I wrote months ago about today’s Republicans not being “Your Father’s Republicans,” but former news anchor Dan Rather just said it better than I ever could: “When the time comes, and I hope it comes soon, to bury this era of moral rot and the defiling of our communal, social and democratic norms, the perfect epitaph for the gravestone of this age of unreason should be Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley’s already infamous quote:

“I think not having the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing … as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.”

Grassley’s vision of America, quite frankly, is one I do not recognize. I thought the heart of this great nation was not limited to the ranks of the plutocrats who are whisked through life in chauffeured cars and private jets, whose often inherited riches are passed along to children, many of whom no sacrifice or service is asked. I do not begrudge wealth, but it must come with a humility that money never is completely free of luck. And more importantly, wealth can never be a measure of worth.” Close quote.

Are there free-loaders? Yes. But Republicans are so concerned they might help one unworthy person (they being the ones who determine who is “worthy”), they have thrown the rest of us under the bus. Apparently, the working class is undeserving because we reward ourselves for our hard work by going to an occasional movie or enjoying an occasional beer! We are supposed to have no money to spend on fun so that the super rich — the estate tax as it was written, only applied to two people out of one thousand — can take their private jets more often to vacation on the Riviera. To Grassley, apparently, they, the donor class, are the only people who are worthy.

Eisenhower, who believed in taxing the very rich at 91 percent — partly because they and their children did not risk their lives in our country’s wars, but in many cases enriched themselves from them — and so many other decent Republicans from the past are spinning in their graves.

“God’s party,” is now not only hypocritical, it is totally morally bankrupt. It is the party that supports the unfettered greed of the 1 percent, constant lies and deceit, near traitors, pedophiles and their apologists. It no longer even pretends concern for the deficit, children, the elderly or the underprivileged. Senator Hatch said there was no longer any money for CHIP — a health care program for children he helped create. Why is that, senator?

Jesus never said one word about abortion or homosexuals, which are the only issues these “Christians” seem to care about, but he did say “Whatsoever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” I guess they think He said “What you do for the richest. A fish rots from the head.” The impeachment march is Jan. 18.

Lonna Gooden Van Horn

Northwood