By Steve McGourty

Sep. 10, 1995

As Senator Packwood prepares to leave office in disgrace he reminds us of a long tradition of the Republican party -- screw the little people for as long as you can get away with it.

Packwood is just the latest Grand Old Party member to get caught. He is preceded by such standout politicians as Joe McCarthy, Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon. While there have certainly been Democrats who have left office in disgrace there are none as well known or as corrupt as the list above.

The Republicans have long had the aura of the party for the rich fat cats. This distinction has not been generated by the liberal press, but earned by their actions through time. They have always been union busters, but one of their next moves just goes to show how anti-labor/common man they really are.

In the next session of Congress, Newt and his co-conspirators are going to introduce legislation to change overtime laws so that no one will get overtime until they have worked 160 hours in a month, as opposed to overtime after 40 hours in a week. This is just one more example of why you must vote against them in any election, unless of course you think it's right that corporate bosses should get richer while the workers earn less for more work, or get laid off.

You need to vote anti-Republican if you cherish your civil rights, your freedom, your children's education, fair wages, safety in the work place, or if you value your job. The fat cats are not there to look out for you; their constituency is clearly corporate America and its profits, not the citizens who elected them. Don't take my word for this. Don't just listen to their rhetoric. Look up the voting record from the last Congress and see how consistently the newly elected lizard legislators voted anti-labor, anti-civil rights, anti-education, anti-children, but pro-corporate welfare, pro-rich, and for laws that if allowed to stand will eventually divide this country into two classes: one rich and one poor.

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