May 31, 2009
Incongruities and incongruities
By Bill Kraus
It is not surprising to hear the Republicans complain about the unfairness of the “liberal” press and their unfriendly-to-unfavorable coverage. It is a little surprising that the complainers don’t take a lesson from or seek the advice of the members of the party who get a fair shake. It ain’t rocket science, guys.
Putting that aside, what is really incongruous is that the Republicans, the ancestral home of the political fat cats, think they are getting the short end when it comes to money, too.
Surprisingly, there may be some truth to this.
The GOP has always felt that the money that flows to Democrats from the negative check-off process available to unions of all stripes but particularly WEAC, the teachers’ politically powerful union, is an easier route to money and maybe even a richer lode than their one-check-at-a-time soliciting.
All attempts to outlaw this have fallen on deaf ears or worse. The contributions are penny ante and the members whose dues are clipped can opt out if they wish. So all the GOP can do is point with alarm and complain.
The GOP operatives have come late to the Internet’s charms as well. Howard Dean explored this avenue and Barack Obama turned it into a 4-lane highway for money. If any Republican finance committee is hitting this jackpot I’m not aware of it.
It is worth noting that the Dems have also rounded up more millionaires than the fat cats have. Nobody on the GOP side in Wisconsin comes close to Herb Kohl, for example, and nationally George Soros and his ilk are red meat for the Dems and the Dem causes.
Let’s concede that it may be incongruous, but it does not seem to be a fanciful lament.
The real incongruity though is that, despite this, the organized and elected Republicans can be counted on to oppose all those reform measures proposed by all the do gooders, not to mention some proposals from their own cohorts as well, which are designed to level the economic playing field.
Spending limits would kill the overkill of negative checking off and Internet prowess.
Contribution limits would cut Herb Kohl and his peers down to size, fiscally anyway.
Best of all, the thirt-party party crashers would be (a) exposed and (b) subject to spending matches which would, in effect, make them indirect contributors to their intended Republican victims.
Goodbye, George Soros. Farewell, Bill Christofferson and the Greater Wisconsin Committee. Hello, parity.
And the Republican response? No thanks.
Now that’s incongruous.
post a letter about this blog »
You are right, money is the root of all evil. Maybe that is why they took "In God We Trust" off of the new dollar coin. You know "Render onto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's". Then why do democrats love dirty money along with republicans who are the ones who mostly trust in God?
The only thing they seem to know is you can not buy love with dirty money but you can buy politicians.
-Joe Gruber | Campbellsport, WI | June 1, 2009
Not sure about Republicans, but my response would be thus:
I oppose "campaign finance reforms" because they tend to limit speech, and therefore freedom, and the vast majority of reforms favor incumbents.
Moreover, until the electorate is smart enough and/or educated enough to vote out of office the corrupt representatives we have there now, the situation will stay pretty much the same. Just how has "McCain-Feingold" improved things, for example. NOT AT ALL!!
-Ken Van Doren | Mauston, WI | June 1, 2009
current
--------
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004