BOXER BLASTS `BACK-TO-FUTURE' GOP.Byline: Chip Jacobs Daily News Staff Writer Taking a partisan swipe at the GOP-controlled Congress, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. A member of the Democratic Party, Boxer was first elected to the U.S. on Monday ridiculed Republican efforts to curb abortion rights, environmental protections and federal powers as ``back-to-the-future'' leadership that is dividing the public. The first-term senator also assailed the California Civil Rights Initiative, declaring that she would campaign against the Nov. 5 ballot measure and predicted it would go down to defeat once voters learn more about it. Boxer's main targets, however, were House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other conservative leaders who she said want to rewrite history as the nation approaches the millennium. ``There is a constant battle about reopening old issues,'' Boxer told about 50 people attending the Valley Alliance/Jewish Federation gathering in West Hills. ``Why are they now, after taking our senior citizens out of poverty, trying to take $265 billion out of Medicare? They want to take the money out of environmental enforcement. We decided this in the 1950s under Dwight D. Eisenhower.'' Staking a middle-ground position between her liberal roots and pragmatic politics, Boxer also called Republicans too eager to transfer important powers from Uncle Sam Uncle Sam, name used to designate the U.S. government. The term arose in the War of 1812 and seems at first to have been used derisively by those opposed to the war. Possibly it was an expansion of the letters "U.S. to the states. She cited federal meat inspection and nursing care standards she believes should be maintained despite GOP attempts to let the states make the call. ``After the scandals of the 1980s, we passed national standards: You can't abuse a patient. You can't drug a patient,'' she said. ``Now the states are going to do it better. Hello. All across the board, this is (the Republicans') answer to everything.'' California Republican Party The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the national Republican Party. Its chairman is Ron Nehring and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. spokesman Todd Harris Todd Harris is a sideline reporter for ESPN and ABC's college football coverage. Prior to those duties, he was the lead play-by-play announcer for ABC and ESPN's coverage of the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. said it was Boxer and the Democrats who have blocked the progress voters want, such as welfare reform and a balanced budget amendment Balanced Budget Amendment is any one of various proposed amendments to the United States Constitution which would require a balance in the projected revenues and expenditures of the United States government. . ``It's fascinating this comes from Barbara Boxer,'' Harris said. ``She's been a roadblock.'' Boxer also said the California Civil Rights Initiative, which seeks to abolish race and gender preferences in government, would eradicate key footholds made by women and minorities since affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. was first launched during President Richard Nixon's administration. ``It will set us back to days when there wasn't equal pay for equal work,'' Boxer said. ``We don't need it. But there are people out there looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. wedge issues wedge issue n. A sharply divisive political issue, especially one that is raised by a candidate or party in hopes of attracting or disaffecting a portion of an opponent's customary supporters. .'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Scot Svonkin, left, and Jon Cookler listen as Sen. Ba rbara Boxer speaks during Monday's forum in West Hills. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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