Posted on 11/25/2014 4:20:02 AM PST by Kaslin
They say in the finance industry that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. In politics, you can almost always drop the “not.” The past tells us what Republicans are prone to do when in January, a new crop of GOP legislators come to Washington and take the gavel of both houses of Congress.
The last times Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress were 2003-2005 and 2005-2007. The signature legislation of those eras were the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit in the 108th Congress and then the lack thereof of the pork barrel-filled "Do Nothing Congress" in the 109th.
One of the best, but little noted things that happened was the cutting of taxes for the middle class. Despite it being very good for the economy, it is rarely mentioned because of the economic collapse of 2008 that each party has tried to cast the blame on the other for.
After those four years Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress for the 110th Congress (2006 election) and then lost the Presidency two years later.
There are two lessons to be learned for the new GOP majority. And that is to avoid to being known for 1) the largest expansion of government spending since the Great Society program, and 2) doing nothing. Those four years Republicans basically became Democrats when it came to spending. They brought home the bacon, appropriation bills were filled with pork, and the Medicare Prescription Drug bill was a monstrosity.
The GOP has been granted a second chance after the November 2014 elections. If we want to lose our majorities again and help elect Hillary Clinton or whoever the Democrats decide to crown in 2016, the quickest way for us to do that is to spend like drunken sailors like we did last time we controlled both houses of Congress and get nothing else done.
What should we be doing? Tax reform. Border Security. Defeating ISIS. Lower the corporate tax rate. Regulatory reform both for small business and to make it easier for businesses to access capital. Dodd Frank Reform. Open up American energy and pass energy bills under the guise of jobs bills. Crack down on the IRS and the NSA. Repeal sections of the Patriot act. Defund the DOJ. The opportunities to fix this Country are endless and for once Congress can look like heroes to the public.
What should we not be doing? NOTHING for fear that the President will veto. Let him and when he does make sure every Communications staffer on the Hill pushes the veto to every media outlet large or small. I would love to see a wall on the new Majority Leader McConnell’s wall which is covered in all of the legislation that the President vetoed. Let Obama veto most of them, then he will be the Do Nothing President. Hillary will inherit his obstructionism and the GOP will have something to demonstrate they were adults in office and deserve to stay in the majority.
Just as dangerous however is divisive rhetoric within our own Party. Right now the Democrats realize their charade is up however and they realize the only way they can win is by running a campaign based on emotions and facts and make sure the GOP is divided. Comments from the newly announced director of the NRSC Ward Baker were an example of the mindless aspersions that Washingtonians feel the need to cast in the direction of tea party and constitutional conservatives: "We said we were going to be the Nick Saban of recruiting, we were going to recruit the best candidates, put them in the right position. We decided we couldn't be Akin-ed anymore. No more witches, no more gaffes.” These need to be erased from any conversations happening both internally and in the public eye.
Truth is, the 2014 election cycle has taught us within the GOP that neither the establishment nor the grassroots are strong enough to be on their own. Neither side can declare a total victory as both groups won and lost different races. Together as a team we won and beat the Democrats.
Maybe it’s naïve. Maybe it’s innocent. But in 2015, Republicans have a chance to buck the trends of their abysmal past performance. If we continue the unity, respect the various viewpoints within our Party and work together, we can reclaim the White House in 2016 and establish a long-term majority dedicated to reducing the size of government.
THIS is what we had in ‘06 when Republicans held both houses of congress and the WH, and dem0s were running for control of congress promising “CHANGE.” How’re yall liking the “CHANGE?”
2006 unemployment #s
4.7...jan.
4.8...feb.
4.7...march
4.7...april
4.7...may
4.6...june
4.7...july
4.7...aug.
4.5...sep.
4.4...oct.
4.5...nov.
4.4...dec.
________________________________________http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000
When Republicans had both houses and the WH.........................http://www.icmarc.org/xp/rc/marketview/ ... oduct.html
The 1st quarter of ‘06 saw 4.8% growth in GDP. Then came demos running for control of congress promising “CHANGE.” They won, and after 2 years in power, things HAVE “CHANGED” GDP growth dropped to negative 6%. Happy with your “CHANGE?”
The nation was 40% wealthier
The nation still had a AAA credit rating
12,600 12,621.77 January 24, 2007
DOW open and close
Deficit in january ‘07, 1.2%
Take down the Democrat’s propaganda arm (MSM), and the Republicans (actually, conservatives), will be in control for years to come.
/johnny
They won't. I'm very happy to have [some] adults in charge again, but the establishment Republicans have shown us that they are now "Democrat Lite" while the Democrats have gone completely off the reservation and turned into far-left, world-power statist Liberals. If there's not a concerted effort to pull the political pendulum even further to the right, away from the centrist garbage we've seen over the last 15 years, we're not going to pull up the nose in time to save America as she once was.
You got it
This was when we had both houses. Things turned around when the rats took over in January of 2007
Stop being so negative
CarVILE (spelling intentional) promised us that we would have decades of democrat reign when the republicans win one cycle...
Why anyone pays this clown (Carville, that is...no offense meant to actual clowns...) a penny for his political "expertise" is beyond comprehension.
EXACTLY! That is what we had after 6 years of GW Bush as prez, and with dim-0s out of power for all but about 18 months that they had the senate.
A permanent Republican majority will need 70% of white votes and at least half of Asian and a third of Hispanic votes, with a strong replacement dynamic (i.e., young white voters trending strongly Republican, and young Asian and Hispanic voters not trending hugely Democrat). There is a LONG way to go to achieve any of these targets.
Unless the repubs can bring industry and jobs back to this country, they will NOT hold control in both houses for very long. Where will the tax money come from if fewer and fewer people are working? Now that we have millions of non-skilled illegals within our boundries, what skills did they bring with them? Few I would expect. No, we need INDUSTRY back and workers capable of rebuilding America. IMO, then and only then will republicans hold onto control.
*
Here's Todd Akin's career: "In 1988, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He served in the state house until 2000, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, in which he served until 2013." Todd Akin was an elected Republican for 25 years. The GOP had no problem with him until he made a stupid comment about rape. Todd Akin was NOT a Tea Party candidate and to blame the Tea Party is just stupid and unnecessarily divisive. The GOP in DC had 13 years to train Akin in communications and to vet him. The GOP-e dropped the ball on Akin.
Now to Christine O'Donnell, she never would've defeated the GOP-e selected candidate for Senate in the Republican Primary, if the GOP-e had not selected a LEFTWINGER, Mike Castle, to step up from the House to the Senate. The Club for Growth ranked Mike Castle as the least conservative Republican in the House. Mike Castle was the President of the Main Street Republican Partnership, belonged to the Republican Majority for Choice, Republicans for Choice and Republicans for Environmental Protection.
Left, left, left and again left and that's who the GOP-e was shoving down Republican's throats in Delaware. That's the only reason Christine O'Donnell won. If they can't push a leftist in Delaware, they can't do it anyway.
So the stupidity of the GOP-e cost the GOP-e a US Senate seat because their choice was rejected in a protest vote. Christine O'Donnell was just the vehicle for the protest.
The GOP-e is a Club, not a political party. The GOP-e pushed club member Mike Castle just to get a club member in good standing iswth an R behind his name.
Good article…it echoes what Rush has said. Good thread. BTTT!
Sorry, Kas. Recent events and outcomes do not inspire confidence. Until the new Congress and Senate are seated and prove to me that they want to change our course, I'm going to remain skeptical.
That's because they work for the same people - i.e., "not us."
To answer the author, he’s incredibly naive. The gop is just one branch of the same political party. Same agenda, just a different set of actors.
Now that the gop has some power, we’ll get to see that conservatism is always just a little too difficult to actually implement. Just like the last time they were in power.
And the time before that.
And the time before that.
And the time before that.
It would also help if the incoming Congress could be known for relegating McCain, Graham and those of similar ilk, to the corners of the building where they can drool and talk to themselves in peace.
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