Tom Finch – 10/16/08

This page was last updated on October 18, 2008.

Republicans can only spread lies; Thomas M. Finch; Beaver County Times; October 16, 2008.

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 21^st anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican letter from Mr. Finch since December 2004 and the 16^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.

“It disgusts me to consider that John McCain has a real chance to win this election.”

[RWC] Read his letters and you find anyone who doesn’t believe as he does “disgusts” Mr. Finch.

“Based on the past eight years, it shouldn’t even be a close race. Everything the McCain campaign does to influence voters is based on lies and deceit.”

[RWC] This was a theme of Mr. Finch’s most recent previous letter.

“The claim that a so-called liberal press is duping starry-eyed voters into following Barack Obama is laughable. Most of the media are owned and operated by Republicans, who shamelessly spew half-truths, propaganda and outright lies to brainwash the gullible masses into supporting their pro-corporate, neo-con agenda.”

[RWC] If Mr. Finch believes “most of the media are owned and operated by” the right, at least William G. Horter has a fellow believer. Does Mr. Finch read the Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New York Times, Washington Post, or watch CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, et cetera?

As I’ve written before, Mr. Finch likes to use the term “neo-con,” but he never tells us what his definition is.

“For 20 of the last 28 years, Republicans have controlled the White House — and much of the time Congress, too. They’ve left us with an unnecessary war, a depleted treasury, a ruined economy, record unemployment and a vanishing middle-class.”

[RWC] To “control” Congress, you need both a majority in the House and at least 60 reliable votes in the Senate. Republicans haven’t had close to 60 seats in the Senate, let alone 60 reliable votes. Of the last 28 years, Republicans were the majority in the House for only 12. Republicans held the majority in the Senate for about 15 years.

As far as a “depleted treasury,” we’ve been in debt since decades before President Bush took office.

“Record unemployment?” Mr. Finch grasp – or lack thereof – of current events and history is showing. The unemployment rate for August and September was 6.1%, just a little lower than the 6.2% and 6.3% we saw in mid-2003. In Bill Clinton’s first term, unemployment didn’t get below 6.1% until August 1994. During Jimmy Carter’s administration, the lowest unemployment rate was 5.6% though most of the time the rate was in the mid-six to upper seven percent range. Then again, perhaps Mr. Finch knows the truth.

As usual, Mr. Finch is heavy on hyperbole and light on supporting facts.

“Their only salvation is to smear Obama with enough lies to subtract votes. They have the nerve to brand him as an inexperienced, Muslim-elitist who’s controlled by the Chicago Mafia and wants to overtax the middle-class.”

[RWC] I’d sure like for Mr. Finch to tell us his sources. I haven’t heard the McCain/Palin campaign or the Republican Party refer to Mr. Obama as a Muslim (Who cares if he were?) or claim Mr. Obama is “controlled by the Chicago Mafia.” Does Mr. Finch just make this stuff up? As for the rest of what’s in that sentence, it’s true.

“The biggest paradoxical lie of all is that McCain is a ‘maverick’— an agent of change — even though he’s backed Bush’s incompetent moves 90 percent of the time.”

[RWC] Actually, Mr. Finch has the evil “Republican-controlled” press to blame for the “maverick” tag. You see, maverick is what lefties call Republicans who go against conservative ideology or go against a Republican position on an issue. Democrats who behave similarly are tagged as traitors to their party.

I wonder why Mr. Finch didn’t brag that Mr. Obama voted with Democrat party leadership 95% of the time.

“Their most successful lie regards pro-life. Not one baby was ever saved by voting for Republicans. The self-righteous, anti-abortion zealots would better serve God’s will by volunteering as anti-abortion counselors because voting for McCain won’t stop abortions.”

[RWC] It now appears Mr. Finch believes he can speak for God.

Getting by Mr. Finch’s belief that he’s a spokesman for God, let’s look at his belief that “voting for McCain won’t stop abortions.” With any luck, Mr. McCain would nominate Supreme Court justices who would interpret the Constitution based on what it says, not on personal policy preferences. In that scenario, it’s likely Roe v. Wade would eventually be overturned. Would that “stop abortions?” Probably not, but it would likely reduce them.

“We need real change in this country’s leadership, not a third-term Bush. Vote for Obama — not for more of the same.”

[RWC] Doesn’t voting for Obama get us more of the same Democrat-majority Congress we’ve seen for the last two years? How exactly has that Congress benefited the U.S.?