“Post-modernism” is an academic fad that rejects generally
the concept of universalism and more specifically those of objective reality,
truth, and reason. The leftist
craze to supplant the certainty of one’s biological sex with a self-defined “gender”
exemplifies its application to current public policy.
However, it also applies to discourse, when a communicator
makes certain charges while at the same time endorsing, if not emulating, the
very behavior criticized in that discourse. A recent letter-to-the-editor
by Louisiana’s head Democrat, party Chairwoman state Sen. Karen Peterson, illustrates this.
In this letter, Peterson attacks conservative
Republicans on two fronts. First, she decries the congressional GOP, and in
particular those from Louisiana, for not voting for bills her national party
passed through the House of Representatives to fund national government
operations fully. Then, in singling out Republican Rep. Ralph Abraham – by noting
in this period he held a fundraiser outside of the capital – she also attacks a
challenger to her party’s Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The main sticking point comes over GOP Pres. Donald Trump’s desire to see adequate border security implemented, at the cost of around $5 billion. The Democrats proposed much less for this, thereby continuing insufficient protection. That the standoff has suspended salaries until a later date for federal government employees, including those working in border security, she called “hypocrisy.”
The main sticking point comes over GOP Pres. Donald Trump’s desire to see adequate border security implemented, at the cost of around $5 billion. The Democrats proposed much less for this, thereby continuing insufficient protection. That the standoff has suspended salaries until a later date for federal government employees, including those working in border security, she called “hypocrisy.”
But that narrative, as pointed out in a communiqué by Louisiana
Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich, if not deceptive, at the very least is
selective. Abraham and the rest of the delegation did vote to fund fully the
government less than a month ago, only to have Senate Democrats kill it. And he
asked why should Democrats oppose spending a few billion more dollars, which is
an amount that would run the government for fewer than nine hours?
While unfortunate that many federal employees must
wait on pay even as they work, the partial shutdown has barely caused any inconvenience
or hardship; certainly, necessary government functions have continued unabated,
even as some minor, non-critical ones have ceased for the moment. And, as Gurvich
notes, Democrats could end the impasse by agreeing to spend on something
comprising 0.1 percent of the budget.
Instead, by linking to their spending bills elimination
of the current prohibition on directly funding abortions through U.S. foreign
assistance, Democrats have interfered with the process of restoring
funding. As Gurvich points out, it’s the height of hypocrisy for claiming Abraham
and his party has acted hypocritically when members of Peterson’s party did the
same and then tried to leverage another political issue into the fray.
Yet Peterson didn’t intend her national political commentary
to serve as her letter’s primary purpose. With Abraham’s declared candidacy, the
real motive for her missive tries to impugn Abraham’s character.
In 2015, as a relative unknown, Edwards could ride
that lack of voter knowledge and a record of Army service into making
the public believe he was a nice, trustworthy guy as opposed to his main
opponent, former Sen. David Vitter, who faced aged accusations of extramarital,
possibly illegal, marital dalliances. With national issues off the table and
with assistance from other Republicans (one of whom he subsequently hired into
the number two slot in his administration), he succeeded.
But in 2019, he can’t do that with Abraham, who
not only also is a veteran, but who also has a volunteerism record far
exceeding Edwards’. So, while Edwards has gone on three taxpayer-funded international
trips – to Cuba, Italy, and Israel – little about these trips required his and
his family’s physical presence. And while Abraham has gone on a few himself –
interestingly, among them to Cuba and Israel – these actually were job-related
and most of his recent travel he
did for humanitarian purposes out of his own pocket.
Democrats know that if Abraham neutralizes Edwards
on candidate image, they lose on the issues. Thus, they will try to make
Abraham look as craven and callous as possible, which is the true purpose of Peterson’s
note.
Which introduces the ultimate hypocrisy, if not
irony. In 2015, Peterson
was trying to talk Edwards out of running. In 2019, she’s spinning information
disingenuously to try to help him save his job.
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