It's the wealthiest families in
America, a few thousand, who
would benefit most from the
estate tax repeal for which the
Republican Congress just voted -- with the support of Gov.
George W. Bush -- as well as from the
massive income tax cut that Mr. Bush
has proposed. But is it worth it, given
the inevitable public backlash over
awarding hundreds of billions of dollars to those who need it the least?
As a Republican, I ask my party: Is
it worth it to be known increasingly as
protector of the rich and powerful,
despite the appreciative response in
campaign contributions?
The party risks placing itself out of
what my uncle, Nelson Rockefeller,
called the mainstream. At the 1964
G.O.P. convention, when he was the
governor of New York and a presidential candidate, I watched him issue a
warning against extremism in the
party.
"You may not like to hear it,"
he told the crowd trying to silence him
with boos, "but it's the truth."
Today the truth is this: It's out of
the mainstream when the Republican
Congress fails to protect patients'
rights, withholds education funding
and makes war on the environment.
It's out of the mainstream -- and at
odds with true Republican principles
of fiscal responsibility -- to plunge
back into deficit spending, as Governor Bush has in Texas with big tax
cuts for the oil industry and others.
It's out of the mainstream -- and at
odds with traditional Republican
standards of liberty -- to put the federal government between a woman
and her doctor in matters of reproductive choice, as Governor Bush and the
party would try to do by overturning
Roe v. Wade.
And it's out of the mainstream -- and at odds with Republican
preference for government closest to
the people -- to override local government efforts to limit sprawl and protect drinking water, as Governor Bush
did by veto, or to side with gun makers
against local attempts to hold them
accountable for harm done.
It was far from the American mainstream -- and at odds with talk of
"compassion" -- to withhold medical
insurance from 200,000 children, as
Mr. Bush did for three years in a state
that ranks rock-bottom last in family
health coverage; to try to invade
teachers' retirement funds; to oppose
a hate crimes law even after a black
man was dragged to death; and to
allow concealed guns to be carried
even into church.
What a contrast with the record and
values of progressive Republican governors like New York's Theodore
Roosevelt, Nelson Rockefeller and,
yes, George Pataki.
So what's a mainstream Republican
to do in this year's elections? Think
hard -- and act independently.
Larry Rockefeller is an environmental lawyer.
Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company
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