Posted on 01/04/2011 6:16:45 PM PST by Pharmboy
The word “mandate” gets thrown around a lot in politics these days, and you can expect to hear it more in the next few weeks, as the conservative majority in the House declares war on the profligate ways of Washington. Tea Party leaders are claiming a clear mandate from the November elections, and House Republicans — whose first acts will be pulled directly from the Tea Party manifesto — apparently agree.
Recent history would suggest, though, that new majorities are inclined to misread or inflate their governing mandates. And it’s a mistake the Tea Party types are likely to make, too, if they fail to distinguish between the desire for change, on one hand, and the means to achieve it, on the other.
Those Tea Party activists who felt betrayed during the lame-duck session of Congress last month, when Republicans teamed with outgoing Democrats to pass a compromise tax plan and several other measures, have to be heartened by the way Republicans plan to open the 112th Congress. First up on the agenda is a symbolic reading of the Constitution, along with a not-so-symbolic change in the rules that would subject all legislation to a test of constitutional authority.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Sheesh, ping...
I thought a ‘mandate’ was what they were doing now DADT is repealed.
In Michigan we picked up the governor’s mansion, secretary of state, attorney general, 2 supreme court judges, the state house of representatives and the state senate and two US house seats.
Nope, no mandates here.
I don’t seem to recall a similar article in November 2008 or January 2009, do you?
We didn’t send them there to help Obama govern. We sent them to stop him.
Turns out those GOP leaders were right. Obama and his minions picked a number out of the air that sounded big and then wasted it on whatever it took to spend the money.
“... does not a mandate make....” UNLESS YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT.
Geez...ya got me with that one...never heard it before. Mandate will never mean the same to me now...HA!
And they are WARNING us (for our own good) NOT to try and dismantle Oblah blah care...
I don’t remember the Times objecting when Obama said, “I won.”
No wonder the good people of Michigan turned out for Republicans and REAL change...
LLS
Good try, NYT. Changing your tune now that the shoe is on the other foot?
We’ve still got plenty of RINOs here and Rick Snyder isn’t much to the right of Granholm but with a little luck he’s going to be forced to make some choices that will take us in the right direction.
In my opinion our biggest wins were the US house seats, the judges and Secretary of state. Ruth Johnson has made a name for herself by fighting ACORN fraud and as SOS she holds the key.
Obama to GOP : “I won”
“But sizable majorities of voters were against, say, revoking the home interest mortgage deduction, or adding any new taxes, or raising the Social Security retirement age, or scaling back federal financing for education or road building.”
Every answer from the 5th column has to do with us paying more or receiving less basic services. SS was paid into, if I read my paycheck properly. They never, ever, suggest the dismantling of any federal agency or the de-funding of these fiendishly stupid grants to higher education to study whatever they can dream up.
If we don’t somehow put the fear of God into these self-elected journalists I question our ability to reclaim this country and the West. He who controls the message has replaced he who controls the gold. IMHO
Oh, I see. It’s mandate when the socialists win - and they can stand up and say “I WON!”
but when WE win, even in a landslide - it’s not a mandate.
ahmmm - kinda like they get given a cake - they eat it all. We get given a cake - “Hey, let us at it!”
Glad they cleared that up for me.
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