I can’t help but notice that when Republicans are in control of the federal government their priorities are: spend more on defense (even though we spend more on it than the next 10 countries combined, most of whom are our allies); give more tax breaks to the super wealthy (even though it has been proven, over and over, that it does absolutely nothing to stimulate the economy); appoint federal judges at a dizzying pace (while obstructing the Democrats’ ability to do so); and repeal the Affordable Care Act, (even though they have never come up with anything “better” to replace it after 10 years).

They make all kinds of noise about how much they care for the unborn fetus, meanwhile doing nothing to help struggling mothers with young children. Basically, “We’re going to do everything in our power to make you have the baby, but nothing in our power to help you take care of it once it’s been born.”

They do not care one whit about working with Democrats when they are in power and use whatever means necessary to pass the things they want and than whine about bipartisanship when they’re not in power. They blow up the deficit with tax cuts and than claim that there is no money to help the common man, wanting to make cuts to social security and all of the other social programs that help.

They let the super rich take all of our tax dollars and than tell you it’s the illegals and the poor who are the problem. Meanwhile the Democrats, when they are in power, bend over backwards to include the Republicans with no cooperation whatsoever from them. They make halfhearted attempts to help the common man with, usually, halfhearted results, i.e. the Affordable Care Act, which should have been healthcare for all just like medicare for seniors.

The Democratic Party has become the Republican Lite Party and needs to get back to the party of FDR. Helping all of our citizens live better lives is what our federal government is supposed to be about— it says it right there in the preamble to the Constitution, you know, before any amendments, so obviously not an after thought: Promote the general welfare.

What I have never been able to figure out is, why do people keep voting for them?

Larry Benson

Enumclaw