George Graham

Here’s What I Find Nauseating, Cory

Cory Booker’s betrayal of the president illustrates the fatal flaw in America’s two-party political system: You have to be a Republican to represent the Republican Party but you don’t really have to be a Democrat to represent the Democratic Party.

Booker (photo above), who was elected as a Democrat, is a self-serving politician whose main interest is his own career. He became a popular hero when he saved an old lady from her burning home, but as far as the economy is concerned, he obviously doesn’t give a damn for the rest of us. As mayor of Newark, New Jersey, he has become a well-heeled member of the upper crust. He moves among the rich and famous, dines with the one-percenters, and is assured of remaining in office because of the generous contributions he receives from Wall Street.

By now, you’ve probably heard about Booker’s condemnation of President Obama’s campaign ads.

On “Meet the Press” Sunday, Booker called Team Obama’s ads  “nauseating” because they spotlighted the human misery Mitt Romney caused as a corporate raider. According to Booker, corporate raiders make a valuable contribution to the American economy. He can’t understand why the president would criticize the way Romney acquired companies, loaded them with debt, looted their treasuries and filed for bankruptcy, leaving hundreds of American workers without jobs and creditors holding the bag. And Booker thinks it’s just fine for Romney, as CEO of Bain Capital, to buy up companies on borrowed money then lay off workers to make the companies look leaner so he could sell them at a profit.

The way Booker sees it, that’s a valid part of the free-market system that made America great.

That’s the way Republicans see it, too. After all, the Republican Party unapologetically represents the rich and powerful.

But that’s not the way Democrats are supposed to see it. The Democratic Party is supposed to provide a check on the rich and powerful by standing up for the rest of us.

Booker thinks Romney’s corporate raiding should be off limits in campaign ads. But – as President Obama pointed out – it was Romney who brought up the subject, claiming that his experience at Bain Capital qualifies him to be president of the United States.

But Booker doesn’t want to offend the corporate raiders. He is afraid they might stop contributing part of their ill-gotten gains to his campaign chest.

I don’t see how Cory Booker can run as a Democrat. He is obviously a Republican at heart, regardless of what he claims to be.

And he is not alone. The Democratic Party is riddled with “moderates” who are in the pockets of America’s one-percenters. And while the Republicans do not hesitate to turf out anyone who does not share their principles, there is seldom any opposition in Democratic primaries to candidates who are not committed to the party’s platform.

Obviously, no two-party system can work efficiently when both parties represent the elite, and nobody speaks for the poor and middle ckass.

 For the American political system to work, the Democratic Party would have to purge itself of Blue Dogs like Booker – even if it means some temporary election defeats. It does no good to have a Democratic majority if some of the Democrats side with the Republicans. We found that out when so many Democrats voted against the president’s proposals in his earlyyears, when Democrats supposedly controlled both houses of Congress.

Click here for more on the Cory Booker story.

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com