Can you name 3 "positive" legislative contributions Republicans have initiated in the last 30 years?

[EuroStyleSocialist]

I'm really wondering. I'm talking about any policy, at the national level, that attempted to improve life for non-millionaires and non-fetuses.

It didn't have to work (I'd accept No Child Left Behind).

Could there be more than 3?

Nixon had the EPA and other things. Reagan had ... one or two things, I'm sure. But since then?

Maybe it's not a fair question because Republicans don't believe government should be used to help people (because government is bad). But if that's the case, what IS the purpose of government?

[KamaAina]

1. Well, Bush (the elected one) did sign the Americans With Disabilities Act 25 years ago

but Dem Tony Coelho initiated it. So, I guess the answer is No.

[louis-t]

2. NCLB was not a success, unless you are Neil Bush.

His testing company made millions.

[EuroStyleSocialist]

8. I agree

but I'm willing to give credit to things that at least addressed real needs even if they didn't work (or didn't work as expected). Because I still think there are precious few, although our fellow DU-ers are adding some good ones.

Of course, the issue of "bad faith from the beginning" makes it more complicated.

[yeoman6987]

3. Bush jr the drug program was decent

I can't think of any other. Reagan naming Martin Luther King a national holiday.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. The United States Congress made the King holiday, not Ronnie. He opposed it due to costs

and questioned King's loyalty during the process.

[EuroStyleSocialist]

10. Oh yeah - race relations were not Ronnie's "strong suit"

I remember the incident you're talking about. I think he was asked (based on something Ronnie had said before) whether MLK was a Communist (why were the asking? whole different question). And he said (based on some then-classified document) that, "Well, we'll know in twenty years." Needless to say, more than 20 years passed.

But I'd be willing to credit Ray-Gun with sitting down with Gorbachev and being not a total a$$h0le (and some kind of treaty that seemed good at the time).

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Ask Lincoln Chafee, he'll be grateful for the attention.

nt

[hifiguy]

5. I cannot.

[EuroStyleSocialist]

9. No problem. I appreciate the effort.

Now go have a beer. Go on!

[hifiguy]

12. It IS getting to be beer o'clock....

[HassleCat]

6. Easy question!

1. Tax cuts for the wealthy.
2. Tax rate reductions for the rich.
3. Tax breaks for the well-off.

[valerief]

11. Positive for whom? The 1%? nt

[EuroStyleSocialist]

13. I'm actually asking because I wonder if you could make the case ...

that Republicans virtually never (even when you grade "liberally&quot propose or advance anything that helps non-millionaires and non-fetuses.

I think if you made a bar graph, covering 40 years, the R's would be one slight bump over the base line of 0 and the Dems would be towering over by a factor of 50. (I'm probably using factor wrong.)

I think the feedback so far proves that liberals are a lot more willing to be objective and fair that conservatives. I suspect a similar, reversed, thread on "free republic" would just be littered with "NOTHING!!!! THE DEMOCRATS HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING GOOD!"

Which is not very fair and objective of me.

[MiniMe]

14. The "Do Not Call list" was actually a great idea

Unfortunately it isn't working. There are too many exceptions and too many scammers who are calling from outside the country and spoofing caller ID's. I don't answer my phone any more unless I know who is calling. And I tend to google the number to see what the latest scam is. The latest has been calls from 2 different numbers, they never leave messages, and from what I read, if you call the number back it is a non-working number. That one is something called Citizens for a nuclear free Iran. I have no idea what they want, and I blocked the number.

[Massacure]

15. Yes.

Do Not Call Implementation Act of 2003: House controlled by Republicans 229-205, Senate controlled by Republicans 51-48, Republican President

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: House controlled by Republicans 221-212, Senate controlled by Democrats 50-50 (Tom Daschle), Republican President

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996: House controlled by Republicans 230-204, Senate controlled Republicans 52-48, Democratic President

[EuroStyleSocialist]

16. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Good one! I didn't know that the version that became law was introduced by a Republican. Ah, the early 2000's!