Eastbayri.com

How embarrassing it is for the Republicans to have two specimens running for office who represent what is wrong about America.

Take Mitt Romney, whose net worth is approximately $250 million. He acknowledges that his effective federal tax rate “is probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything.” Now, it is not class warfare to suggest that Mr. Romney should pay at least what people give to Uncle Sam who are millionaires (23.9 percent to 29.2 percent) or who even earn $100,000 to $200,000 pay per year (18.5 percent to 21.3 percent).

Heavens, I’d be happy if he paid the same flat rate on all of his income as does the person receiving $50,000, except Mr. Romney has planted some accounts in the Cayman Islands, a tax haven. He also has the benefit of tens of thousands of words in the tax code that shelter his actual income. This is the guy that people are supposed to think will crack down on corporate greed and eschew bailouts for banks and mega-corporations.

Then we have Newt Gingrich, Mr. Morality, who is generally backed by the religious right. He acknowledges he has had to go to God for forgiveness, but even the Almighty must be getting pretty fed up. Mr. Gingrich presented his first wife, Jackie Battley, the terms of their divorce while she lay prostrate on a hospital bed recuperating from uterine cancer. Within six months he was refusing to pay alimony or child support.

His second wife, Marianne, was divorced while she was in the throes of a serious illness, multiple sclerosis. He fought her tooth and nail relative to a property settlement agreement as he fooled around for six years with a staffer. He got the Diocese of Atlanta to declare his prior marriages invalid so he could marry Callista, his present wife, who was a Catholic. After nine years he converted to Catholicism, at least on the books.

Marianne has now regaled the news junkies with stories about Mr. Gingrich’s demands for an open marriage. While she withheld permission, she says, it didn’t stop him from having affairs anyway. He often has given speeches about family values and has received accolades from his audiences. On the campaign trail, he’s received a standing ovation during a convention of born-again Christians.

Is this the best the Republicans can do? Both these men seem totally out of touch and appear as phonies of the first order. What has the country come to when these are the choices? Of course, the Democrats aren’t exactly awash in sterling leaders either. The fact that both parties have millionaires running for office and wealthy people dominating Congress bodes ill for the middle class. The reality is these so-called “representatives of the common man” are not remotely able to relate to middle class America. In fact, I think they don’t care to be. Their protestation to the contrary is no more than a giant con job.

Folks in this country have to begin to ask themselves whether democracy is still working or, as I believe, we have fallen into a plutocracy. Gridlock is just a game being perpetrated in Washington to maintain the status quo of wealth for the few. As long as each party pretends there are “high principles” at stake in their debate, each of them continues to rake in the cash for themselves and their buddies. Upward mobility has become a phantom pursuit since the cards are stacked against the middle class.

With Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum running against one another, is there really any choice anymore?