GOP Hopefuls Gang Up on Newt Gingrich in Debate

It is evident that many Republicans are being manipulated to protect the wealthiest among us from additional minimal taxation to extend the present tax cut. In spite of their recent passage of a bill that funds the tax extension of the pipeline they are still trying to protect the wealthy by calling them job creators. Are these folks truly employment creators and if so where are the jobs being hidden from the unemployed?

We must as Americans become a collective team. We are willing as a nation to get involved in shared sacrifice. World War II has now become a memory for all citizens but its ethos hearkens back to dedicated people willing to work long hours, sacrifice personal wants, and live by a stringent ration book. Our families did without for the troops, often bought war bonds and lived by a new partnership with a responsive government.

Stuart Symington, the Senator from Missouri is perhaps best described by the columnist Robert Novak of the Wall Street Journal in the late 1950’s when he observed that his campaign had a somnambulistic air about it. Many people felt that Symington’s campaign could be distinguished from the other campaigns by his lack of a demon driving him irrationally toward the Presidency at all costs. Senator Symington gave the impression that life would go on for him much as it had before even if he failed to achieve the office.

Symington held to a fundamental concept of government that comprised a large portion of his definition of the American dream. He strongly believed in the concept of government being a partner of business, labor, and even farmers. A partner with government and the details that idea contained was his mantra. He took issue with those Republicans that called for the exclusion of basic partnership fundamentals from the prose of politics as being dangerous.

Symington felt that if you flew to any destination you wanted to make certain you got to your airport safely, therefore you needed the FAA as a partner. You buy stock in any company you want to make certain that corporation exists so the partnership with the SEC is crucial. You purchase a container of tablets in the drug store you want to feel that what is bottled are the capsules you desire, hence the partnership with the Food and Drug Administration. Listening to 91.5, you don’t want to find seven garbled stations; you need the FCC as a partner.

Symington had concluded and advocated that America had become strong because government served as the partner of everybody and we had to realize that strength was our only hope. A new road bridge, new school, and a good teacher were all great strengths in the aging eyes of this Missouri Senator. He felt government-business partnerships made the nation and the realization of its dream, great.

Today most Republicans are divided on this partnership aspect of the federal government.

Alan Phillips

Bloomington, IL

Alan G Phillips of IL 9:52AM December 16, 2011