Republicans Are Blowing It [Melanie Morgan Column]

There's a lot of talk going around about how bad the November elections are going to be for the Republican Party.

I ought to know – I'm doing a lot of that talking with grassroots conservatives every day on our four-hour radio show. The GOP has only itself to blame for its problems, and I say this as a proud conservative Republican who twice voted for George Bush and wants very badly to see him regain his political footing.

The Republican Party, which for 25 years had proudly embraced its role as the home of the conservative movement, now seems proudly defiant on an array of issues. Pick a week and you can name a different betrayal of conservative principles.

This week it's news from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin that the Bush administration instructed the U.S. Border Patrol to share information with the Mexican government on where the Minutemen's anti-illegal immigration patrols are operating.

When I read this shocking story, I literally felt sick. Is this administration so intent on it's policy of ignoring the borders that it would turn against its own people? Would they actually put in jeopardy the lives of heroic men and women who are only doing the job that their government is refusing to do?

Instead of tattling on the Minutemen to the Mexican government, the Bush administration should take some advice that will help stop their plummeting poll numbers.

New Communications Director Tony Snow should arrange for President Bush to travel to a border town in Arizona or California and give Minutemen co-founders Chris Simcox and Jim Gilchrist a pat on the back for a job well done. In the background should be backhoes moving large piles of dirt as a concrete wall begins to rise.

While they're at it, they should have our military men and women present with guns at their side and at the ready. And as long as I'm dreaming, I'd love to see House Speaker Denny Hastert, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and other Republican leaders down there at the border thanking the Minutemen for their efforts.

This might be a fantasy on my part, but I can guarantee a nightmare scenario for the GOP if things don't change. Can you say House Speaker Nancy Pelosi? Judiciary Chairman Carl Levin? Can you say "impeachment"?

I just don't understand how the Republican leadership can be so dumb on the politics of this issue on top of their betrayal of principle.

After the Sept. 11 attacks I naively thought that Bush and the Republican leadership would get serious on the immigration issue. I suspected that the "squishy" stand Bush and his counterparts espoused was purely based on political calculations – they wanted to hold their own among Latino voters.

But when 9-11 occurred, it seemed like a no-brainer to me that every politician should demand immediate action to secure the border at once. Wasn't that the politically smart thing to do?

We were making 85-year-old airline passengers take off their shoes and belts and wedding rings at airports in the interests of national security. Surely we wouldn't allow Islamic terrorists the opportunity to have hundreds of miles of an unprotected border for them to smuggle terrorist operatives and weapons of mass destruction through, right?

Now that I mention it, the Bush administration and the GOP seem increasingly out of touch on the war against terrorism as well.

As the chairman of Move America Forward – the nation's largest grassroots pro-troop organization – I've been an unwavering supporter of President Bush's policies to combat Islamic terrorism.

Yet, despite my willingness to be a cheerleader for the GOP on the issue of the War on Terror, I have become increasingly appalled at the incompetence displayed by Bush and the GOP when it comes to communicating with the public.

In recent congressional testimony, new information emerged about Saddam's "Blessed July" program, which was described by Foreign Affairs magazine as "a regime-directed wave of 'martyrdom' operations against targets in the West."

Apparently the Pentagon has been well aware of this evidence of Saddam Hussein's history of planning terrorist attacks against the United States and our allies.

It's similar to an incident that happened in October 2004. CNS News reporter Scott Wheeler broke a world exclusive story on newly discovered Iraqi Intelligence Service documents that documented Iraq's possession of WMD's such as anthrax and mustard gas, as well as Iraq's collaboration with Islamic terrorist organizations including al-Qaida.

They made the political calculation that they could end the questioning of their motives for going to war in Iraq if they just agreed with the anti-war Left that Saddam Hussein didn't have any WMD programs or ties to terrorist groups after all.

Instead Bush and his GOP colleagues said they were victims of "bad intelligence."

That strategy only furthered the cries of "Bush lied" – despite the fact that he didn't. Bush was right about the threat posed by Iraq as a nation-state that would provide financing, training and WMDs to Islamic terrorist groups to use against American citizens.

Yet Bush and other Republican leaders chose to embrace a strategy of "surrender" to their political enemies in the hopes it would silence them.

How can the administration expect to rally support for the War on Terror if it cannot defend its own actions, especially when the facts to support it are right in front of their face?

As poll numbers for Bush and congressional Republicans continue to plunge, it's clear that the GOP has alienated many conservatives who once supported Bush's policies in the war on terror.

Combine that with the GOP's betrayal of conservatives on the illegal immigration issue and you have the elements in place that could cause millions of conservatives to stay at home on Election Day this November.

The tragedy is that the Republican Party's failures on two of the most important issues of our time could mean a return to power for the Democrat Party. And that's ironic since the Democrats are even more out of touch with the American people on these two issues than Republican leaders are.

Hopefully, someone in the Bush administration or at the Republican National Committee who is reading this column will understand that conservatives would like nothing more than to see the Republican Party come home, and once more embrace the policies of the conservative base.

Some advice to our party elders: Most of us are conservatives first, Republicans second.

Melanie Morgan is chairman of the conservative, pro-troop non-profit organization Move America Forward and is co-host of the "Lee Rodgers & Melanie Morgan Show" on KSFO 560 AM in San Francisco.

IDEAS_OVER_PARTY RESPONDED TO ME: "It would go a very, very, long way to get the conservatives back...Just who are his political advisors and what side are they on?"

I know I would feel a whole lot better! I don't know who President Bush's political advisors are (except Karl Rove, whom I have met), but I sure wouldn't mind taking a shot at improving his PR to increase his approval numbers. If he would allow me to help him with it, I feel very certain I could help.

I love President and Mrs. Bush! I have met them several times and have even been kissed by President Bush on the eve of his second election as Governor (yes, Laura was right there). I have been to all four Inaugurations and Inaugural Balls, plus I have been to the Black Tie and Boots Ball.

Eight years ago, I had high hopes for President Bush that he had the makings of being the best President we have ever had---even topping Reagan---because of the Republican House and Senate. I thought, then, that I would like to be a speech writer for him. Interestingly, I actually met his speech writer at the first Presidential Ball.

I was honored to serve as an Elector for him and would do it again in a heartbeat! I truly do want him to well and I have not given up hope that he can turn things around on his support IF he will drop the idea of giving amnesty and U. S. citizenship to criminal invaders and go WHOLE HOG on SUPPORTING H. R. 4437.

Mr. President, if you are listening, I'm available to help! =/:o)

AAUUUGGGHHH! I wish I didn't read the link you provided. Ok, there's no hope Snow will be an improvement. Maybe somebody else in the WH is actually listening.

From the link:
The business-creation rate among Hispanic Americans has reached three times the national average, and is growing.

The majority of these businesses are gardening, concrete work, daycares, and housecleaning. Low income work. (I get cards and fliers on my front door every day in broken misspelled English for this work.) Not businesses that contribute much in taxes nor hire well-paid employees. Enough to give the person the EIC and other free handouts.

Did liberals push buttons to get Bush to propose an amnesty? Or does he believe in his heart of hearts that it is so overwhelmingly the right thing to do, that he is being high minded, principled, and smart, to insist nobly against his base (and 70-80% of the public) that amnesty is a great idea?

Face it. There is such a thing as an unforced error. Liberals didn't maneuver anybody into it, and no, Bush never had any reason to expect the country to rise and applaud his dumb policy. Having the courage of your convictions is a wonderful thing we you are right. When you aren't, it is painful to behold and its consequences thoroughly predictable. And entirely self inflicted.

WOSG: I completely disagree with Powerline's assessment and here's why.

The President and Republicans have not picked up ANY support for any of their "left turns."

The Powerline argument would make sense if Bush had a 47% approval rating, but was nonetheless taking heat from his conservative base.

Instead, the President and GOP are alienating a growing number of conservatives, and yet Democrats and Independents are all expressing displeasure with Bush and the GOP.

So what have we gained? Nothing.

All we have managed to do is instead see the base that held Bush in the 35%-45% approval zone start to drift away. That's bad political strategy. Again, it's what Melanie said, the President and some GOP leaders are betraying conservative principles AND at the same time shooting themselves in the foot politically. It's the dumbest political thinking I've seen in a while.

Reagan didn't win over Independents and Reagan Democrats by being squishy. He won them over by appealing to the facets of their being that were conservative. In that case it was being anti-Communist and pro-American and economically conservative (appealing to greater economic liberty and lower taxes).

"The President and Republicans have not picked up ANY support for any of their "left turns." ... Instead, the President and GOP are alienating a growing number of conservatives, and yet Democrats and Independents are all expressing displeasure with Bush and the GOP."

I agree with you on this and have made the same point to others on these boards.

However, that's not the nub of the powerline argument, which really boils down to the "they arent perfect, but they are better than any realistic alternative" argument. Powerline was mainly telling us not to go 'wobbly' and run away from the GOP, but stand our ground and fight for the best policies we can, now and on election day.

We will have either a center-right coalition running this country or a center-left coalition running this country....
which do we want?

"Reagan didn't win over Independents and Reagan Democrats by being squishy. He won them over by appealing to the facets of their being that were conservative. In that case it was being anti-Communist and pro-American and economically conservative (appealing to greater economic liberty and lower taxes)."

Right. Add in social conservative / traditional moral values and you have the 3-legged stool of the Republican coalition.

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