Tom Finch – 6/30/08

This page was last updated on July 2, 2008.

Don’t blame Dems for mess we’re in; Thomas M. Finch; Beaver County Times; June 30, 2008.

6/30/08 - The Times originally published this letter on its website on June 29^th. It’s now listed as a letter of June 30^th and the link to the June 29^th version is gone.

Mr. Finch’s letters never disappoint. As usual, his letter is little more than a string of leftist talking points. It’s at least the 20^th anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican letter from Mr. Finch since December 2004 and the 15^th since August 2006. Here is one example. I wish he could get a regular column in the Times. I also wish he could get at least five minutes per day on a local radio and/or TV station.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“This letter is a rebuttal to Tuesday’s letter blaming Democrats and the ‘liberal media’ for all of the problems this country is now faced with.”

[RWC] Not surprisingly, Mr. Finch joined Messrs. Horter, Reeping, and Matthews in a battle of idiotic letters.

“I always thought that a free, objective press was one of the hallmarks of democracy. I didn’t realize the media’s main responsibility was to stifle dissent and serve as Bush’s cheerleaders.”

[RWC] “[O]bjective press?” When has the press not taken sides one way or the other on an issue?

“Excuse me, but after suffering through eight years of Republican rule, you’d have to be an idiot to expect Democrats to be able to fix things. The only things neo-con Republicans are proficient at are telling lies to mislead a gullible public into acquiescing to an agenda that has led to an unnecessary war, a ruined economy and a tarnished image abroad — while the rich get richer and the middle-class goes bankrupt.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch likes to use the term “neo-con,” but he never tells us what his definition is.

Mr. Finch refers to “a gullible public,” but fails to note many of his fellow travelers in Congress concurred. I guess they were gullible as well.

The rest of the paragraph is tired, old lefty talking points.

“Space doesn’t allow me to elaborate, but consider these points:”

[RWC] Actually, Mr. Finch doesn’t want to elaborate because that would require him to provide evidence to support his allegations.

“1) Blaming environmentalists for $5 gas? Big oil and big business dictate policy to Republicans, not the other way around. You’ll never see cheap gas again. Bush’s buddies won’t allow it.”

[RWC] I guess Mr. Finch believes “Big oil and big business” don’t want access to oil and gas reserves. Mr. Finch also seems to ignore the fact that what he calls “Big Oil” is really pretty small in the worldwide market.

While businesses and individuals shouldn’t dictate government policy, Mr. Finch believes government should “dictate policy” to business. That’s not how a free country operates.

“2) The ACLU shredded the Constitution? The ACLU has long been a champion of civil rights and the Constitution, while the current administration disdains civil liberties and hides behind executive privilege.”

[RWC] Mr. Finch should check his ACLU history. ACLU founder Roger Nash Baldwin said/wrote, “I am for socialism, disarmament, and, ultimately, for abolishing the state itself … I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal.” Does that sound like “a champion of civil rights and the Constitution?”

“3) Education problems blamed on the teacher’s union? Bush slashes the budget for education and handcuffs school boards, but somehow that’s the Democrats’ fault?”

[RWC] As usual, Mr. Finch doesn’t let facts get in the way of a rant. Check the federal budgets and you find Education received $35.5 billion in Bill Clinton’s last budget (2001). During the Bush administration, education spending gradually reached a peak of $93.4 billion in FY 2006. Since then it has dropped to $63.5 billion, but still 79% higher than Mr. Clinton’s last budget.

In any case, funding public schools isn’t a federal responsibility.

Let’s put federal education spending into context. As of 2005, federal spending made up 8.3% of PA spending on education.

Finally, the feds can’t “handcuff school boards.” Don’t take federal education money – which shouldn’t exist anyway – and you can tell the feds to take a hike.

“4) Democrats are responsible for 30 million dead babies? How many were killed under Bush’s reign? Talk is cheap. You cannot legislate morality, just con the voters with it.”

[RWC] President Bush did all the law allows. Mr. Bush nominated two Supreme Court justices (Alito and Roberts) who read what the Constitution says, not what they wish it would say. These are the kind of judges who likely would reverse Roe v. Wade. The bad news is we need at least one more judge like them and Justices Scalia and Thomas.

“Electing a Democrat won’t send this country to hell. It’s the last chance we have to restore a responsible government. If the letter writer finds the thought of President Barack Obama so distasteful, Canada is just a short drive away.”

[RWC] I get a kick out of Mr. Finch’s recommendation that Mr. Reeping move to Canada. Isn’t it always leftists who claim they’ll leave the U.S. if they don’t get a leftist president?

Mr. Finch is finally right about something. “Electing a Democrat won’t send this country to hell,” at least not all at once. In general we don’t lose our liberty in huge chunks. We lose our liberty bit by bit via seemingly minor compromises over a long period of time.