All Republicans 'know' is 'no'

My Fence Post letter of July 22 has generated three printed responses, and the four letters combined have garnered 448 comments online (as of Aug. 2). I'm pleased to see such an interest in government.

However, to all those who disagree with my opinion of the Republican legislators in Washington, D.C., I offer this from Colonel Potter of M*A*S*H: "Horse hockey."

I wrote, "The reasons the Party of No gives for their "nay" votes vary, but they are all lame. For example, they don't want to increase the deficit..." Terry Schwartz of Winfield and Jerry Drehobl of Roselle wrote unemployment benefits should be paid out of unspent stimulus funds. Would those be the same stimulus funds the GOP voted against in 2009? Those funds are all earmarked and were never intended to be spent all at once, or kept for a rainy day, or used for unemployment benefits. Those funds saved the jobs of teachers and firemen and policemen. Without them, unemployment numbers would be even higher.

I probably should not have called the reasons for their "nay" votes "lame." That was too kind a term. I should have used the word "hypocritical." Donna Kristensen of Lisle wrote that I should have "referred to the party that thinks through the consequences as the party of "Know." The only thing Republicans in Congress "know" is "no." It takes no thought whatsoever to vote "nay" like a robot.

In recent days, Republicans have blocked legislation to make corporate campaign contributions more transparent, to give needed health care funds to 9/11's first responders and to give banks funds to loan to small businesses.

The word "no" is not a verb. Do not return Roskam, Biggert and Kirk to Washington, where they will continue to put politics before governing.

Diane Niesman

Wheaton