Arthur Christopher Schaper: Top 10 Quotes From Ed Markey

Monday, June 24, 2013

Arthur Christopher Schaper, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

What happens when Ed Markey steps up to the microphone? Plenty, according to Arthur Christopher Schaper.

Congressman Edward Markey’s staggering lack of depth and originality is laughable and sad. From his comments on the fiscal (or climate) cliff to his frequent flubs in debates, Markey has missed the mark on every issue. Despite the cult-like hold of “The Democracy” on the Bay State, at least some “right-thinking” people should see through Markey’s “malarkey”.

#1: Gun control

On gun control, Markey is just a missive of mistakes:

"We do not have to accept this epidemic of gun violence in our country. It is not pre-ordained. It is preventable: it is a preventable disease."

“Gun violence is a disease...” Forget about the breakdown of the family or the rule of law. Just control the guns. That worked in “Gun-free” Chicago... which had five hundred murders in 2012. Markey was shooting blanks that day.

#2: Climate cliff

About the “climate cliff”, Markey’s alarmism is too hard to miss:

"Everyone in Washington recently has been talking about the fiscal cliff... Well, half a world away... the international community is trying to avert sending the globe over the climate cliff.”

So, the financial dysfunction in Washington is not our problem. Taxes on middle and working class Americans are no big deal, and taxing the “high income earners” will fix everything. But it was five degrees warmer last summer, and the globe is “going over the climate cliff.” Right...

#3: Collective bargaining rights for first responders

On collective bargaining rights for first responders, Markey responded:

“By the way, my position ultimately prevailed... I voted no, I thought that these workers, these first responders should not be stripped of their right to negotiate, and ultimately that provision was taken out... and that is now the law.”

Come again? The position he voted against prevailed, and he’s happy about it? By the way, collective bargaining rights for public sector employees are bankrupting blue states like Rhode Island and California. Markey missed it again.

#4: Citizens United

About Citizens United, Markey mashed up history as well as politics:

"Under Citizens United vs. The Federal Election Commission, it will all be secret, it’ll be hidden, the voters will never know. That’s not right. We fought beginning at Lexington and Concord to ensure that there would be full accountability for every single public official."

The American Revolution was about private funding of political elections? “We hold these truths to be self-evident” were apparently never evident to Markey, and he was once again not telling the truth about our history or our legacy of pushing back Big Government. John and Samuel Adams must be rolling in their graves that such people live and represent their state.

#5: The budget

Regarding the budget problems in Washington, Markey chided Gomez for pointing out the complexities:

"It's really not math. It's just arithmetic. It's something you learn in grammar school."

One has to wonder if Markey ever graduated from grammar school. Then again, intellectual competence has never been a barrier to a Democrat running for office in Massachusetts (just ask Liz Warren).

#6: One's fair share

Regarding Markey’s demand that Mr. Gomez pay “his fair share," moderator R.D. Sahl in their last debate pressed Markey about the same. His answer:

"I have paid my fair share. Most of the reason why are my taxes are low -- the mortgage deduction.”

Yeah, that mortgage deduction on that mansion in Maryland. By the way, Gomez pays 21% income tax and raises four kids. Markey pays 20% (he should be paying 30%), and he raises... our taxes.

#7: Taxes

Here’s another quote from Markey about taxes:

"I opposed putting the medical device tax in the bill in the first place. I'm working to repeal it. I don't want to repeal it, because you have to find an equivalent amount of money to repeal it."

“I was for it, even though I was against it.” We’ve heard this “reasoning” before: John Kerry on Iraq: “I voted for it before I was against it”. Markey would be a perfect Kerry clone.

#8: More taxes

When Gomez asked if Markey had ever voted against taxes, Markey responded:

"Thank you for that question, and my answer is quite simple. I uh have voted to reduce taxes on middle class vote uh middle class residents of our state by uh one trillion dollars."

Uh. . .Uh . . . Uh. . .

#9: More taxes

Of course, Markey has missed it on taxes before:

“Well, again, the context is always important.”

The question the reporter asked him was: “Has he ever said 'No!' to any tax?" Maybe Markey thought she was talking about "text," not taxes.

#10: Old Democrats

And finally, the moderator in the third Markey-Gomez debate also asked if Markey was a “tired, old Democrat”:

"Well, the question isn't where's you coming from, but where you're going. Mr. Gomez is backing these tired, old Republican ideas.”

Markey has mealy-mouthed through Congress with “tax the rich” and “climate change." He does not have “old, tired” ideas. He has none at all. After anyone reading Markey’s Top Ten, I would have no idea why anyone would elect Markey to the US Senate in the first place.

Arthur Christopher Schaper is a teacher-turned-writer on topics both timeless and timely; political, cultural, and eternal. A life-long Southern California resident, Arthur currently lives in Torrance. Connect with him at [email protected] or @ArthurCSchaper. He can be found blogging at aschaper1.blogspot.com.