Rush Limbaugh made a wish today on his radio show, which if true, would completely rewrite American history. While discussing the Wisconsin recall elections, Limbaugh made an appeal to his listeners, saying “we should be able to role back the whole democratic agenda over the last 65 years, yes we can!” Limbaugh said this after calling the Republican Wisconsin state senators “heroic” and claiming that they successfully “turned back” the democratic attempt to recall lawmakers.
If Rush were to get his way, some of the greatest and most socially conscious legislation of the past century would have to be repealed. One such piece of legislation is the Voting Rights Act of 1965, giving equal voting rights to all Americans regardless of race. Democrat Mike Mansfield of Montana helped bring this piece of legislation to the Senate floor and President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat, signed it into law. If Rush got his wish, the American voting process may still be racially segregated.
Rush’s wish may also destroy one of the foundations of American life: the family. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act which permitted employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave for family matters such as child-birth, illness, or adoption. The act requires that employees maintain their benefits while gone, and retain their job upon return from leave. Because this piece of legislation was passed within the past 65 years, and because it was passed by a democratic president and a democratic congress, Rush simply wants it gone.
Rush wants to repeal democratic legislation of the past 65 years because it was passed by a party with which he has fundamental differences. He doesn’t seem to mind the much needed benefits and civil liberties will be repealed, too.
— By Peter Carril
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