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Republicans Have the Most to Fear Next November
By: Bruce S. Ticker - 01/07/02
In Mad Magazine's spoof of the film "All the President's Men," Watergate investigative
reporter Bob Woodward escorts his journalistic partner Carl Bernstein to a parking
garage to meet Deep Throat, Woodward's secret source.
A car pulls up and a familiar face peers out of the window: Gerald Ford.
"No wonder!" Bernstein cries. "No wonder!"
In early September, Texas Sen. Phil Gramm announced that he will retire at the end of
this year. At the old age of 59.
On Wednesday, Democratic Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman and Carl Levin announced a
far-ranging investigation of Enron Corp.'s collapse wherever it might lead. Likely to
be subpoenaed by a Senate subcommittee headed by Levin is Wendy Gramm, wife of the
Texas senator, a director of Enron.
No Wonder! No Wonder!
We can't be sure if Gramm is leaving the Senate at a relatively young age because he
expects to become engulfed in the Enron probe. If that is the reason, then he knows
full well that the Enron mess will doom his political career.
Worse, Republicans may finally have voter wrath to fear even in a safe GOP haven like
Texas. They are seeking to hold onto both the governor's office and Gramm's Senate
seat next fall.
Enron is just one of nearly a half-dozen issues and developments which could undermine
the Republican right wing's grasp on Congress in the coming year. A number of these
issues coincidentally rose to the surface this past week.
Oh, sure, President Bush and his reactionary friends are basking in high approval
numbers in the polls and the public's attention is focused on the war on terrorism.
So if Republicans have such a bright future why are they pushing so hard to redistrict
congressional lines to assure Republican-held seats in the House? Why are even
centrist Republicans joining the bash-in against Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle?
Why are they trying to demonize every prospective Democratic challenger in moderate
states and congressional districts?
The one way to figure that a bully is frightened is when he goes hard on the
offensive. As the Republicans are doing now.
When Democrats in Kentucky trumpeted a comparison they discovered between GOP Rep.
Anne Northup and Gary Condit, a Republican leader went ballistic. Sens. Gordon Smith
of Oregon and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine have joined the
Daschle-slashing movement.
In New Hampshire, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, the likely Democratic nominee for the Senate,
must be the devil-incarnate if you believe Republican attacks. A female Missouri GOP
leader told women that they shouldn't vote for a candidate just because she has a "set
of ovaries"; Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan is being challenged by a male Republican.
Enron, of course, could do to the Bush administration and any other politicians
associated with it what Monica Lewinsky did to President Clinton. A more apt
comparison would be Watergate.
David Taffet, a RadioLeft commentator, pointed out that Gramm probably feared
political fallout from Enron. "Apparently Sen. Gramm is worried enough that he knew
that the threat of criminal charges against his wife could jeopardize his re-election
chances. Even in Texas." RadioLeft is at www.RadioLeft.com.
The $1.35 trillion tax cut will probably resonate with voters in many moderate states
and congressional districts where they are clearly disaffected with right-wing
politics, and their attention has not been sufficiently diverted from this by the war.
Daschle is right on target to blast the tax cut. It was the most incredibly
irresponsible vote by Congress which I can recall because it gives money to rich
people and big business without forcing them to account for what they do with it -
while sucking funds for needed services and at least having the potential to produce
deficits.
A trade bill passed by the House perceived to threaten domestic jobs will likely
threaten the jobs of a handful of individual Republicans. Robert E. Lighthizer wrote
in The New York Times that "Republicans whose seats may become less secure because of
redistricting...could find their votes in favor of trade promotion authority extremely
damaging."
Lighthizer was a deputy trade representative in the Reagan administration.
Even on education, a suburban New York superintendent said on a network news program
that he and other educators and school boards will defy the new education law which
requires annual testing which he believes will only hinder the educational process.
Democrats may not need to do much to exploit airport security. No doubt many current
and former airline security employees will remember that almost all House Republicans
stalled enactment of the law to federalize security screeners.
Redistricting can return to bite either party in any state where they played games
aimed at dislodging House members. In my state, Pennsylvania, the redistricting plan
that Republicans hope will unload Democrats would add many Democrats and soft
Republicans to districts which, combined with the other issues listed here, could
boomerang on them.
California Democrats acted prudently by protecting all incumbents of both parties and
adding a Democratic seat.
Finally, there is the war. First, those polls contradict other measuring yardsticks
such as letters to editors, call-in shows and the popularity of anti-Bush sites.
What the war, coupled with the Florida recount, did was mobilize voters to care what
politicians say and do. They won't wait for the end of the World Series this time to
mull the election. Voters in liberal and moderate, and to some extent conservative,
areas will vote for the candidate who makes the most sense.
By default, those candidates will not be Republicans.
No wonder! No wonder!
Bruce S. Ticker is a contributing writer for Liberal Slant. Visit him at
http://www.thebushsyndrome.com/
2001-2000-1999-1998
LIBERAL SLANT Web Publications.
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