Thursday, March 28, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor

A High School Reunion
Conversation Continues

JUNE 23, 2008 --

There was a report online, June 14,  that Sen Obama commented if Republicans go after us with a knife, Democrats will use a gun. The imagery is unfortunate.  

But since November 8, 1994, Republicans have been ineffective in dealing with ad hominem atttack from Democrats   

LPR has now heard the argument that the good people of American, Democratic and Republican, will vote for Obama.  And June 15 there was a report accusing Joe Lieberman of personally attacking Obama.

Another report LPR  saw online, June 14, was that Republilcans are falling short in their House campaign money.

And how are candidates measured by the media?  I think by the amount of money they raise.

If money is the milk of politics why should we be surprised that it becomes the milk of public policy?

With money spread over our politics, it may cover, but not permanently I think, the decay underneath.   

I write this committed to the founding philosophy of limited government with officials serving the common good.

I do not think the Founders intended to establish a system where sovereign authority resided in government.    

My sense is that politicians see public office as a means of private advancement, not public service.

It would have been encouraging if the report about lack of House campaign money would have quoted one Republican as declaring that people will vote for us on the basis of what we stand for, not how much money we raise.

I don't think I will hear that kind of statement from a Republican -- or Democrat.

Name-calling yes. That we will continue to hear and from my vantage point, the Democrats were always better at that  than Republicans.

(An earlier version of this statement appeared in post-reunion email communication of the Fieldston - Bronx, NY - Class of 1958.)