What would Ronald Reagan think of Michele Bachmann?
Eric Black in the Strib's "The Big Question" writes about a statement Michele Bachmann made at the May 6 GOP endorsing convention. A transcription of audio files of the event catch her saying:
For the record, here are Reagan's exact words from the passage Bachmann paraphrased:
In this passage — and in the speech — Reagan extols "individual freedom" over "totalitarianism" and warns against "those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course."
My, how things have changed since Reagan's days. Indeed, we are facing these same battles today. Yet Bachmann has the sides wrong on this. For in the name of fighting the so-called "war on terror" it is the current administration along with an implicit Republican Congress that are willing to "trade our freedom for security" through overbearing provisions of the Patriot Act, illegal domestic surveillance, and other limitations on individual rights in the name of security instituted in the last five years.
Further, it is today's Republicans who advocate limiting the individual freedoms inherent with reproductive rights, a limitation that Ms. Bachmann passionately espouses.
Ms. Bachmann is an enigma. An obviously intelligent and well-educated woman with a post doctorate from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, she nevertheless speaks in the generalities and platitudes of an accomplished politician — words designed to garner votes from those less intelligent than she whose minds are closed to all but a few issues.
It is difficult to fault anyone who has been a foster parent for 23 children, who is strongly religious, and who believes passionately in the strength of the family. Yet I have known others with like credentials who hold diametrically opposite political views.
Voters must look past the political rhetoric, past even a candidate's personal background, and judge whether that candidate is reflecting an honest message — one that matches the candidate's words and actions.
Ms. Bachmann is clear about her self-described advocacy of "conservative" values. But those values today — runaway fiscal deficits, the redistribution of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the very rich, endless war, and, yes, limitations upon individual rights — are a far cry from the principles that Mr. Reagan so passionately and effectively espoused.
I will offer you a clear choice between the central planners, with their philosophy of totalitarianism.
It’s just like Ronald Reagan said in his famous "Time for Choosing" speech, and it still is our issue for this day.
Will we either choose between up or down? Will we choose going down to the ant-heap of totalitarianism where government makes our choices for us, or will we choose to go up for economic freedom and for prosperity?
For the record, here are Reagan's exact words from the passage Bachmann paraphrased:
You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down — up to a man's age-old dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order — or down to the ant heap totalitarianism, and regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.
In this passage — and in the speech — Reagan extols "individual freedom" over "totalitarianism" and warns against "those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course."
My, how things have changed since Reagan's days. Indeed, we are facing these same battles today. Yet Bachmann has the sides wrong on this. For in the name of fighting the so-called "war on terror" it is the current administration along with an implicit Republican Congress that are willing to "trade our freedom for security" through overbearing provisions of the Patriot Act, illegal domestic surveillance, and other limitations on individual rights in the name of security instituted in the last five years.
Further, it is today's Republicans who advocate limiting the individual freedoms inherent with reproductive rights, a limitation that Ms. Bachmann passionately espouses.
Ms. Bachmann is an enigma. An obviously intelligent and well-educated woman with a post doctorate from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law, she nevertheless speaks in the generalities and platitudes of an accomplished politician — words designed to garner votes from those less intelligent than she whose minds are closed to all but a few issues.
It is difficult to fault anyone who has been a foster parent for 23 children, who is strongly religious, and who believes passionately in the strength of the family. Yet I have known others with like credentials who hold diametrically opposite political views.
Voters must look past the political rhetoric, past even a candidate's personal background, and judge whether that candidate is reflecting an honest message — one that matches the candidate's words and actions.
Ms. Bachmann is clear about her self-described advocacy of "conservative" values. But those values today — runaway fiscal deficits, the redistribution of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the very rich, endless war, and, yes, limitations upon individual rights — are a far cry from the principles that Mr. Reagan so passionately and effectively espoused.
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