OLD REPUBLICANS
GOP’s irrelevance shows through in wake of defeat
There’s a sorry bunch of mostly old white men around this country who are very amusing to watch at this time.
In the last four years, their highest priority was to see that Obama was a one-term president.
Despite slimy underhanded tactics of lying, smearing, extortion, coercion, suppression and intimidation, they failed. Now, if anything, they’re more vindictive, hateful and disrespectful than ever. They seem to think that being rich and white is a rite of passage, so to speak.
With a right-wing Supreme Court in their corner and their ability to rig the game in their favor, they still lost.
When are they going to get it? They’re irrelevant, they’re racist, and they’re ridiculous.
The ongoing Chicken Little act that John McCain and Lindsey Graham have been putting on lately is hilarious. They haven’t got the nerve to call Hillary Clinton before the Senate for questioning. She would be more than willing to take anything those two clowns could throw at her and give back twice what she took. They would end up a quivering bowl of Jell-o, stuttering and shaking in their boots.
RON ALLEN, Caldwell
TAXES
‘Pledge’ trumps oath of office and Constitution
A friend telephoned me yesterday and told me that, “In the House, 236 out of the 435 members and 41 in the Senate have taken the Grover Norquist pledge to not raise taxes. All four of Idaho’s congressional delegation signed on. Only three Democrats agreed.”
“This Grover guy is something else,” I said. What does his pledge say?”
“I, ____________, pledge to the taxpayers of the state of Idaho and to the American people that I will: One, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals and businesses; and Two, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”
“Signing the Pledge means you could be violating your official Oath of Office, which has been around since 1882. The oath says you are to support the Constitution of the United States, ‘without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.’ ”
“OK, friend, you mean they can’t raise taxes for defense or Hurricane Sandy recovery? Who is Grover Norquist?”
“He’s a Washington lobbyist.”
“Then, how can his pledge trump the Constitution and the official oath?”
“I don’t know. Better ask Congressman Labrador. He signed it.”
RICH LEVENGOOD, Moscow
HOLIDAY VALUES
Shame on retailers
What has happened to the values we used to treasure during the Thanksgiving time of year? Now we have retailers opening at 8 p.m. or even midnight on Thanksgiving. It is all about greed. To all those employees of companies who were taken away from the family celebration to go deal with outrageous, mean and sometimes drunk people, I commend you. It is sad you had to miss dinner and the festivities because you have to go to bed at 4 p.m. because you have to work at midnight.
I refuse to join the mayhem that the crowds bring on Friday. I realize it is not the consumer that is at blame here. “Open and they will come” philosophy has run rampant at the retail corporate level and seems to be getting worse. Plan on being open on Christmas? Again, might as well. You’ve robbed your employees of one holiday — why not take them all away in the name of profit and greed?
It is time to say, “Enough; stop the greed.” This must stop so we can get back to what the real meanings of the holidays are. I am not talking about ’50s televisions either.
GARY ELLIOTT, Meridian
