June 7, 1997

Republicans sacrifice disaster victims to "politics as usual"

Are the Republicans getting ready for the next election or what? Their recent attachment of completely unrelated items to the disaster relief bill which will be vetoed by President Clinton is a slap-you-in-the-face reminder of the dirty politics in the 1996 campaigns.

Remember the Republican's plan to send bill after bill they knew Clinton would veto during the 1996 campaigns? It seems they are at it again as Mr. Clinton told Congress the disaster bill would be vetoed if the non-associated items (to prevent future government shut-down and to prevent the Census Bureau from using sampling techniques) were not removed.

The rider-type items are two separate issues and should not be in the bill to begin with. Jack Kemp, on Meet the Press, June 8 stated that he knew of no bills that did not have riders.

But, that doesn't make the technique right. Kemp's is just a dumb statement to make. Usually, however, it just means one party wanted to force a matter through Congress and the President by attaching it to a much needed bill. In other words, a political ploy as dirty as one can get in regards to the disaster bill.

Republicans' answer voiced by Dick Armey is to blame it on President Clinton. But, as far as Armey is concerned, only a fool would believe him and his party members who are misleading the public. How are they misleading the public?

The House and Senate Republicans have kept the non-related items attached to the bill and are trying to force Clinton to sign the bill by plying on the emotions of the public and those in desperate need for disaster funding.

By doing so, Republicans can blame the President for the lack of disaster relief. Then, the hold-up can be generalized to the Democratic Party in future elections, whether for Congress or the Presidency.

Hopefully, the public isn't so foolish as to misdirect the anger from the people actually responsible, the Republican Party, to President Clinton. Afterall, the simple solution to the problem is to send the President a clean bill and resolve the other matters through separate bills.

Rather than removing the items causing the veto, Republicans have elected to use it as a political tool to cause disfavor and begin providing a platform of unrest against the Democratic Party. In the meantime, disastor victims remain without help.

And, to put it bluntly in terms I am sure you will understand, Republican leaders, that sucks.