PAUL SCHAFFNER: FARGO FORUM HYPOCRISY ON “REPUBLICAN HYPOCRISY”
In response to your "Stunning Stimulus Hypocrisy" editorial, Republicans are guilty as charged, me included. Unlike, the progressive Forum Editorial Board, I am a casualty of human nature consequently hypocrisy. From that Fargo Forum editorial:
Americans tend to forgive politicians for most transgressions, but hypocrisy is a deal-breaker. When Republican governors rail against the Recovery Act (stimulus) and then jump on the podium to take credit for stimulus-funded projects, the stench of hypocrisy cannot be masked by flowery speeches. The same reek taints Republicans in Congress for playing politics with one hand and taking the stimulus money with the other.
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The examples of Republicans saying “do as I say, not as I do” can be found in nearly every state in the union. All that dirty federal money gets laundered in a washtub of sanctimonious Republican froth complete with photo ops, news releases and glowing claims of job creation. Then they bray that not one job has been created by the stimulus.
Cut it out, fellas. It’s a stunning display of the kind of political hypocrisy that has made politician a dirty word.
The previous being stated: Hypocrisy is not malady distinct to the Republican Party and hypocrisy afflicts the most populist of Democratic congressional delegations. I will withhold the tit for tat score keeping of the hypocrisy game; I lost score years ago.
What is stunning is a lack of curiosity by the Forum Editorial Board covering North Dakota's delegation in Washington D.C. And North Dakota's Republican controlled state legislature.
FOR SALE: LARGE HOME JUST SOUTH OF BISMARCK
We should discuss public policy such as HR 3936 introduced by Earl Pomeroy. HR 3962 is a potential bailout of mismanaged multiemployer union pension plans. Since North Dakota is a right to work state a simple question begs, why? Next, does HR 3936 represent sound investment policy? If so, do unions retain ample risk in relation to employers?
Your opinion piece characterized the North Dakota Republican dominated legislature as: "Happy as a clam to claim millions of dollars in federal road repair funds while banking millions of dollars in state surplus." In the interest of curiosity, who were the specific Republican legislatures you cited and interviewed in the past year regarding stimulus funding and road repair?
One last question with the risk of sounding nativist (populist rhetoric): Who are the "out of state interests" conspiring against our congressional delegation? And, should my family be concerned?(sarcasm)
Curiosity is not innate to editorial boards.
DakotaBeacon