Republicans Dizzy in Corner of the Ring

On Saturday, May 2, Jack Kemp died in his house in Bethesda, Maryland. He was 73 years old. Kemp had called himself a “bleeding heart” Republican.

He had preached the gospel of pushing back taxes like no other fellow party member. But what set him apart from most of them was his stance on immigration and his zealousness for civil rights.

Racism

In his youth, Kemp was a top player for an American football team, the Buffalo Bills. He organized boycotts of the games when the black members of his team were not allowed to sleep in the same hotel – for instance, in New Orleans – as the rest of the team.

Since he made his entrance into Congress in 1970, Jack Kemp has been the favorite conservative of plenty of Democrats. His last moment of glory started in 1996, when Bob Dole nominated him as candidate for the vice presidency. In that same week, the self-willed Republican senator Arlen Specter left the ranks of his party and deserted to the Democrats. Specter (74) recently voted, as one of only three Republican senators, in favor of the stimulation package of president Barack Obama.

Bawlers

More important was that his chances to be re-elected as a Republican in Pennsylvania had been reduced to next to nothing. Bawlers like Rush Limbaugh immediately shouted that they’d rather lose him anyway.

Yet, this must have been mainly boasting. Because, with Specter’s transfer, the Democrats have reached the almost filibuster-free majority of 60 senators. When a still-not assigned chair in Minnesota, as is generally expected, will be assigned by the judge to the Democratic candidate, the time will have come. The system works in such a way that 40 senators can block a lot of new legislation indefinitely, by voting against the closure of the debate [of the new legislation]. For those who like parliamentary folklore – and who doesn’t? – “filibustering” (delaying) led to heroic scenes in the past. There were senators who did not leave the pulpit for 24 hours and read from the Bible, so they would not have their right to speak taken away.

In essence, it is an undemocratic rule. Except for exceptional cases, such as constitutional changes or an attempt to impeach the president, the requirement of a qualified majority is a nuisance. It is important, however, that the minority gets a fair amount of time to make its objections known.

Big Loss

It has not been easy for the Republicans during the first hundred days of Obama’s presidency. They have taken a rather irreconcilable stance against his government. Some commentators are already talking about the disappearance of the Grand Old Party. But that is completely premature. The possible collapse of the Republicans would mean an irreparable loss for American democracy.

The morning Jack Kemp died, big men of the Republican party were coincidentally a couple of miles way in a pizzeria, deliberating how to go on. And guess who made the biggest impression there? Oh yes, Jeb Bush (56), son of… brother of… and former governor of Florida.