by Ed Klein, Peoria, IL

Republicans very loudly proclaim their mission to shrink government by eradicating as many departments as possible – and one wonders – impossible. But how can they shrink government when the plutocrats – the Kochs, Waltons, Coors, oil barons, etc. – are now an unelected and unofficial “department” of government. That is the department that really needs, jot just shrinking, but totally eliminating. It is a large and malignant tumor on the body politic.

Yes, they are indeed unwelcome invaders, not as lobbyists or advisors, but as dictators who have accomplished a coup by buying their power. They found that very easy to accomplish. In fact, that power was handed over by legislators who gladly took their golden offering to satisfy their greed and cravenness.

In doing so, the Republicans have betrayed, not only the great middle class of Americans, but their own constituents. Constituents, I might add, who apparently fail to recognize that in destroying the middle class, they are also destroying Republicans as well ad Democrats.

One of the things they are buying is immunity from legitimate taxation on their wealth. The insane concern on the part of most Republicans on sheltering their overlords from any raise in taxes can easily be understood when one considers (again the greed) of those on the receiving end of all that largesse.

All this is particularly disturbing when you consider that by protecting their sugar daddies, the Republicans are blocking bills designed to increase employment, rebuild the infrastructure and provide other benefits for the American people – including reducing the deficit.

And this is the party that tells us their mission is to take back and save the country from Obama and the Democrats. If blocking every attempt to create jobs, increase revenues and benefit America is what they want, they’re taking a rather strange way of accomplishing it. Especially when those running for office tell us the way to a better future for America is to repeal child labor laws, defund public education, take away the voting rights of millions of American citizens, eliminating programs for the poor, including medical coverage – in other words, stealing from the poor and giving it to the rich, who in turn, cross the palms of those who bow to their lordships and cater to their quest for power.

Unfortunately, that unofficial and unelected department of government, should the Republicans win the White House, will continue to run the country, and run it into the ground.