"Compassionate" Conservatism In Action

Want to see what "compassionate" conservatism looks like in action? Check out the proposed budget cuts Republicans are ramming through Congress these days.

ome of this stuff is wasteful, sure - but much of it is not. For instance, "compassionate" conservatives propose huge cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps people pay for heating during the winter. They are also proposing cuts to the COPS program, which puts more police on our streets. And they are proposing to slash rural health care, and the Community Access Program, which provides grants to clinics that serve uninsured Americans.

Remember, any argument that we "need" to cut these programs because we don't have enough money is a bunch of B.S. Why? Because these cuts are coming at exactly the same time Congress and President Bush say we have enough money to make tax cuts for the wealthy permanent and to permanently repeal the Estate Tax - a levy that falls primarily on the wealthiest 2 percent of America.

This is the real story of "compassionate" conservatism: compassion for the super wealthy who fund the GOP's political campaigns, harsh and destructive conservatism for everyone else.

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