Posted on 03/29/2006 11:02:37 AM PST by Sonny M
Senator George Allen (R-VA), the third subject in Townhall.com’s series on potential 2008 presidential contenders, visited South Carolina this past Friday. As keynote speaker, Allen drew in the crowds to a fundraiser for Ralph Norman, Republican candidate for South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. After his speech, Allen sat down with Townhall.com to discuss his thoughts on today’s issues and what the future holds for conservative politics. Included here are excerpts from both the speech and exclusive interview.
COLUMBIA, SC -- George Allen is a serious contender for the Republican nomination for president. A former governor, he wears cowboy boots and can often be found outside with his can of dip. Consequently, some Republicans like Allen, because he seems the most like George W. Bush—a charge Allen can’t quite understand, and frankly, rejects. "I don’t know why people say that," he said. "My two role models are Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan. Most people who know me think I’m most like Ronald Reagan." At the start of his speech, Allen proclaimed himself a "common sense, Jeffersonian conservative" and later quoted Patrick Henry. In fact, his talking points on government were so similar to Reagan’s that it seemed as if he had just read a few of the Gipper’s speeches on the way down to South Carolina.
Allen passionately emphasized his Reagenesque fiscal conservatism and Jeffersonian ideals on limited government. Most of his speech focused on lessening government and lowering the burdens placed on businesses. It is business, he said, that really drives the American economy: "Free people should be able to make free decisions."
He added, "Government doesn’t create jobs […] but government should get the field ready." In other words, government should get out of the way.
One way for government to get out of the way is to lower taxes. "Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem; Washington has a spending problem," he said. "The taxpayers are the owners of the government. That’s who we [Congress] work for."
When asked if the Senate would take up tax reform in the near future, he replied, "Nothing has been proposed as far as legislation goes. Our focus right now needs to be on extending the tax cuts: the capital gains cut, the dividend cut, and the elimination of the death tax, which sunsets in 2010." Tax cuts equate to economic growth. He added, "The tax cuts since 2001 have created 5 million new jobs in the private sector."
Allen went on to argue that Congress should view the taxpayers’ money as its own and spend it frugally, just as members would spend their own paychecks. "We need to look at things and see if it is absolutely necessary to spend the taxpayers’ money," Allen argued.
Allen not only identified the problems with the government, but he offered some innovative solutions. He suggested a federal line-item veto. "I had it as governor of Virginia, and the president should have it as well.”
Allen is also an advocate of a federal balance budget amendment. "We need a balanced budget amendment in Congress." He added, "49 states required balanced budgets, so why doesn’t the federal government?" Ultimately, he has decided, "We need to focus on what’s essential: national defense and the military […] then we need to bind down Congress with the Constitution."
Perhaps his most innovative suggestion is the "Paycheck Penalty." Congress often doesn’t pass the appropriations bills in time and adds millions of dollars worth of pork spending at the last minute. "If Congress does not pass the appropriations bill by October 1, the start of the new fiscal year, [congressmen’s] paychecks will be withheld. It’s their job; they need to get it done."
"Of course," he added laughingly, "that didn’t get a lot of support."
Allen also touched on immigration. He replied, "First and foremost, we need to secure our borders. They have been neglected." He highlighted the need for more personnel, more fences (both real and virtual), and more detention centers. "I don’t think we should reward illegal behavior […] you must punish illegal behavior, or you’ll get more illegal behavior." He also replied, "I’m not for amnesty […] I’m for immigration, but it must be legal immigration."
Of course, Allen couldn’t visit South Carolina and not field tough questions on social issues. When asked about abortion, he stated, "That should be decided by the states." He seemed to think the South Dakota ban is too strict and added, "I personally would add an exemption for rape and incest." If the Nebraska ban on partial birth abortion—which will soon be before the Supreme Court—is upheld, Allen foresees the Senate passing a ban again. "We did once, and it was held up."
Allen also defended the 2nd Amendment. "The 2nd Amendment is part of our Bill of Rights." "Law abiding citizens should be able to protect themselves and their property," he stated.
Unfortunate for Allen’s presidential prospect tour, the senator has an opponent for re-election. James Webb, former Secretary of the Navy running as the opposing Democrat. However, with the right effort and the same message on which Allen has delivered for Virginia since being in Congress, he should emerge victorious. "We’ll keep doing what we’re doing. He [Webb] is very formidable, but if we work hard and keep doing what we’re doing, we should be fine."
Allen is clearly the secret presidential frontrunner in the minds of many political types in South Carolina. These political types see two spots for contenders in the Republican primary: Senator John McCain and someone else. A lot of South Carolinians think Allen is that someone else. While McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Bill Frist all have made trips to South Carolina in the past year, the consultants and strategists have all been hesitant to back anyone. Everyone is waiting for Allen to jump in.
The question remains though: Is America ready for another George wearing cowboy boots?
Eliot Peace is a Townhall.com political reporter and a Project Manager for Starboard Communications, a conservative political marketing and strategy firm in Lexington, South Carolina.
MikeA is a Clinton plant intended to divide and conquer.
There is no way a rational, intelligent person could author his posts, ergo he is Hillary's Sid Blumenthal.
If anything, that tells you the threat that Allen is to the jackasses of the socialist left.
You are also full of it, pal.
Allen scored over 85 on the National Journal rating for Senators. For comparison, Kennedy scored 3, Kerry scored 13, and your secret fetish Hillary scored 20.
ALLEN RANKED 8TH MOST CONSERVATIVE IN AMERICA.
Get the facts before you shoot off your mouth.
THere was a thread a while back where he got VERY VERY beligerent and started accusing everyone of being a moron and starting shooting off personal insults like a kos kid. It got so out of line a few of us reported him to the mods on that one. The thing about MikeA is that his primary target seems to always be Allen(when it comes to 2008).
You are right htough about the libs seeing Allen as their biggest threat. They all know that if mccain wins the primary, they'll unload keating 5 nonstop and all this talk about him being too old, too senile/etc. McCain gains favorability becuase the media sells him to indies and liberals. The day they turn on him so will those people. An ex gf of mine was a flaming liberal, but she used to LOVE mccain. I asked her why and its because she legitimately believed him to be much more liberal than he actually was and when i explained some of his positions she changed her mind about him and saw him as just another opportunistic politician. Mccainiacs fail to see this. In order for Mccain to win the 2008 primary, he will have to veer right, and in doing so he looses that maverick/liberal senator thing that would pull alot of those votes(same for rudy). Essentially we'd be running bob dole redux, a tired old man who thinks its his turn.
As for Rudy, that man is too liberal to win the primary, too many mistresses, and is just a pandoras box of scandals.
Allen instilles fear in the left and they know he can win. They know they can beat mccain and rudy b/c of their scandals and a divided republican party. Dems are so scared of ALlen that there trying desperately hard to take him out in Virginia and are even asking him to resign his Senate seat. They even tried to get the NFL commisioner to give him the job. If that doesnt scream fear i dont know what does.
Not to mention they attack him at every chance they get as he travels the country.
You are wise and insightful.
Let's resolve to watch for, and call out, these socialist traitors loudly and promptly.
2 - When he got spanked by the leaders for his 500 million dollar budget cutting ideas, he folded like a cheap lawn chair.
THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE please provide some sources or recant this ignorance
And George Allen resides in Mt. Vernon. ;-)
Mike... I'm not sure what you said...
but the Allen boy's panties are sure in a bunch.
Neat....
MikeA is a Clinton plant intended to divide and conquer.
The thing about MikeA is that his primary target seems to always be Allen(when it comes to 2008).
Let's resolve to watch for, and call out, these socialist traitors loudly and promptly.
Your wrong, the population at large is conservative when you explain it to them. Run on Conservatism and we win everytime. People like you would be poo poing Ronald Reagan in 1980 saying hes unelectable, yet he won in 2 landslides in 1980 and 1984. People like you would have frowned upon the contract with america saying the public at large wasn't ready for it, yet we won the house for the first time.
Your just another one of these liberal rino republicans trying to push your candidate on the rest of us by accusing us of being to conservative and out of the mainstream. Your just in a hizzy because your candidate cant win the republican primary without dems crossing over, and even last time that didn't work. He's never going to win this time since dems have their own contested primary to deal with and can't cross over.
"Not to mention they attack him at every chance they get as he travels the country."
And McCain isn't attacked every chance you and others get?? I guess that's a sign you fear him by your logic.
Yea, we really need to be careful and keep an eye on them since lurkers who aren't quite aware may be misinformed by these mccainiacs and rudy humpers. Mccain is bob dole redux and rudy is all the worst of nixon and clinton combined, a corrupt womanizer.
These rinos will never learn, they always jump these threads and insult all other candidates and pretend to do it under the guise of conservatism. MikeA says hes conservative but doesnt think Allen can win so supports Mccain, thats just bs. If hes a conservative he'd have never attacked Rush like he did earlier(typical of a liberal rino republican who supports mccain) and then wouldn't go on to say we can't be too conservative and win the general election.
it is democrats who must 'moderate'(ie lie) about themselves, not conservatives.
MikeA, BlackIrish, and HitmanLV are the typical "allen is an idiot buffoon who can't debate" chorus on freerepublic and you can count on them to hop onto Allen threads and start calling him an idiot and say we need someone better, but they rarely push for their guys(mccain or rudy) since they know if they do it'll fall on deaf ears and on the issues Most anyone of the 2008 candidates beat the pants of them.
People like you would be poo poing Ronald Reagan in 1980 saying hes unelectable, yet he won in 2 landslides in 1980 and 1984. People like you would have frowned upon the contract with america saying the public at large wasn't ready for it, yet we won the house for the first time.
LOL, I was one of Reagan's biggest supporters and one of the biggest boosters for the Contract with America. And trust me, Allen is no Reagan and no Gingrich. If Reagan was the great communicator, Allen is the great fumbler. So with every silly assumption you and the Freedom person make about me you just like more and more ridiculous.
And you completly misunderstood my post which doesn't surprise me. I am saying not saying Americans won't vote for a conservative. I am saying just because Allen appeals to you merely for being a conservative does not mean that is all Americans need to be impressed by a candidate, especially in a post 9-11 world where there is no clamor, UNFORTUNATELY, for a big roll back of govt. and that they'll not automatically vote for a guy who stumbles in the debates and seems ineffectual against Democratic onslaughts and who is no one they know and who seems like a deer in the headlights against tough questions and attacks. Just because Allen appeals to you does not mean he'll appeal to swing and independent voters, the voters among whom elections are won. We can run a conservative candidate, I would like one myself, but he's got to be one who can forcefully and compellingly ennuciate the conservative message and Allen isn't it. Just saying "Reagan" alot is not going to be as impressive to general election voters as it is to you.
Your just another one of these liberal rino republicans trying to push your candidate on the rest of us by accusing us of being to conservative and out of the mainstream. Your just in a hizzy because your candidate cant win the republican primary without dems crossing over, and even last time that didn't work. He's never going to win this time since dems have their own contested primary to deal with and can't cross over.
You protest being called a Clinton plant.
More like a Clinton weed.
Your transparent attacks on one of the most Conservative Senators in America, and a former Governor of a Conservative state, speaks to your absolute ignorance.
George Allen will kick 'Rat ass, Al Qaeda ass, and your ass.
"allen is an idiot buffoon who can't debate" chorus on freerepublic and you can count on them to hop onto Allen threads and start calling him an idiot and say we need someone better, but they rarely push for their guys(mccain or rudy) since they know if they do it'll fall on deaf ears and on the issues Most anyone of the 2008 candidates beat the pants of them."
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