From www.humaneventsonline.com
Congressman: Democrat Leadership
Threatening 'Retribution' for
Dems Who Cooperate with White House
by Allan H. Ryskind
Posted Feb 10, 2005
Rep. Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) was asked at a CATO conference in Washington yesterday whether he had persuaded any Democrats to back his plan to rescue Social Security from its financial troubles. Under his legislation (HR 4851), no new taxes would be needed to pay for "transition costs," participation in the new system would be voluntary and individuals would be allowed to divert a portion of their payroll tax into a mutual fund.
A questioner from the audience, stressing his own Democratic credentials, said he believed Ryan's plan should attract members of his own party and wondered whether the Wisconsin lawmaker had secured any Democratic sponsors. Ryan said he had been working with friends on the "other side of the aisle" who were favorable toward his solution, but he faced an enormous problem: intense pressure on his colleagues from the minority leadership.
"We were in planning stages [with friendly Democrats]," said Ryan. But each essentially told him: "I like what you're doing. I like this bill. I think it's the right way to go. But my party leadership will break my back. The retribution that they are promising us is as great as I have ever seen. We can't do it."
Ryan said he believed the only thing that can assure passage is an outpouring from America's grassroots.
Mr. Ryskind, HUMAN EVENTS Editor at large, is writing a book on Communism in Hollywood.
So, you fine folks on the left still want to try telling us that the Democrats are willing to cooperate, or that they are looking for middle ground with the President's agenda?
As this article notes, the Democrats are looking for cooperation only among themselves, and they are more than willing to go out of their way to take out the knees, arms, legs, and other parts of any Democrat that might actually work with the President or the Republican party to get something accomplished.
This is just plain sickening. These elected morons, who can't seem to lose an election no matter how badly they perform (in most cases) are so secure in their jobs and the support they keep getting from their own liberal special interest groups that they continue to run the lock-step march for their party members so they can hopefully follow the same old delay and block maneuvers that they used under Former Senator (S.D.) Tom Daschle.
Apparently they are unwilling to acknowledge that they were sent a message in that election, and in others across the country, that citizens won't put up with these delay tactics, and that we want something done, and want it done now.
We don't want Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and friends to filibuster and stop Social Security Reform, Immigration reform, and other important programs for our financial and physical security.
A lot should have been accomplished in sending Daschle packing, but apparently a lot of work remains. Until the Democrats truly become a completely irrelevant also-ran party, with an inability to filibuster, they seem hell bent on self destruction at maximum speed. I hope the public is watching this, or will be reminded of this over and over again as the clock keeps getting closer and closer to 2006, and finally 2008.
