Shame America First
Whether we're talking politics or what passes for ethics, Chris Christie is the embodiment of his party's values. So it was no surprise to hear him express those values so bluntly last night in a speech to something called the "George W. Bush Institute" at a conference on the nonsensical voodoo notion that cutting taxes will lead to "4 percent growth." (You mean, like it did before 2008?)
Christie began by praising former President George W. Bush: --Mr.
President, thank you for setting that example, thank you for inspiring a
whole new generation of conservative Republican leaders who you helped
create." Then he said this:
"I've never seen a less optimistic time in my lifetime in this country. People wonder why, I think it's because government is now telling them to stop dreaming, to stop striving, (saying) we'll take care of you. We're turning into a paternalistic entitlement society. That will not just bankrupt us financially, it will bankrupt us morally."
Call 'em the "Shame America First" crowd. The GOP heavyweights in attendance enthusiastically agreed that ordinary Americans, not they or their patrons, were to blame for what's wrong with this country. Christie then added:
"When the American people no longer believe that this is a place where only their willingness to work hard and to act with honor and integrity and ingenuity determines their success in life, then we'll have a bunch of people sitting on a couch waiting for their next government check."
Republicans: They'll steal your wallet, then lecture you on the immorality of walking around without cash in your pocket.
Meanwhile, back on planet Earth...
Meanwhile unemployment claims jumped last week, underscoring the bad news in March's job numbers and the urgency of more Federal assistance to combat unemployment.
The ranks of today's unemployed include record-high percentages of young people, aging workers, long-term unemployed, minority workers, and others -- and they're especially high in New Jersey, a state that is performing more poorly than the rest of the country under Christie's leadership. But Christie didn't offer a message of support or an oath to support them and work to grow our economy.
No, Christie offered a different message to the unemployed: It's your fault. You're just a bunch of lazy couch potatoes who think you're "entitled" -- entitled to the job you're not being offered, entitled to the unemployment insurance that's running out, entitled to the cuts in Medicare and Social Security we have planned for you. You're entitled entitled entitled ...
GOP to America: Drop Dead
Christie's message -- the Republican message -- is that you're the problem. You stopped dreaming or striving. The unemployed factory worker who's applied to three jobs a day until there was nowhere else to apply has stopped dreaming. The unemployed single mom who can't find a job, and can't move elsewhere in search of work because she's underwater on her house, has stopped striving. The Trenton warehouse worker who's been turned away from job after job because he's too "old" at 45 is "sitting on a couch waiting for his next government check."
What about the people who fund Chris Christie and his party, the lawbreaking bankers and environment despoilers? Apparently they displayed their "hard work and honor and ingenuity" by gambling with our mortgages and being bailed out by our tax money.
Talk Talk
Take a look at Chris Christie. Take a good look. He's not just a member of the Republican Party. He is the Republican Party. Mitt Romney may be more courteous and civil, but if you pull off his mask you'll see Chris Christie's face. And whenever the Republican Party "cuts the crap" and reveals itself, that's the face you'll see -- that of a selfish, arrogant, heartless lackey for corporate greed and personal excess.
Ya wanna have a "conversation" with us, Mr. Governor? Anytime. We're not hard to find. You can find us on the unemployment lines. Or working two jobs for wages that never go up. Or paying an inflated mortgage every month because the bank's corrupt appraiser overstated our mortgage. Or struggling with breathing difficulties because environmental rules were "relaxed" to let a polluter move into our neighborhood.
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