell the public what they
want to hear, then do whatever the hell they want…for lies,
sex, money and power.
Theirs
is a mantra of deceit.
BlackCommentator.com
Columnist,
Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, is a national columnist, managing
director of the
Urban Issues Forum
and author of
Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. His Website is AnthonySamad.com. Click
here
to contact Dr. Samad.
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