Friday, March 29, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor

Advice to Republicans
From Republicans

MARCH 31, 2008 --

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. suggests in his March 25 column that Republican writers recognize that the GOP has lost standing with the people -- and might even be offering, if not explicitly so, advice that could come straight from Federalist 57's counsel that leaders work for the common good and stand with the people.   

One of the books mentioned by Dionne -- to appear in June -- is "Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream," by Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam. LPR noted with great interest  that the authors, as cited by Dionne, are concerned, among other things with  "the expansion of credit card debt [and] retirement and health care security …"

LPR has been railing about oppressive credit card interest rates for years.   Will someone finally take notice that 30% interest rates are predatory and punitive beyond reason?  And perhaps notice, too, will be taken that people on Medicare might still have productive working  years ahead of them.

This writer has long been fascinated that he can still serve -- pro bono -- as small claims court arbitrator, yet has difficulty finding gainful employment, required for basics like food, clothing and shelter.

For LPR, the concern of officials  about the common good doesn't seem to  go much beyond the performance of the stock market. And please note, LPR is a believer in free enterprise, not heavy-handed government regulation.

(LPR has indicated more than once how officials can manipulate property taxes to get new owners -- as happened at Dayton Seaside in Rockaway Park Queens, under Mayor Giuliani, backed by some local politicians with the media looking the other way.)

Dionne cites a Pew Research Center poll that only 27 percent of Americans consider themselves Republicans. Why should voters stand with pols who stand apart from the people? LPR remains convinced that voters would flock to the GOP if it stood for the counsel provided in Federalist 57 and worked for the common good, not for government of, by and for insiders. No. 57 warned that when government does not serve the common good it becomes tyrannical.