Party of the rich: it’s disgusting

Republicans long ago lost their connection to Abraham Lincoln and their old nickname, Grand Old Party. For some years now they’ve been trying to pass off the GOP as “God’s Only Party.” But it would be more appropriate to give up “GOP” altogether and start calling them “ROP – Rich Only Party.”

The ROP has stuck its stinking feet in the faces of the American people by holding up unemployment benefits, and all other legislation for that matter, until they get more tax cuts for their filthy-rich supporters.

The ROP has held millions of American workers and their families hostage until everyone cries “uncle” and agrees to pay $60 billion in tax handouts for millionaires.

As of this writing, more than a million jobless American workers have lost their only source of income, and the number will rise to 2 million by Christmastime if the ROP doesn’t get its way.

Some say the White House hasn’t fought hard enough to end the tax giveaways for the super-rich. That may be so. But who created this problem? The ROP. Who is fighting so hard for the top 2 percent that they don’t care about putting the unemployed and their kids out in the street in the dead of winter, or taking holiday presents out of kids’ stockings? The ROP. Yes, that’s the harsh real-world reality.

The Senate majority voted on Dec. 4 for President Obama’s proposal – to extend tax cuts for families and individuals making under $250,000. But although it got 53 votes, it went down to defeat because it failed to get the 60 votes needed to close debate.

Here is the lead sentence from the Boston Globe story.

“The Senate rejected President Obama’s proposal to let tax rates rise for the highest-income Americans yesterday, as Republicans held firm in their push to continue all of the expiring Bush-era tax cuts” – meaning the tax cuts for the millionaires.

That’s right. The ROP held firm. They were joined by four Democrats. But every single Republican, let us emphasize this, EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN, voted against this proposal. Not one Republican – not one! – dared to vote for the 98 percent of us, people who make under $250,000. Not the so-called moderates from Maine, nor the “everyman” from Massachusetts. Nope. Every ROPer was lock-step against the proposal.

It’s absolutely wrong and an outrage to let the richest of the rich continually off the hook in paying taxes. But remember where to direct the outrage!

GOP … ROP. It’s disgusting.

Photo: Senate Republican (Rich Only Party) leader Mitch McConnell. Gage Skidmore CC 2.0

 


CONTRIBUTOR

PW Editorial Board
PW Editorial Board

People’s World editorial board: Editor-in-Chief John Wojcik,  Managing Editor C.J. Atkins, Copy Editor Eric A. Gordon, Washington D.C. Bureau Chief Mark Gruenberg, Social Media Editor Chauncey K. Robinson, Senior Editor Roberta Wood, Senior Editor Joe Sims

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