Jewish Odysseus: JACK KEMP, R.I.P.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

JACK KEMP, R.I.P.

I just heard about the death of Cong. Jack Kemp. Jack was a staunch warrior for the Reagan Revolution (and the Reagan campaign from the get-go), and was a free-market trailblazer in the Congress while the Carter Administration was apparently wrecking capitalism. When Jack got into Congress, the top marginal tax rate was 70%. When he left, it was 28%.

I'll never forget his sweet retort in the Congress to those Demo-Marxist attacks on Ron Reagan's first big tax-cut legislation in 1981: "These people want capitalism without capitalists, and wealth without the wealthy!" YEEHAAAAAAHHH!! I gotta say, the guy had more charisma and wit than the top 10 GOP leaders today, all put together.

Jack was a ferocious and eloquent anti-communist, and Israel never had a better friend. He was pro-life, pro-family, and pro-gun. He also had a sorely-missed common touch and concern for non-typical GOP voters (e.g., blacks, Hispanics, and blue-collar workers) that would go a long way today.

Many of us were very disappointed by Jack's poor performance in the 1996 campaign, but that shouldn't make us forget his many outstanding accomplishments, and contributions to a string of conservative successes. His biggest failing was that he was just a little TOO positive for his own political good--he was a GOP "happy warrior," but needed a little bit of meanness to deal with his domestic enemies.

Mais c'est l'histoire. We are all a little poorer today for the loss of this man, who provided so much wisdom and inspiration for our country. Prayers for his family.

[Oh, and did I mention the man was pro football (AFL) champion and all-star?]

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The Odyssey by Homer, Chapter 21:

For long Odysseus stood with the bow in his hands, handling it as a minstrel handles a lyre when he stretches a cord or tightens a peg. Then he bent the great bow; he bent it without an effort, and at his touch the bow-string made a sound that was like the cry of a swallow. The wooers seeing him bend that mighty bow felt, every man of them, a sharp pain at the heart. They saw Odysseus take up an arrow and fit it to the string. He held the notch, and he drew the string, and he shot the bronze-weighted arrow straight through the holes in the back of the axe-heads. Then as Eumæus took up the axes, and brought them outside, he said, ‘Thou seest, lord Telemachus, that thy guest does not shame thee through foolish boasting. I have bent the bow of Odysseus, and I have shot the arrow aright. But now it is time to provide the feast for the lords who woo thy lady mother. While it is yet light, the feast must be served to them, and with the feast they must have music and the dance.’ Saying this he nodded to Telemachus, bending his terrible brows. Telemachus instantly girt his sword upon him and took his spear in his hand. Outside was heard the thunder of Zeus. And now Odysseus had stripped his rags from him and was standing upright, looking a master of men. The mighty bow was in his hands, and at his feet were scattered many bronze-weighted arrows.