Besides, that not the point of the article. If you think it is not a serious matter that DeLay and his cohorts are trying to tear down the social fabric of this country, then fine, you're entitled to your opinion, of course.
Selma ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harry Pollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 2:39 AM Subject: Re: [Futurework] NYTimes.com Article: 'Some Crazy Guy' > Selma, > > Gerrymandering is carried out by both parties - to an extent where the > actual number of seats with a real contest is pitifully few. > > Now, that's a problem which needs addressing. > > Harry > > ---------------------------------------------------- > > swsinger1 wrote: > > >This article from NYTimes.com > >has been sent to you by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >I'm not sure this is directly related to futurework but I thought it > >important enough that it is related to everything. > > > >Selma > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >/-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ > > > >Explore more of Starbucks at Starbucks.com. > >http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp?ci=1015 > >\----------------------------------------------------------/ > > > >'Some Crazy Guy' > > > >June 13, 2003 > >By PAUL KRUGMAN > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Last year I tried to illustrate just how far to the right > >America's ruling party has moved by quoting some of > >Representative Tom DeLay's past remarks. I got some > >puzzling responses. "Who cares what some crazy guy in > >Congress says?" wrote one liberal economist, chiding me for > >being alarmist. > > > >Some crazy guy? Public images are funny things. Newt > >Gingrich became a famous symbol of Republican radicalism. > >By contrast, most people know little about Mr. DeLay, the > >House majority leader. Yet Mr. DeLay is more radical - and > >more powerful - than Mr. Gingrich ever was. > > > >Maybe Mr. DeLay's public profile will be raised by his > >success yesterday in sabotaging tax credits for 12 million > >children. Those tax credits would cost only $3.5 billion. > >But Mr. DeLay has embedded the credits in an $82 billion > >tax cut package. That is, he wants to extort $22 in tax > >cuts (in the face of record budget deficits) for every > >dollar given to poor children. > > > >But the really important stories about Mr. DeLay, a central > >figure in the impeachment of Bill Clinton, involve his > >continuing drive to give his party a permanent lock on > >power. > > > >Consider the case of Westar Energy, whose chief executive > >was indicted for fraud. The subsequent investigation turned > >up e-mail in which executives described being solicited by > >Republican politicians for donations to groups linked to > >Mr. DeLay, in return for a legislative "seat at the table." > >The provision Westar wanted was duly inserted into an > >energy bill. (Republican leaders deny that there was any > >quid pro quo.) > > > >There's every reason to believe that the Westar case is > >unusual only in the fact that the transaction came to > >light. Under Mr. DeLay's leadership, Republicans have > >established a huge fund-raising advantage, based not just > >on promises - special interests have always been able to > >buy favorable policies, but never so brazenly - but also on > >threats. Mr. DeLay pioneered the "K Street strategy," which > >- in a radical break with tradition - punishes lobbying > >firms that try to maintain good relations with both > >parties. > > > >Then there's the Texas redistricting story. > > > >Normally states redraw Congressional districts once a > >decade: Texas redistricted after the 2000 census. But under > >Mr. DeLay's leadership, Texas Republicans are trying to > >increase their advantage in seats with a second > >redistricting. This in itself is an unprecedented power > >grab. > > > >But it gets worse. Texas Democrats responded with a > >parliamentary maneuver, walking out to deprive the state > >Legislature of a quorum. In response, hundreds of state law > >enforcement officers were diverted from crime-fighting to > >search for the missing Democrats - assisted, yes, by the > >Department of Homeland Security. > > > >A telling anecdote: When an employee tried to stop Mr. > >DeLay from smoking a cigar on government property, the > >majority leader shouted, "I am the federal government." Not > >quite, not yet, but he's getting there. > > > >So what will Mr. DeLay and his associates do with their > >lock on power, once it is firmly established? They will > >push through a radical right-wing agenda. For example, > >expect to see much less environmental protection: Mr. DeLay > >has described the Environmental Protection Agency as "the > >Gestapo." > > > >Above all, expect to see the wall between church and state > >come tumbling down. Mr. DeLay has said that he went into > >politics to promote a "biblical worldview," and that he > >pursued President Clinton because he didn't share that > >view. Where would this worldview be put into effect? How > >about the schools: after the Columbine school shootings, > >Mr. DeLay called a press conference in which he attributed > >the tragedy to the fact that students are taught the theory > >of evolution. > > > >There's no point in getting mad at Mr. DeLay and his > >clique: they are what they are. I do, however, get angry at > >moderates, liberals and traditional conservatives who avert > >their eyes, pretending that current disputes are just > >politics as usual. They aren't - what we're looking at here > >is a radical power play, which if it succeeds will > >transform our country. Yet it's considered uncool to point > >that out. > > > >Many of those who minimize the threat the radical right now > >poses to America as we know it would hate to live in the > >country Mr. DeLay wants to create. Yet by playing down the > >seriousness of the challenge, they help bring his vision > >closer to reality. > > >http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/13/opinion/13KRUG.html?ex=1056503049&ei=1&en =52c263991fe6b0c8 > > > **************************************************** > Harry Pollard > Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles > Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 > Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 > http://home.attbi.com/~haledward > **************************************************** > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.489 / Virus Database: 288 - Release Date: 6/10/2003 > _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
