Posted on 05/11/2006 12:31:45 AM PDT by FairOpinion
The Republicans talk about cutting spending, but they increase it--a lot. They stand for making government smaller, but they keep making it bigger. They say they're concerned about our borders, but they're not securing them. And they seem to think we're slobs for worrying. Republicans used to be sober and tough about foreign policy, but now they're sort of romantic and full of emotionalism. They talk about cutting taxes, and they have, but the cuts are provisional, temporary. Beyond that, there's something creepy about increasing spending so much and not paying the price right away but instead rolling it over and on to our kids, and their kids.
So, the normal voter might think, maybe the Democrats. But Democrats are big spenders, Democrats are big government, Democrats will roll the cost onto our kids, and on foreign affairs they're--what? Cynical? Confused? In a constant daily cringe about how their own base will portray them? All of the above.
Where does such a voter go, and what does such a voter do? It is odd to live in the age of options, when everyone's exhausted by choice, and feel your options for securing political progress are so limited. One party has beliefs it doesn't act on. The other doesn't seem to have beliefs, only impulses.
What's a voter to do? Maybe stay home, have the neighbors over for some barbecue, and then answer the phone when a pollster calls asking for a few minutes to answer some questions. When they get to the part about whether America is on the right track or the wrong track, boy, the voter knows the answer.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
What we remember is how we thought then things would change when we elected Republicans. We remember promises to reduce the size of government and to eliminate waste.
The federal government spent more than $200 million on ice following Hurricane Katrina and had it trucked all over the country because there was no place to store it. That government ice is now indefinitely stored in expensive cold storage at taxpayer expense. It sits unused along with thousands of trailers bought by the federal government.
We remember the goal of doing away with the utterly useless federal Department of Education (now much bigger) and doing away with the National Endowment for the Arts (George W. and Laura Bush just had to make it much bigger).
We remember the embarrassing farm bill passed by Republicans and signed by Bush to hand billions to those who don't need it. We remember the passage of the prescription drug bill that has created a mind-boggling tax burden for future generations.
What we remember is how the loathsome Bill Clinton was behind an increase in the spending of federal money but.... George W. Bush has presided over a such a massive increase in non-defense federal spending, it makes Bill Clinton look like a miser by comparison.
We remember how things were supposed to change when we elected "our side."
Just when will electing "our side" put sanity back into government?
I disagree. The GOP has done what they've done and not done what they should have done, because they never thought we would hold them accountable. They always counted on the "elect a Democrat" scare tactic to get the party faithful to turn out. But as painful as it will be (and it will be very, very painful), it's time to send a message and hold them accountable.
Nope. She's really nailed it this time. Unfortunately, the entire GOP "leadership" and much of the rank and file is so deep in denial about it, it's in the Suez. The Republicans are going to take a beating this November, the likes they haven't seen since 1976, and it's going to be its own damn fault, I'm afraid.
It would make sense, if such a thing were possible. But I'll give you an example: I'm in Nebraska, and Chuck Hagel, whom I'd crawl across broken glass to vote against, isn't up for reelection for two more years.
Peggy knows what she's talking about and expresses the opinion of many conservatives, myself included. The Republicans are going to get a major wakeup call in November.
"Do we really want to hand control of Congress over to the Dems for another 40 years?"
Don't rag on us, rag on the faux Republicans entrenched in Washington.
Why? As it turns out, the "face" wasn't "ours" in the first place.
I see nothing wrong with defacing a mask.
I don't think we need to worry about (we), the GOP. Its the swing votes from moderate dems and the independent that is going to settle the next elections.
Presently I do not see any thing the GOP is, or has done to sway this block of voters. High gas prices and the borders are
going to be hard to over come.
Oh, so the GOP Congress has done a good job of reigning in the size of the federal government and cutting spending.....
How could she? Sad.
I trace her change to when she got involved with all of those "West Wing" people.
Also, despite her constantly hinting about her importance, she was only one of many speech writers who worked for Reagan.
Gridlock is better than what we have today. The GOP congress is just too willing to go along with any big government program Bush wants. The GOP controlling the Senate, House and White House was a dream, and it turned into a nightmare as far as big government goes. You can blame the Rinos, but that doesn't fly. The GOP was more concerned about keeping power, than they were with keeping promises.
Point?
Good points on all counts, however they have 18 weeks to do this before the election! Yieks. I took the four week August vacation out which is why the 18 weeks is it. I did not take out any other time out of the equation event though their will be other "vacations". I am really nervous that 18 weeks is not enough time to get the things that they need to do to be done. For example, didn't they run on a marriage amendment. That was one of the main points of the 04 election. Where is that? They could at least bring it up yearly. From the start they did not do what they said. I know dems will stand in the way and I say let them, but at least it shows that the Republicans are doing something.
This is just a minor correction, not a criticism. If the 'RATs take over the Senate, Harry Reid will be Senate Majority Leader, but he won't be President pro tem and he won't be third in line for the Presidency.
That would be Robert Byrd.
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