Ian S. Thompson – 7/17/07

This page was last updated on July 23, 2007.

Say ‘no’ to rubber stamp; Ian S. Thompson; Beaver County Times; July 17, 2007.

As background, Mr. Thompson began writing letters as a Penn State student. His fields of study were English and international politics and he graduated in 2005 with a B.A. in International Politics. In letters to the Penn State Daily Collegian, Mr. Thompson identified himself as the political director of Allies, a PSU organization now known as SpeakOut. The mission statement of SpeakOut reads, “Works to organize the family, friends, supporters and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and ally (LGBTA) community at PSU and is committed to a safe and social network open to all students, political and social education, and to increasing visibility and fostering a positive climate for LGBTA students at PSU.” When he “signed” an anti-landmine “treaty” on the web, Mr. Thompson indicated he was a member of Amnesty International.

If you’ve read Mr. Thompson’s letters since at least mid-2004, you know he’s a full-blown socialist (“a proud progressive” in his own words from 2003) who tends to resort to name-calling and unsupported talking points. This letter is no exception.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In response to Sunday’s article (‘Hart wants her office back’), the only words that come to mind are good grief.

“Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart was one of George Bush’s most loyal of the loyal rubber stamps in Congress, an unthinking, unquestioning supporter of some of the most disastrous policies in recent memory.”

[RWC] Here’s a rhetorical question. If a Rockefeller Republican representative who tends to agree with a Rockefeller Republican president is a “rubber stamp,” would a Democrat/liberal representative who tended to agree with a Democrat/liberal president also be a “rubber stamp?”

“From the nightmare of Iraq to economic and tax policies that privileged the very few over the well being of the vast majority, from an assault on our Constitution and liberties so outrageous our founders would roll in their graves to environmental ‘regulations’ that put the long-term health and stability of our planet in jeopardy, Hart was right there giving her full support.”

[RWC] Regarding “the nightmare of Iraq,” fellow rubberstamps were 39% of House Democrats and 58% of Senate Democrats who voted for the Iraq War Resolution, including the 2004 Democrat nominees for president and vice president and the current frontrunner for the 2008 Democrat nomination.

Note Mr. Thompson didn’t identify the “economic and tax policies that privileged the very few over the well being of the vast majority,” the “assault on our Constitution and liberties,” or the “environmental ‘regulations’ that put the long-term health and stability of our planet in jeopardy.” Does anyone care to guess why?

“She now has the gall to say the current Congress ‘isn’t doing anything.’”

[RWC] You’ll note Mr. Thompson doesn’t dispute the allegation. Mr. Thompson only writes about what he says Republicans did last year.

“For those who may have forgotten, last summer, when Republicans still ran the show, Congress spent weeks on end attempting to amend the Constitution to ban flag burning and to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples.”

[RWC] I don’t use the terms “gay” and “straight” myself, but aren’t lesbians “gay?” If so, why write “gay and lesbian couples?” Isn’t that similar to writing “straight and heterosexual couples?”

The discrimination to which Mr. Thompson refers was an amendment to define marriage as only the union of a man and woman. It didn’t prohibit homosexual or heterosexual men from marrying homosexual or heterosexual women. It was essentially the same as the Defense of Marriage Act (H.R. 3396; PL No. 104-199) that passed Congress (342-67 in the House & 85-14 in the Senate) and was signed by then-President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Regarding the flag desecration amendment, 40% of Ms. Hart’s Democrat colleagues in the House also voted for the amendment. My personal position is the flag doesn’t need laws to “protect” it. The U.S. flag represents a set of ideas, and you can’t desecrate ideas.

“Once again, Hart was right there voting yes, yes, yes.

“Meanwhile, close to 50 million Americans were living every day without health insurance, and thousands of young men and women continued to face life-altering injuries and death in the awful quagmire of Iraq.”

[RWC] Oops, it looks like Mr. Thompson may have seen Michael Moore’s latest propaganda flick, SiCKO. 50 million was the figure cited in that movie, though in interviews since, the figure used by Mr. Moore keeps getting smaller. I covered the “xx million without healthcare insurance” myth in my healthcare paper.

“2008 will be the year that hope finally returns to America, and the Bush administration joins Hart in the dust bin [sic] of history.

“A return to Congress? Thanks but no thanks.”

[RWC] Hmm, Mr. Thompson opposing a Republican – even a relatively liberal one. Who would have thought? <g>

FYI, I’m not looking forward to Ms. Hart running again because I’m holding out hope a qualified, full-blown conservative will run for that seat. Though Ms. Hart clearly hasn’t crossed the border into RINOland, she and most elected Republicans (and party leadership) are too Rockefeller Republican for me. To learn why I believe Ms. Hart both won and lost in the 4^th district, please go to this link.