Alan Caruba -- The Dangerous Democratic Party

By Alan Caruba
August 18, 2002
NewsWithViews.com

Every election is critical. The members of Congress are now campaigning prior to their return to Washington, DC after Labor Day. It is time to examine what the Democrats are saying because what we are witnessing is a morally bankrupt Democratic Party led by Clinton's chief fund-raiser, Terry McAuliffe.

Last week McAuliffe accused President Bush of exploiting 9-11 for political advantage. The other Democratic tactic is to tie the Bush administration to the corporate scandals, all of which began during the Clinton years. McAuliffe, whose Global Crossing investment turned $100,000 into an $18 million profit, accused Bush of failing to "restore confidence on Wall Street when he has engaged in the same practices he condemns today?" This is a boldfaced lie. Bush's stock sale was thoroughly investigated and totally exonerated.

Just before it adjourned, the Democrat-controlled Congress covered up the criminality of its leading fund-raiser, Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ). It gave him "a slap on the wrist" for transgressions that were comparable to Ohio Congressman James A. Traficant (D-OH) who was thrown out of Congress just in time to go to jail for eight years. The man accused of bribing Torricelli is in jail, but the Senator is not. The records of the so-called Ethics Committee remain sealed.

Corporate corruption flourished during the Clinton years, while he rented out the Lincoln bedroom for donations and had sex with an intern in the Oval Office. Yet, Al Gore is going around the country saying, "I don't care what anybody says. I think Bill Clinton and I did a darn good job." The utter debasement of the Democratic Party was completed by the Clinton-Gore administration.

Gore and other Democrats will repeat their lies about Social Security, attempting to scare senior citizens. The simple truth about Social Security that Democrats continually seek to obscure is that no government led by either party would last a day in office if they cut even one penny of Social Security benefits. The system, however, is in desperate need of reform.

Who looted Al Gore's "lock-box"? While the Clinton-Gore administration was in office, it raided the funds to the tune of $792,819,000! All four of the so-called lock-box bills died in the hands of Democrats in the Senate after passing the House by almost unanimous votes. Every senior citizen waiting for their monthly Social Security check should keep this in mind when they step into the election booth in November.

While railing against the Bush administration, Al Gore has also failed to mention that, under Clinton-Gore, the national debt ceiling had to be raised twice! He has also neglected to note that the national debt rose $1,132,000,000 while he was in office doing "a darn good job."

Meanwhile, in the 2002 Democrat-controlled Congress, there was a spending epidemic. According to the "Pig Book" published by Citizens Against Government Waste, the number of pork barrel projects increased 32 percent over the previous year. The thirteen appropriations bills passed late last year by Congress include up to $20.1 billion in wasteful spending for this year, a 9 percent increase over 2001's $18.5 billion.

While millions of acres of America's forests went up in flame, the Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, (D-SD) tried to quietly slip into a spending bill language that would exempt his home state from the environmental laws that have contributed to this catastrophe. Dashle continues to put this nation at risk for energy independence. He has continually thwarted efforts to open up the enormous oil reserves in Alaska. At a time when we shall be at war in the Middle East, this is virtually treasonous behavior.

Here, though, is the bizarre fact of politics in America today. A USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll revealed that people who say they plan to vote Republican or Democratic in this fall's elections are divided 44% for the GOP and 42% for Democrats. This is a deeply divided nation and the margins are razor thin while issues of national security hang in the balance.

The good news is that voters go to the polls seeking someone they can trust and, in this regard, Bush continues to hold onto the trust of most Americans. Will voters, however, elect Republican Representatives and Senators who will support his programs in Congress? No one knows. This is why this election is so critical. Democratic control of Congress will put this nation at tremendous risk.

Alan Caruba writes a weekly column, "Warning Signs", posted on www.anxietycenter.com the Internet site of The National Anxiety Center.

Home