Quotes about corporations: Lincoln,Cleveland, Roosevelt,Jefferson,Madison

“We may congratulate ourselves that this cruel war is nearing its end. It has cost a vast amount of treasure and blood … It has indeed been a trying hour for the Republic; but I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless.” Lincoln  November 21, 1864

“As we view the achievements of aggregated capital, we discover the existence of trusts, combinations, and monopolies, while the citizen is struggling far in the rear, or is trampled beneath an iron heel. Corporations, which should be the carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people’s masters.” Grover Cleveland 1888.

“The great corporations which we have grown to speak of rather loosely as trusts are the creatures of the State, and the State not only has the right to control them, but it is duty bound to control them wherever the need of such control is shown.”  State of The Union Address in 1902, Roosevelt

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them (around the banks), will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” Thomas Jefferson

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.  Already they have raised up a moneyed aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."    Thomas Jefferson

“There is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by…corporations. The power of all corporations ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses.” .” James Madison

“The end of democracy and the defeat of the American revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of the lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.” James Madison

God and the poor

Proverbs 14:31 “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

In the New International Version of the Bible, caring for the poor is referenced 178 times. Jesus talkes about giving to the poor and abandoning your wealth and money in general appox 105 times. He talked about money more than He did Heaven and Hell combined. Jesus' messages about money seem less to do with having too much than with too little. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is concerned with people having too little of what they really need. That meant health for the sick, welcome for outcasts, food for beggars, and protection for women and children. Of all the parables in the Bible 11 of 39 talk about money.

Politicians on the far right talk of being "Christians" and following God's word when they make their policies for the American people. They are quick to quote one of their favorite passages from the Bible, one that fits their speech for the day. They conveniently leave out the passages that do not support their ideas. They give their groups catchy names like Values Voter Summit, Christian Coalition, the Conservative Christian's, and the Christian County Republican. Each speech given includes some reference to the Bible, Jesus or God. George W Bush loved to talk about being a Christian and doing God's work. He even stated that God talked to him and told him to run for President.  On June 10, 2003 the Washington Post quoted him talking about God's concern for the poor: "Jewish prophets and Catholic teaching both speak of God's special concern for the poor. This is perhaps the most radical teaching of faith, that the value of life is not contingent on wealth or strength or skill, that value is a reflection of God's image." But  during his presidency poverty increased by 3 million children. The Republican Congress working with George W passed a bill that would reduce the number of low-income families who receive housing vouchers by more than 150,000. 
The current Republican controlled House has proposed cutting the following programs that help the poor: 
$1 billion off Head Start, $1.1 billion off the Public Housing Capital Fund, $752 million from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, and $5.7 billion from Pell Grants. They were against extending unemployment payments but the only policy they would not budge on was extending tax cuts for the rich. Presidential canidate Herman Cain is getting a lot of attention for his 9-9-9 plan. His plan sets a fixed tax rate for ALL Americans and corporations. Our current income tax plan allows for low income families to pay little or no tax, these families will now pay 9% sales tax (plus any state sales tax), and 9% tax on all income. Cain's plan reduces taxes for the rich while raising taxes for the poor.  Michele Bachmann wants to take away employer health insurance and give a "tax break" so people can buy their own insurance. With the average cost of health insurance about $13,200 a year, that equates to about 50% of their income.(poverty level for 2011 was set at $22,350). This is 15% of all wage earners. Again the poor will suffer. House Speaker John Boehner recieved a letter from  75 Catholic academics and community leaders stating ""Your record in support of legislation to address the desperate needs of the poor is among the worst in Congress." It is time the Democratic Party step foward and show the American people how just speaking like a good Christian does not matter, it is in your actions that show your true Christian/Jewish feelings.


Deuteronomy 15:7 “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.”




1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Corporations are people

"I refuse to believe that corporations are people until Texas executes one." unknown

Freedom being taken away by who?

The Tea Party is claiming that America has lost its way, that Obama and Democrats are taking away their freedom. They state that "workplace freedom" is being taken away because the democrats want to open the workers choice to join a union. If it is easier to join a group is that not one of the bases of freedom? Freedom to choose to join or not? Instead the Tea Party/GOP have been spending the last two years finding creative ways to suppress our freedom. In Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia the republican controlled Congress has decreased the time their constituents have to vote. Maine has done away with a policy that allows people to register at the polls on Election Day. Kansas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have changed their voting rights to only people with state or federal approved photo ID's. In Tennessee their new law does not permit identification cards issued by county and city governments or private employers.

Across the county Republican controlled congress' are changing redistricting maps to boster the Republican vote. The US Justice Department has ruled that the new Texas redistricting map violated the Voting Rights Acts.

In Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler unsuccessfully tried to stop local county clerks from mailing ballots to registered voters because they did not vote in the last election. But Denver District Judge Brian Whitney ruled that the county clerks can mail ballots out because "It is irreparable to disenfranchise a voter,'' Whitney ruled. "It is a fundamental right to be able to vote.''

A movement has begun called "Occupy Wall Street". In a short month this movement has  spread across the United States, bringing out thousands of people to protest the state of America. Yet Republican Mayors, Governors across the country are finding ways to suppress these young, educated people. The Republican Mayor of Boston kicked out the protesters because he said the park needed cleaned, same in New York's Zuccoti Park. Where would we be if we allowed the controlling few to suppress the Civil Rights marches, the Boston Tea Party, the Stamp Act of 1765, Vietnam and Korea protests, the Tea Party "rallies", ERA marches. American was built on it's citizens speaking out when they feel that the controlling few are making the wrong choices.

Our freedoms are being taken away, but it’s not by the Democrats. The regulations that are being applied are for our safety, to keep our environment clean so we can enjoy its beauty for years to come

Family

As I get older I begin to look at my life and the wonderful family that is my life. My dad had limited education due to his parents passing when he was only a young boy. He did the best he could, he got a job with the  US Postal Service, and with that he was able to live his dream of owning a small but rewarding farm. We had horses, chickens, a couple of pigs, and a cow. Dad never sat still, he was always pulling weeds, cleaning up after the animals, fixing fences, hauling hay, whatever needed to be done around the house. His domain was the farm. My mom grew up in a religious family, although she never herself was a very religious person. She attended some college and worked outside the home as a "bookkeeper". Mom was always the "peace keeper" in the family. Whenever trouble brewed she found a way to turn down the heat. Both my parents loved children. First there was Richard (Dick as I called him), followed by Robert Jr (Bob), then Tim (the animal lover). At this point no girl. So mom and dad said lets try one more time. They got more than they asked for. My twin-Tammi- was the girl they always wanted. I was the extra boy that came with the package. Mom and dad have both passed, as well as Dick, and Tim.
In my early 20's I met and feel in love with Rose. Rose was the first woman I met that already had done so much at her early age. She was a homeowner, going to college, traveled to Peru, read more books than I ever dreamed of. And she did it all on her own. No family help for college, no help to purchase her home or her trip to Peru. She was driven to improve not only herself but the people she cared about. This drive was new to me, excited me and I knew I wanted to be around her more.
Our first born is Nathan. He grew up being the kindest little boy around. Shy and intraverted. We enrolled him in Tae Kwon Do and he began to flourish. He went on to earn his internationally recognised black belt. He is active in Peace Jam (they won awards and participated in many international enviromental and peace orgainizations). Nathan is now studing to be an Aerospace Engineer.
Second is Autumn. a beautiful overly shy little girl growing up. To Autumn her friends were the world to her. She flourished in High School Color Guard, hours and hours of practice. Autumn is now studying  very hard so she can enter nursing school. She has always dreamed of working for Doctors without Borders.
As Nathan and Autumn were getting ready to leave the nest, Rose and I decided we were not ready or old enough (LOL) to be empty nesters. So off to China we went and brought home our third child: a beautiful girl  
Ji Mio Man (Angelina ). Angelina has been with us now for 5 years and we have loved (almost) every minute. With the age gap between the "teens" and Angelina we new we were not done!! So off to China again. This time we came home with a 5 year old boy. WuZiBu (Logan). Logan was a "special needs" child having a hydrocephalus shunt, and "enlarged" cornea's. We now know the "enlarged" corneas were caused by glaucoma.  The three years with Logan have been challenging. 9 operations on one eye!! But Logan is working hard to adapt to all the challenges that have been thrown at him.
I have more than my parents did in material objects, more education, and more opportunities than they ever had. Yet if you ask them, they had a family that made them happy, they didn't need all the riches in the world.  After all: it is the family that brings you the most joy, the most love, the best memories.

Sen. Sanders you are correct.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/congratulations-sen-cobur_b_905230.html

Raising the debt ceiling

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/opinion/01krugman.html?hp

Tax hikes vs spending cuts

This article from "'The Fiscal Times" clearly points out how spending cuts do have their place but tax cuts have proven to be effective in job creation, raising revenue, and increasing the GDP. Don't be so quick to say no to tax increases.
 http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2011/06/24/Will-Higher-Taxes-Tank-the-Economy.aspx

Newt

We heard this week that Mike Huckelbee will not be running for president. That leaves a handful of conservatives  for 2012.  One of them led the battle to impeach then President Clinton for his affair with Lewinsky claiming his moral superiority and condemning Clinton for his un-presidential behavior, while he himself was having an affair with Callista Bisek. This was not his only affair, there was  Anne Manning, and  Marianne Ginther. In the spring of 1990 his then wife, Jackie Battley, was in the hospital with cancer, during one of his hospital visits this "social conservative" asked his wife for a divorce so he could marry the young (23 years his junior) woman he was then having an affair with. She then had to sue him for get him to contribute for bills, as utilities were about to be cut off.  Newt Gingrich is on his third marriage. During his run as Speaker of the House, Newt had eighty-four ethics charges filed against him.
His views on subjects like energy, corporations, social are far right conservative. Even after our latest gulf oil spill, Newt still wants to lift government  'bureaucratic and legal obstacles" to oil drilling. He wants to lift the ban on oil shale strip mining. Newt wants to give states a federal royalty to increase off shore drilling.  Those policies are reckless and incredibly damaging to our environment. Living here in Colorado, which would be a major source of oil shale, I would hate to see our beautiful mountains become strip mined.
On Healthcare Newt would get rid of Medicare by having seniors get vouchers  He wants to reform the FDA so  new advances in medicine and technology can move faster. This is a very good idea, Europe, Asia and some parts of the Middle East are doing procedures that we still call "experimental". He would repeal Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood. 
Newt Gingrich believes his views are correct and  would only nominate conservative judges that uphold his view of the constitution. This is a man who questioned President Obama's birth, questioned his judgement saying  Obama has a "Kenyan anti-colonial mentality". In early March he said lets go get Qaddafi, then on the 23rd after Obama spoke he changed his mind and said “I never favored intervention.”
Newt was deeply involved in the House banking scandal in which he bounced 22 Congressional Checks. Some 
of his votes while in Congress include: good and not so good: 
March 21, 1991 - $40 billion to begin the bailout of failed savings and loan institutions
February 5, 1981 voted to raise the debt ceiling$49.1 billion
May 16, 1990 - $2.9 billion for Head Start and again May 12, 1994 $3.3 billion-per-year Head Start 
July 20, 1990 - $ 1.I billion for education
 May 22, 1990 - the Americans with Disabilities Act
October 22, 1991 National Police Corps
He has supported  NAFTA and GATT, he did not vote on either min wage bill (1996) and chose to not vote on DOMA. Voted for the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.
 Newt talks a very conservative game, but at least in the 90's he did not vote very conservatiev. 

Obama and birthers

 President Barack Hussein Obama released his long form birth certificate this week. I have been told so many times that he must be hiding something, it only makes him look guilty. As one of the birthers stated recently" he was only doing it to make the Republicans look bad" I would say President Obama did a real good job on that one.


 The "birthers" are led by likes of :Orly Taiz, Sara Palin, Tom Tancredo, The Donald, Chuck Norris, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, Lou Dobbs, Roy Blunt, FOX News, Sean Hannity, Jan Brewer, Mitt  Romney, Rick Santorum, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mitch McConnel, and Haley Barour. And the de facto leader of the Republican party: Rush Limbaugh.   Do all these names seem familiar? 

Surprise they are all "leaders" in one form or another of the Republican party. Several of these wackos are running for President! If they are so gullible to believe the birther theory how can anyone trust them in the White House?

 Orly Taitz-the queen of birthers- even started to question whether Hawaii was a legal state: 

 Hawaii cannot be considered part of the United States "unless it can produce an authentic statehood certificate." Ms. Taitz said that she did a thorough title search on the islands and has concluded that rather than being a U.S. state, "the islands of Hawaii appear to be colonies of Kenya."


Instead of doing the job that they all have been hired to do: create jobs, turn the Bush recession around, they spend there time and money on a wild goose chase. 
This group of people are so filled with hate toward any successful Democrat that they will believe and do anything that they think will hurt. 
I guarantee that if a president with the exact same birth history was elected but had the  name  Conan O'Mally and had fair skin, that this "birther" movement would never had started. 

US Immigration

It seems like we hear almost weekly some news about our immigration problem here in the US. The politicians keep promising to fix the "problem", with the democrats wanting to allow current illegal immigrants amnesty, and some on the right want to stop immigration all together. Both sides seem to focus on the people coming here, not why they are coming or even why immigration is considered a problem. Nobody is talking about the real problem. It is not who is coming here, or how they got here. The real problem is our immigration policy. We make it incredibly hard to become a law abiding American citizen. In this global economy, where China, India, Japan are out performing the American educational system in science and math, and Finland, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and New Zealand continue to outpace the U.S. in reading as well, why are we not encouraging these people to come here? Would that not make America stronger to compete globally?  We have approximatively 1.2 million college educated immigrants living in the United States. Some are doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, some even worked with and for our military helping our soldiers during war times. Yet these people can not get jobs in their field because our immigration policy puts too many road blocks in their way. Think about  the fact that it can take up to seven years to fulfill our requirements to be a citizen. Just to get a Visa interview 
you must go through a multi stage process consisting of : submitting a petition to USCIS, then if approved your petition is sent to the Department of State's National Visa Center where it sits until a Visa number becomes available. These highly educated and talented people can't get hired until in their profession until they become citizens. Then our employers look at their work history and tell them they don't have enough experience working in the US. For doctors they must pass a series of tests (some costing $1000)  then re-do their two year residency, just to practice the same healthcare they have been doing for years-only not here in the US. I know of a Russian pharmacist who came here to marry an  American citizen, spoke fluent English but had to go back to college and re-earn her pharmacy degree. As for the not so highly educated immigrants, why does our system make it so hard to become a legal citizen. If our system was fair, less bureaucratic, allowing these people an opportunity to come here, work hard, pay taxes, would we have so many coming here illegally? 
They do not come  to the US  to steal our jobs or bring their ideology to the US. These people come here cause they believe the United States is the land of opportunity, the place where our own history shows that immigrants can come and become productive citizens. If America always had these stifling immigration laws would we have had people like  Albert Einstein, Madeline Albright, Joesph Pulitzer, Subranhmanyan Chandrasekhar (Nobel laureate for Physics) or even Mother Cabrini? 

Mitt Romney: conservative or liberal?

Ex Governor Mitt Romney is preparing to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Mr. Romney has been in politics his entire life following his successful father into politics (George Romney Gov of Mass).  It is hard to find exactly what Mr. Romney's polictial views are. As he becomes more and more a part of the Republican mainstream his views have moved more to the right. His views on abortion have changed as his political career has blossomed. Prior to his 2008 presidential run Mr. Romney's abortion view was pro-choice. In 1994 in his senatorial race against Ted Kennedy he campaigned with Nicki Nichols Gamble, former president of the Massachusetts branch of Planned Parenthood. Mr. Romney's wife gave $150 donation to Planned Parenthood that year. In 2005 he signed an agreement with Planned Parenthood to support increased access to the "morning after" pill.  Then he refused to sign the bill when it came to his desk. Then later in the year another bill came to desk that granted a federal waiver to expand the number of Massachusetts citizens eligible for family planning services, including the "morning after" pill, this bill he signed.  He has supported several "liberal" policies like  stem cell research: “It is time to move beyond typical Washington politics, and offer support for stem-cell research techniques that bring science and ethics together to promote life, protect life, and save lives.”  He was one of the few Republicans who voted for TARP, he created, passed and implemented  Romenycare (smaller version of Obamacare, and  requires nearly all Massachusetts residents to buy health insurance coverage or face escalating tax penalties such as the loss of their personal income tax exemption), he Instituted the John & Abigail Adams award in Massachusetts, which gives top 25% of high school students FREE tuition to any public in-state college (now that's a Liberal thing to do). As Gov his administration raised various fees by more than $300 million, including those for driver's licenses, marriage licenses, and gun licenses. Romney increased the state gasoline fee by 2 cents per gallon. He has supported domestic partnership benefits, but does believe marriage is reserved only for a man and woman. Gov Romney even removed several corporate tax loopholes. To go way back in Mr. Romney's political life in the 1992 Democratic Party presidential primaries he voted for the former democratic  senator from the state, Paul Tsongas. Currently he has been quoted as saying "I support military action in Libya. I support our troops there and the mission that they’ve been given." Until recently (2008) Mr Romney has had a pretty left leaning agenda.
As Gov, Mr Romney did try and find his conservative side. His efforts to bring in spending was right down the conservative play book. His budget had $140 million reduction in state funding for higher education, which led state-run colleges and universities to increase tuition by 63 percent over four years.(trickle down economics that Reganites forget to tell you). He did inherit a terrible Mass economy. In his four years as governor Romney took a record deficit and turned it into a surplus!  He is proud to say that he did this without raising taxes, however in balancing the budget he did add 33 new fees, and 57 existing fees were increased. At least Mr. Romney understands that just cutting taxes and services will not balance a budget. He cut state spending by $1.6 billion, but those cuts to state services put pressure on local governments that still needed to supply  those services to raise private property taxes to 5%. Then in 2005 he allowed local commercial property taxes to be raised.
I believe the Mitt Romney we shall see on the campaign trail will be a very fiscal and social conservative, I just hope if Mr. Romney is elected that we shall see the Mitt Romney prior to 2008.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer Video

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpdomg4Dy8

Wu Zhong Hang

Update: 9/9/11 His adoptive family, the Taylor's have been working through the long paper chase. His adoption is moving forward with good speed. they received their LOA (letter of acceptance) from China. Now they must wait for TA, travel approval, and appointment with the US Consulate in China. After that they make last minute travel arrangements to China! Hope and pray he will be "home" for Christmas.

Logan's foster brother in China. A family has stepped foward to ask China if they can adopt Wu Zhong Hang!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286212@N08/sets/72157626082630700/
Logan is on the left.

Adoption:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPZIKwnhFpA&feature=fvwrel

http://www.parkerhospital.org/body.cfm?id=64

Please consider adoption. There are so many children that need your love.

GOP and Science

We would like to hope that our elected officials were college educated and considered intellectuals. After all they deal with very complicated issues everyday. They have to read thousands of bills, papers each year. So how is it that some in Congress can not even agree on scientific facts? 
Joe Barton top GOP congressman from Texas states "CO2 is good for the environment, it is odorless, colorless, tasteless—it's not a threat to human health in terms of being exposed to it." Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) offered up a bill that would eliminate Clean Air Act provisions that would allow the EPA to set common-sense standards to cut the pollution from large industrial polluters. The bill would repeal the fact of a scientific determination by the EPA that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas pollutants are a threat to human health and welfare. And they do not state one study that proves the EPA is incorrect. Today one very prominent speaker for the GOP-Ann Coulter- even said that nuclear radiation is good for you. "at some level--much higher than the minimums set by the U.S. government--radiation is good for you," and actually reduces the risk of cancer. Even when given the facts of years of research from the National Academy of Sciences, scientific academies from around the world and a vast majority of the world's climate scientists the Republican party line is that  all these scientists are wrong.-The believe that the current climate change is a natural occurance, humans have nothing to do with it. What is really mind boggling is the GOP's refusal to fund healthcare and the health sciences. The Republican house budget calls for $1 billion in cuts for the National Institutes Of Health. NIH is the branch of government that does medical research. Thanks to the efforts of the NIH, in 2007 cancer deaths declined for the first time. Heart disease and stroke deaths are down. They are against stem cell research and because of their blocking research funding for stem cells America has fallen behind China and other countries. And since the GOP's campaign was all about jobs, jobs jobs, the NIH employs hundreds of thousands of Americans. The NIH's research developed the MRI, and how virus cause cancer. The NIH has been supported by Republican presidents and congressmen since its inception in 1887, yet these "new" Republican/Tea Party elected officials believe we don't need to support this kind of research anymore. In Texas the republican party is even looking to ban the teaching of evolution. The GOP keep hoping we roll back time, to the good old days when they did not have to think intelligently, back to what pre 1859? after all thats when  Irish scientist John Tyndall correctly explained how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere “traps” heat radiation, and also when Darwin publishedThe Origin of Species. Science is from the Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge". I believe a knowledgeable electorate is good for America, and what the founding fathers wanted. What the GOP wants is an electorate that only understands their talking points. 

Who are the fiscal conservatives?

Lets compare a few presidential administration's record on the economy. Bill Clinton (D) left an economy that  created more then 22 million jobs. Median incomes were up, poverty rates were at their lowest levels in decades. Unemployment fell from 7% to 4%. He left office with a $200 billion surplus. When George W came into office  his  priorities was  major tax cuts (7). This decreased tax receipts to 17.9% of GDP compared to 19% under Clinton. He not only used up the surplus left to him by Clinton, but by the end of his term in office he had increased the federal deficit to $700B. ($2.5 trillion increase in the public debt through 2008) He left office with the US and World economy was falling into the Great Recession. Retail sales were at their lowest in 35 years, The housing market was busted. When President Obama took office in 2008 the stock market had begun its fall, by March of 2009 the DOW was below 6K.  The Obama stimulus plan would cost  $168 billion. This on the heals of W. Bush's stimulus plan increased the national debt to 1T. This stimulus plan has doubled the DOW up to 12K, retail sales are up 31% as of Jan 2010. Unemployment is starting to go down with the private sector adding jobs for the first time since the start of the Great Recession. The diffusion index — the percentage of industries that were adding workers — increased to 68.2% in February, the highest in 13 years. People applying for unemployment is at three year low.  The Congressional Budget Office  estimated that between 1.4 million and 3.4 million workers who have jobs would be unemployed if the stimulus hadn’t been enacted. 
So when we look at the facts, how on Earth did the republicans become the party of fiscal responsibility??