GOP Mocks Public Service

GOP Mocks Public Service

www.thenation.com

For the first time in American history, a major political party devoted a substantial portion of its national convention to attacking grassroots organizing.

Speaking Wednesday at the Republican National Convention, former New York Governor George Pataki sneered, "[Barack Obama] was a community organizer. What in God's name is a community organizer? I don't even know if that's a job."

Then former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered his own snickering hit job. "He worked as a community organizer. What? Maybe this is the first problem on the résumé," mocked Giuliani." Then he said, "This is not a personal attack. It's a statement of fact. Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada."

A few minutes later, in her acceptance speech for the GOP vice presidential nomination, Sarah Palin declared, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."

The party of Ronald Reagan was touting government experience over civic engagement.

At a convention whose theme was "service," GOP leaders ridiculed organizing, a vital kind of public service that involves leadership, tough decisions, and taking responsibility for the well-being of people often ignored by government.

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[edit on 8-9-2008 by grover]

What do you expect from a party that has essentially turned Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for your country" on its head to read...

...Ask not what you can do for your country, rather ask what tax cut and bailout your country can give to you.

www.thenation.com
(visit the link for the full news article)