{"id":13799,"date":"2017-12-09T11:16:14","date_gmt":"2017-12-09T16:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=13799"},"modified":"2017-12-09T11:16:18","modified_gmt":"2017-12-09T16:16:18","slug":"moore-trump-put-local-republicans-at-severe-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=13799","title":{"rendered":"Moore, Trump put local Republicans at severe risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mike McGann<\/strong>, Editor, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>As we head into the 2018 election season, we see that the two major political parties find themselves at crossroads, with one party seemingly finding its roots after years of wandering and pandering and another so lost, to as be unrecognizable from just a few years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Democrats, heading into 2018 with a wind at their back \u2014 and locally, the biggest series of wins in party history \u2014 it seems like a party that had been co-opted by corporate America has found its roots, grabbing back the mantle of populism (thanks to a giant assist from Republicans), blue-collar workers, the middle class, minorities and so on. Basically, everyone but rich white folks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Democrats will likely continue excessive naval gazing \u2014 as is their wont \u2014 but seem to have found a foundation in embracing the old-time ethos of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson of lifting up and protecting the least of our citizens to build a stronger, fairer America. A new generation of leaders seems to be emerging \u2014 more and more quickly would be better \u2013 that better represents America.<\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re also backstopped by organized labor, which seems to be finally making a comeback after four decades of erosion (which, with some validity, they point to as the beginning of the assault on the middle class). Unions are again beginning to get toe holds in places where they had previously been shut out \u2014 and at the same time seem to be working to stem the tide of rank and file members voting for Republicans such as Donald Trump, such votes being a key factor in Trump winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin in the 2016 elections. <\/span><\/p>\n

They appear to be raising more money and looking to put more resources into the 2018 election cycle. We\u2019ll see how effective that is, but it is worth watching.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, there\u2019s the Republican Party.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just a few years ago, the GOP stood for fiscal conservatism, social conservatism and family values.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now? Not so much.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the early 2000s \u2014 between the George W. Bush tax cuts and the Medicaid expansion \u2014 didn\u2019t convince you that Republicans lacked fiscal discipline, the current tax bill rushed through Congress has to seal the deal. The legislation will add about $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next decade, according to estimates \u2014 although growth in the economy could cut that by $500 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Republicans claim \u2014 and history both in 1983 and 2002 suggests otherwise \u2014 the tax cuts, mostly focused on corporations and wealthy individuals will spark massive economic growth, something most economists see as something between unlikely and ridiculous.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while Republicans and President Trump have argued this is a middle class tax cut, a handful of GOP elected officials have been more forthcoming.<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) told The Washington Post<\/span><\/a> this week that his party had not been entirely honest: the bill is really a corporate tax cut.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of the polling around the issue seems to suggest the voting public sees the bill the same way: as a sap to corporate America (which, by the way, pays an effective rate of about 19% \u2014 as unlike you and I, most companies have entire departments dedicated to reducing their tax burden). <\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but I typically pay a higher percentage than that, so its hard to feel a lot of sympathy for companies pulling in record profits, sitting on cash, paying exorbitant executive compensation, buying back stock \u2014 basically doing everything but adding facilities, hiring more people or giving their workers raises. Most folks \u2014 with some justification, based on comments from various GOP elected officials who have said as much \u2014 see the bill a a big gift<\/span><\/a> to the donor class, the rich folks and companies that bankroll the Republican Party, at the expense of the average person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Protestors stage a sit in at U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello’s West Chester office this week. Photo courtesy Nathaniel Smith.<\/p><\/div>\n

Not surprising, local congressmen \u2014 all of whom supported the House version of the bill \u2014 are feeling the heat from folks. Just Thursday, a group opposed to the bill, staged a sit in at U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello\u2019s office in West Chester. U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan (R-7) and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-16) are also getting negative feedback from voters on the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

And maybe if that were the biggest transgression \u2014 and these comments from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan seem to signal<\/span><\/a> that cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are coming, despite claims from some local elected officials that they wouldn\u2019t happen, which will up the ante quite a bit \u2014 maybe the Republican Party could easily weather the storm.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s so much more. First, when it comes to the bill, some elected officials have been a bit brazen with their \u201cscrew the poor\u201d attitudes. Like say, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).<\/span><\/p>\n

“I think not having the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing,\u201d Grassley is quoted as saying in The Des Moines Register<\/span><\/a>, \u201cas opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it\u2019s on booze or women or movies.\u201d Or college tuition, or food for their families \u2014 unimportant stuff like that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Folks, that\u2019s the \u201cLet \u2018em eat cake\u201d comment of this cycle \u2014 and one that will be branded on Republicans far and wide \u2014 especially here in Chester County.<\/span><\/p>\n

And yes, even our own U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey did his level best<\/span><\/a> to make the bill appear to be little more than an early Christmas present for the donor base. He tried \u2014 and thankfully, failed,\u00a0 <\/span>to push through an exemption for a small college \u2014 Hillsdale College \u2014 in Michigan on a new tax on school endowments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from the fact that it just happens to be the alma mater of Chris Chocola, President of the Club For Growth (of rich people\u2019s bank accounts) and has ties to Education Secretary Betsy De Vos, the school is in Michigan, not Pennsylvania.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe one could look favorably on Toomey on working to fight for a school in the commonwealth \u2014 UPenn or some such \u2014 but oddly fighting for one school in another state screams \u201cgift for the donor class.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And you can find similar examples of selling out to donors from Big Pharma, the financial services industry and Internet companies such as Comcast and Verizon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Too many of the GOP policy initiatives of late are driven by who writes checks.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fairness, that sort of thing is kind of in the DNA of the Republican Party since the Grant Administration. And it always worked out fine<\/span><\/a>. Always.<\/span><\/a> No, really.<\/span><\/a> Trust us.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

But officials of the party now are so brazen, they no longer pretend their actions are about the people \u2014 just the rich folks who write checks. And doings like cutting funds for homeless<\/span><\/a> vets \u2014 reversed after an uproar \u2014 doesn\u2019t really put the GOP on Team America.<\/span><\/p>\n

And yet \u2014 that\u2019s not the existential threat to the party. In fact, one could argue it\u2019s worked on and off fore more than a century.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there is, well, a moral cancer in the party.<\/span><\/p>\n

Under backdrop of having supported a presidential candidate with enough baggage for his own cruise ship \u2014 at least 16 women accusing him of sexual assault\/harassment, possible obstruction of justice, potential collusion with the Russians to interfere with the 2016 election, bankruptcies, allegations of fraud and so on \u2014 the moral bar of the GOP has fallen to new lows. <\/span><\/p>\n

Basically it\u2019s reached the level of supporting any Republican \u2014 no matter how despicable \u2014 over any Democrat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which brings us to Roy Moore, the next U.S. Senator from Alabama.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve lost count of how many credible allegations of sexual misconduct \u2014 including minors \u2014 have been lodged against Moore.<\/span><\/p>\n

And let\u2019s keep in mind, this is the guy who was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court, not once, but twice for a failure to respect the rule of law \u2014 once ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to remove the Ten Commandments from his court, another time for ordering state officials not to issue marriage licenses to gay couples in direct opposition to another U.S. Supreme Court ruling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, in recent days, comments by Moore<\/span><\/a> back in September about America not being great since the days of slavery (his argument is that family unity was better \u2014 except of course for slave families who were often ripped apart by being sold) is just another domino. This has to be particularly galling for local Republicans who take deserved pride in Chester County\u2019s history as a hotbed of abolitionists \u2014 some of he earliest Republicans \u2014 and the Underground Railroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, in summary: we have a guy who think\u2019s he\u2019s above the law, looks back with fondness for the slavery era and is an alleged child molester. <\/span><\/p>\n

And yet \u2014 including many Republicans who think the allegations have merit \u2014 it\u2019s not enough to keep them from supporting Moore, including the Republican National Committee and President Trump. God forbid Democrat Doug Jones \u2014 a former prosecutor who seems to have little in the way of black marks on his public record \u2014 get elected to the U.S. Senate. <\/span><\/p>\n

Better then, to send someone to Congress who disrespects the U.S. Constitution and is an alleged child molester.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which brings us to State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) who spewed a homophobic rant against fellow State Rep. Matt Bradford (D-70) who committed the egregious sin<\/span><\/a> of touching Metcalfe\u2019s forearm, seeking to make a point during a committee hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Representative Bradford, look, I’m a heterosexual,” Metcalfe interrupted, as seen on a video that has now gone viral. “I have a wife, I love my wife. I don\u2019t like men, as you might. But stop touching me all the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike, if you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it,” he told Bradford, who represents a Norristown area district, “I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Many saw those comments as profoundly insulting and homophobic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Metcalfe has repeatedly sparred with State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) an openly gay man \u2014 and used invective against gay citizens many see as well beyond the pale but not unusual these days. From Indiana to North Carolina, Republicans have waged a social war against gay, lesbian and transgender citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then, Thursday, Trump spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said<\/span><\/a> that the President would be just fine with businesses hanging up signs saying they don\u2019t serve LGBT customers.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s next? Agreeing with signs that say: \u201cNo Irish or dogs allowed?\u201d And yes, those signs did exist for my ancestors in New York City in the 1850s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Folks, that\u2019s what your Republican Party has become.<\/span><\/p>\n

A party of discrimination and hatred.<\/span><\/p>\n

A party that is bought and sold by the rich and corporate interests.<\/span><\/p>\n

A party that tolerates a president who arguably put the interests of Russia ahead of those of the United States in order to get elected.<\/span><\/p>\n

A party that supports a candidate who ignores the rule of law and is an alleged child molester.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can’t say I didn’t warn you<\/a> \u2014 and the outcome of the Nov. 2017 elections should have been a wake up call.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t say this out of meanness \u2014 but out of sadness. America needs two healthy, functioning political parties, to serve as a check on excess. Without a viable Republican opposition, the Democrats will go off the rails (see any time between 1974 and 1980). Arguably, the current GOP meltdown is the result of the Democrats losing their way \u2014 even while holding the White House \u2014 and failing to offer a credible opposition to the GOP.<\/span><\/p>\n

As voters, though, you have the final say. If local Republicans feel this is not their party, they have to take action. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, run \u2014 if you feel strongly that your party has been hijacked, run for office. It\u2019s the best way to make you voice heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, vote. If you don\u2019t vote for those who enable such behavior by keeping silent, or worse, endorsing such action, they won\u2019t continue to hold office. If you must, write in a candidate who shares your values. But show up and make your voice heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Third, elect county committee people who represent your values. Much of the local party structure has been taken over by folks with extreme positions, out of synch with the more moderate positions held by most Chester County Republicans.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is your party, take it back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, I say this because this is a tipping point. If Republicans don\u2019t make massive changes, they will permanently lose control of local and county-wide politics. Legislative seats that have been Republican since the time of Lincoln will become Democratic. Democrats will redraw the next legislative and Congressional districts \u2014 unless the courts intervene and force true neutral districts to be drawn \u2014 and those Democratic drawn districts will be just as awful as those drawn by Republicans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Or you can do nothing and watch the Republican Party become a permanent minority party.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s your party, your choice. <\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the varying sexual harassment\/abuse\/assault claims, we have to hold our public officials to a higher standard.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Hollywood \u2014 which traditionally has been the worst in terms of covering this sort of thing up \u2014 and the media have a better record than our elected officials, we have a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s be clear: Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich) \u2014 who \u201cretired\u201d Tuesday, needed to go. Ditto for Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) who quit Thursday after dozens of his colleagues called for his ouster, Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-NV) and Blake Farenthold (R-TX) and anyone else who paid out a settlement (with taxpayer dollars), should go, too. My thoughts on Roy Moore and Donald Trump are clear as noted above.<\/span><\/p>\n

If or when \u2014 and you know it\u2019s going to be \u201cwhen,\u201d especially with rumblings of a big expose due any day now in a major Pennsylvania newspaper \u2014 similar allegations come out for state legislators, it\u2019s the same deal: get out. Now.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no room for this sort of behavior in public life any more \u2014 women aren\u2019t objects (or men, either, as there are a few women and gay men who have been equally aggressive with male staffers\/journalists).<\/span><\/p>\n

Granted, we need to grow the heck up when it comes to sexuality as a people \u2014 Europeans laugh at our combination of puritanism and out of control (and often uninformed) sexuality \u2014 but that\u2019s a column for another day.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is about power and its abuse. It is intolerable.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, good ol\u2019 Gov. Ed has waded into the Lt. Governor race and endorsed John Fetterman \u2014 which should be the kiss of death for the Braddock mayor. Fetterman\u2019s whole anti-establishment argument is kind of screwed up when you have the backing of the ultimate party insider and a guy who never met a deal he couldn\u2019t renege on. As a party elder, he seems to think that he gets to pick the nominee \u2014 and picked Fetterman.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re more about democracy (small d), that kind of makes pretty much anyone else your best choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

This will be a wrap for 2017 \u2014 after a bit of downtime in an undisclosed location (assume palm trees, adult beverages and a delightful lack of sock wearing will be involved) \u2014 we\u2019ll be back with all new columns in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

From all of us, happy holidays!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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