Washington Post profile depicts Brownback as compassionate Christian

[atommom]

This piece contains highlights from (and a link to) the WP story, as well as other Brownback links, if you can stomach 'em.

Today’s Washington Post has a lengthy profile of Sen. Sam Brownback and his 2008 presidential aspirations. It's much friendlier than the Rolling Stone piece a few months back, though it covers much of the same ground.

With echoes of President Bush’s 2000 election campaign, the Post suggests that Brownback isn’t just a Christian conservative — he’s a compassionate Christian conservative.

“During visits to Israel, Brownback used to study the Torah with Ariel Sharon, calling it ‘each of us feeding our souls.’ Lately he has been reading the Koran. He says Islam's holy book talks a lot about weighing people's good deeds against their bad deeds, and this has made him appreciate Christianity more.”

On the presidency: "It's one of the most humbling things on Earth," Brownback says, his voice soft. "Look at the nature and the difficulty of that job and the greatness of this country and the need to be humble and wise to serve. Plus it's just, it's like, pride was the first sin and humility's the first grace . . ."

http://www2.ljworld.com/blogs/kansas_congress/2006/jun/07/post/

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Jon Stewart nailed him pretty good last night!

That was so funny.

Brownback is a twit.

[hfojvt]

2. he's a liar and a hypocrite

I wrote this about two years ago on 6/06/04

Speaking of President Clinton, Senator Brownback said:

"By his words and deeds, he had done great harm to the notions of honesty and integrity that form the underpinnings of this great republic."


Q: If Senator Brownback has such a high regard for honesty and integrity, then why does he sit silently as President George W. Bush tells lie after lie after lie?

"I think when people take a good, hard look at the rate reduction and who benefits and the fact that our plan erases inequities in the tax code, or eases inequities in the tax code; and that the biggest -- the bottom end of the economic ladder receives the biggest percentage cuts, people will come to realize it." Feb 5, 2001
"The tax relief is for everyone who pays income taxes -- and it will help our economy immediately: 92 million Americans will keep, this year, an average of almost $1,000 more of their own money. A family of four with an income of $40,000 would see their federal income taxes fall from $1,178 to $45 per year. (Applause.) Our plan will improve the bottom line for more than 23 million small businesses." Jan. 28, 2003

In the first place, it is wrong to say that the 2003 tax cut was for everyone who pays income taxes. In 2002, on income of $10,198.47 (after my IRA deduction of $2659.10), I paid income taxes of $249. Now that the tax cuts have passed, for the same taxable income, the tax liability for 2003 is $249

"Our proposal will promote capital formation and investment by ending the unfair double taxation on dividends. (Applause.) Not only will this proposal help when it comes for job creation, it will help all investors, including nearly 10 million seniors who receive dividend income." Feb 7, 2003

President Bush claimed to be concerned about how unfair it was to tax dividends twice. Does he feel that it is unfair to tax the same money twice? I cannot say, but I can point to an example. In 2001, my wages were $10,198.29. Out of that income, $780 was taxed away in FICA taxes, otherwise known as payroll taxes or social security and medicare. I never saw that money, never got to spend or save that money, it went straight to Washington DC. Still, the IRS considers it part of my income, which meant that I still paid income taxes on it, to the tune of $78 (more than a family of four now pays on their entire $40,000 income!) I paid taxes on my taxes, just like everyone else who makes their money by working for it. If President Bush really was concerned about the unfairness of double taxation, why has he said nothing about this very common form of double taxation? I can only conclude that George W. Bush was lying when he complained about the unfairness of double taxation.

Could it be that the President did not know about the double taxation of wages? Well, the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) posted a report which was revised on Jan. 11, 2003, which said:
"Moreover, many forms of income are taxed more than once. An obvious example is wages. While corporate dividends are theoretically double taxed first at the corporate level and then at the individual level, an individual’s wages are immediately subject to both payroll and income taxes."

****

Apparently I never finished it, but it is pretty clear to me that Bush does not have an ounce of honesty or integrity, and thus Brownback, with his silence on these matters, doesn't either. Or, he lacks either the knowledge or the courage to say something about it. Either way, he's not a person I have any respect for.

[atommom]

3. All that, and a scary Dominionist too.

He'd like to take us right back to the Old Testament. He's really far more conservative (and more genuinely religious) than Bush ever thought of being. In light of all that, I find this attempt to make him look cute and cuddly pretty damned disturbing.