For nearly 30 years the Republican Party has claimed to be the “party of family values.” It was a lie then, but today is is a farce. Let’s go back to the 1990’s. Newt Gingrich divorced his first wife because she was ‘too unattractive.’ He divorced his second wife because she refused to have an ‘open marriage,’ and served divorce papers to her while she was battling cancer in the hospital. We know what his third wife is all about.

His successor as Speaker of the House was Dennis Hastert. It was discovered that he had assaulted young men while a teacher at a high school.

Mark Sanford is the former Governor of South Carolina. He told his family that he was taking a vacation to hike the Appalachian Trail. He was actually having an affair in Argentina. The Republicans of South Carolina elected him to the House.

Before Trump was gifted the election, he admitted that he was a sexual predator on tape. He has been accused of sexual assault by 25 women. Trump had affairs with two adult film stars, and paid $130,000 in hush money to one of them a month before the 2016 election. He was rewarded by millions of Republican voters with government housing known as the White House.

In the last month we learned that Congress used taxpayer money to create a fund which allows members of the House to payoff women or men who accuse them of sexual harassment. It has been revealed that at least two Republicans have used this fund.

The truth is that Republican voters don’t care about morals; they care about the Republican Party. I don’t understand why; unless they are very wealthy, and white, GOP politicians don’t care about them. They promise a helluva lot, but do nothing for the majority after they are elected.

Today there are multiple issues facing the American people. Polls reveal that the vast majority of Americans believe that the “Dreamers” should be allowed to remain in our nation and given a path to citizenship. Nearly the same number of all Americans believe that comprehensive background checks should be performed for all gun sales. The NRA will not allow the Republican Party to vote in favor of the proposal. Right wing politicians are ignoring the demands of our nation’s people that higher education should be either free or affordable for all of our people. Republicans don’t care. Nearly every American across the land believes that a form of universal healthcare is the right of every man, woman, and child in our country. Republicans believe that they and other millionaires and billionaires are the only Americans who should have that right.

The Republican Party is not the ‘party of family values;’ they have no principles or morals. They have one god; money; and serve only special interests. As far as their many acts of sexual misconduct; they know that Republican voters will accept anything as long as that candidate has an “R” next to their name on the ballot.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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