Don Clement: Oppress and obstruct

Regarding the March 27 news article “Legislature continues efforts to limit power of local leaders”: It’s getting hard for Republicans to say with a straight face that they’re the party of small government that frees people to act on their own. At least two things refute that claim.

First is the laws they pass that restrict local decisions. The new North Carolina “bathroom” law is a prime example. It prohibits communities from testing approaches based on their attitudes and culture. Regardless of their legal counter-arguments, our GOP legislators and governor think they know what’s best for all of us.

Second is the lockstep conformity of the party itself. Mitch McConnell announces that no Supreme Court nominee will get a hearing, period. When GOP Sen. Jerry Moran of deep-red Kansas says he supports having a hearing, right wingers talk of unseating him. Think about that. A senator proposes to follow the Constitution, and he’s suddenly unworthy of office? The rest of his record is irrelevant. He has sinned by thinking for himself and not kowtowing to a bad precedent. Of course, our senators are towing the line.

Uncompromising extremists are turning the GOP from a party of reason into a party of oppression and obstruction. And it wants big government to complete the task.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Don Clement: Oppress and obstruct."