In a column earlier this year, liberal UC-Berkeley professor Robert Reich tried to paint the GOP as the "anti-family party," arguing that Republicans on Capitol Hill had shown their true colors by voting against Joe Biden's "American Rescue Plan." Reich wrote that the measure – which gave families $300/child under six years old and $250/child ages 6-17 – was "the biggest helping hand to American families in more than 85 years."
"But every single Republican in both the House and Senate voted against the measure," he emphasized in his column.
But the general consensus is that this remark on September 28 by Democrat Terry McAuliffe may have revealed his party's true colors – and what likely cost him the Virginia governor's race last week:
McAuliffe: "I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decisions. … I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach."
On the heels of what has been described as a "bloodbath" in the Old Dominion State, Indiana Congressman Jim Banks, who heads up the House Republican Study Committee, says his party is looking to co-opt what, for some reason, has been a Democratic voting bloc – the family.
"Historically Democrats have beaten Republicans on, I suppose, traditional so-called 'education' issues," he begins. "But we're in a new place and time when the Democrats are vocalizing that parents don't belong in educational decisions."
It appears that teachers unions have the Democratic Party "wrapped around their finger," says the GOP lawmaker. "They'll say and do anything that the teachers unions tell them to do," he adds.
And that, he says, provides a model going forward. "I think if Republicans echo that on the national stage, it's going to even further help our prospects of winning back the majority in 2022," he tells American Family News.
Banks also suggests the GOP is getting help from the Democrats themselves. "Democrats in Washington, instead of learning the important lessons from last Tuesday, [are] obviously just doubling down," he states.
In fact, two days after the Virginia election House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Democratic agenda for the House will not change, despite the GOP sweep of three major races (governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general). In addition, the Virginia House may have flipped to Republican control in last week's elections.
