Holding my nose and voting Republican

Townhall ^ | Oct. 25, 2006 | Linda Chavez

[13Sisters76]

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Holding my nose and voting Republican By Linda Chavez Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I am not happy with the Republican Party, but on Nov. 7 I will cast my vote for my incumbent Republican congressman and senator nonetheless. I don't feel I have any choice -- and it's not just that the Democrats running in my state are particularly unappealing candidates.

I'm angry at Republicans for abandoning their principles. This Republican president, aided and abetted by Congress, has increased federal spending at a reckless rate, even when the costs of the war in Iraq are taken out of the equation. I'm embarrassed by the scandals that have plagued some Republicans and by the abject failure of the leadership to do anything meaningful on lobbying reform.

I'm sickened by the cronyism that protected former Congressman Mark Foley and put children at risk. I'm disappointed that after years of claiming to be the party of colorblind equal opportunity, Republicans have actually expanded racial preferences in federal programs. I'm disheartened by the demagoguery on immigration and the refusal to do the one thing guaranteed to stop illegal immigration, namely, enact a broad guest worker program.

But none of these issues will make me stay home, much less vote Democratic. The fact is I don't trust the Democratic Party to lead this country in a time of uncertainty and war. While the Democrats say they want to refocus the nation's energy on the war on terror, they've demonstrated time and again that they oppose the most effective means of fighting terrorism.

Democrats would interfere with the National Security Agency's ability to intercept communications between terrorists abroad and their agents in the United States. They would extend to terrorists being held overseas access to the U.S. civilian court system, which could jeopardize national security by making classified intelligence available to the terrorists and their attorneys. They would treat terrorists like common criminals rather than as combatants who are at war with us.

Nor do I trust that Democrats would do the right thing in Iraq -- not that the current administration has had a stellar record there, either. I'm tired of debating whether we should or should not have gone into Iraq -- both Republicans and half the Democrats in the Senate voted to authorize the war in 2003. The question is what the United States should do now. It's clear the war is going very badly and that Iraq is on the verge of a civil war. Democrats have offered no clear plan except to leave Iraq as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences.

And I don't think the Democrats would back tough measures if Iran and North Korea continue to pursue nuclear weapons either. Certainly the Clinton administration's record with respect to North Korea doesn't inspire confidence. Democrats like carrots a lot better than sticks and are more concerned with "world opinion" than American interests.

Democratic control of Congress also worries me when it comes to the economy. Democrats always want to raise taxes in order to pay for social programs, transferring money out of the hands of ordinary people and turning it over to bureaucrats. Most Democrats are also infatuated with government regulation and rarely find a government directive they don't like. Higher taxes and more regulations are a recipe to cool our healthy economy. Democrats seem to want to punish businesses rather than encourage the creation of more wealth. And they have a nasty propensity to encourage envy and class warfare, which benefits no one.

Politics is sometimes about making the least bad choice. I know some of my fellow Republicans will stay home on Election Day, hoping to send the party a message that they're fed up with the current leadership. But putting the Democrats in control won't bring about needed changes -- it will make matters even worse. The place for revolt is within the party itself, by urging the elected representatives to pick carefully when they choose House and Senate leadership in January and by challenging incumbents in primaries next time if they don't stand up for basic Republican principles.

Linda Chavez is chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and author of Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics .

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Copyright © 2006 Salem Web Network. All Rights Reserved.

[AD from SpringBay]

I am a fellow nose holder. But I just had this thought: what if the Republicans retain control of house and senate and they continue to act like junior democrats. How many will hold their nose twice? I don't know that I can. Message to Republicans in office - change your ways.

[airborne]

So we vote Republican and keep b!t@hing to our guys about what they need to do to represent us better.

There is absolutely no benefit to electing Democrats!!

NONE!!!

[buck61]

I would rather hold my nose than my ass.

A good assessment of the situation we find our selves in.

As for as Newt, I think the GOP has gotten so rotten that he himself wouldn't want any part of the Republican Party in its present state.

[Nav_Mom]

but I will not vote for any party who allows illegal invaders to remain in the U.S. Which is why you're NOT voting democrat?

[Nav_Mom]

Are you voting dem? Or sitting this one out?

[TommyDale]

I would not vote Democrat for ANY reason.

[stuartcr]

Not completely decided yet. I don't really like Drake, but Kellam brings nothing anywhere. I don't like Mr. Allen, and was not the least impressed with anything I've heard or read from him, or what he's done, but Mr. Webb doesn't seem like he is ready for Washington, I think he would just end up being a party hack like Allen.

[Nav_Mom]

This is getting so damn old.
The Free republic is full of post giving rock solid reasons to stick with the GOP.
Yet, those who continue to want to pout & "punish" the RINOs never really offer sound reasons for their childish protest.
Let me ask you this, since you claim to want the GOP to run on "our own agenda" i.e. YOUR agenda...
Please explain how any conservative agenda will see the light of day with a DEMOCRAT majority? If you do choose to respond spare me the laundry list of complaints & answer my question with specifics. If you can. Which conservative agenda will the Democrats take up for you?

[TommyDale]

Abortion, partial birth abortion, school choices, taxes.

[Nav_Mom]

Sorry my last post was meant for stuartcr
My bad

[TommyDale]

I think the time may be right to start preparing for a Conservative Party for 2012. It's too late for 2008, the GOP has already selected Giuliani, McCain or some other RINO as their nominee.

[TommyDale]

There are also many Democrats who are not gun-control freaks.
Many issues are there to appeal to both parties, without forcing us to choose only a RINO. But if one is forced upon the party, the conservatives will bolt.

[maxter]

Sure, we can hold our nose this time and vote Republican because the alternative is not an option. However, they need to get the clear message of our expectations once the election is over and we need to hold their feet to the fire and make our collective voices heard on any future pending legislation. WE THE PEOPLE....

[Nav_Mom]

I disagree, the MSM has selected our nominee..
Not the base. Ignore them.

[stuartcr]

OK

[MHT]

Even the phrase "hold your nose" and attitude that somehow voting Republican is anything but a gift is sophomoric.

In 1992, William Safire led a campaign for conservatives to "hold their noses and vote for Clinton" because Bush didn't measure up to his Reagan-esque expectations. He thought the "remedy" would result in a temporary situation and that we could take it back in '96.

Such a stupid, stupid idea. We're STILL paying for the likes of the moderate hold-your-note gang of '92! Tax hikes I'd thought we'd NEVER get rid of, a legacy of denigration still imitated by American youth, and the two-for-the-price-of-one-special placing Hillary in the mix for '08.

With the likes of Pelosi and Rangel, we are guaranteed to never get rid of the estate tax (unless you have the good fortune to die by January 1, 2012) and the do-nothing-Congress will be doin' impeachment. The hypocritical prima donnas in the Senate led by a "simple son of a miner" who lives in the Ritz will be sandbagging judicial appointments in hopes of Hillary filling the slots.

The results of Safire's advice should have taught us one thing----NEVER, NEVER, NEVER vote for a Democrat. Sure, the Republicans are far from perfect and some are infinitely better than others--but in any comparison, the Democrats are WORSE!

Thank heavens that there IS an alternative to voting for the arrogant, elitist, micro-managing, socialist, socially progressive Democrats!

[OESY]

New MRBM (Medium Range Ballistic Missile) and/or IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile) systems are in development in China, North Korea, Iran, India, and probably Pakistan. These are strategic systems, and most will be armed with nonconventional warheads. Russia no longer produces or retains any MRBM or IRBM systems, since they are banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which entered into force in 1988.

North Korea has ambitious MRBM and IRBM development programs. The North Koreans have developed the single-stage No Dong MRBM. Based on past North Korean activity, the No Dong, or the technology necessary to produce it, may be sold to other countries. Two new two-stage missile systems, the Taepo Dong 1 and the Taepo Dong 2, also are in development in North Korea. The maximum range of the Taepo Dong 2 may be sufficient for it to reach some targets in Alaska.

Iran is also working on the development of two new MRBMs. These missiles probably are being developed with the assistance of other countries. The development of long-range ballistic missiles is part of Iran's effort to become a major regional military power, and Iran could field an MRBM system in the first half of the next decade.






Democrats = No Missile Defense.

It is no coincidence that so many tests under Clinton were failures.







For the sake of your children, can you afford to play
"You Bet Your Life" dependent on Kim Jong Il's goodwill?

[OESY]

For years Hollywood has not only disgusted domestic movie goers,
but has projected an image of The Ugly American to audiences abroad.



It took Bill Clinton to reverse foreign disdain for American culture
and to boost our favorable ratings into the stratosphere.


Question: Will Democrats elected in 2006 follow the Clinton model
to get others around the world to love us? You vote. You decide.

[13Sisters76]

A guest worker program, properly conceived and administered seems unlikely- if it doesn't begin as, it will certainly end UP as, amnesty. We have no need for a guest worker program. Immigration, suitably increased, and LEGAL is all we have ever needed and all we will ever need.

Something they could do- empower local police to hold any they find without proper documentation until picked up by INS (which should be kicked OFF its butt and made to DO ITS JOB). The idea that we can or would round up "11 million people" in a day and pack them on busses is absurd. All it takes is to grab those we find, as we find them, photo 'em, print 'em and boot them back across the border.

An even more expeditious idea is to go after those, with a vengeance, who hire illegals. THESE are the real lawbreakers. I don't, for a moment, believe they "didn't know". These greedy SOBs exploit a bad situation to save a few bucks and THESE are the people who should pay- and pay dearly. After the fines (and jail time for repeat offenders) it is then the IRSs turn. It should be law that the IRS must prove that they spend at least 25% of time and resources pursuing those who hire illegals. One more thing- we should be taxing that money wired back to Mexico (or wherever) at a rate of, at least, 40%. Funny how breaking American law becomes the third biggest part of Mexico's economy.

Illegals are just that- ILLEGAL. They have no right to be here, they add nothing to our culture and do nothing good for our economy. They DO keep wages down, add to the crime stats, and are strenuously pursued by the democratic party as a source of voter fraud. Legitimate immigrants, naturalized citizens and ordinary citizens are treated to their nervy demands and are taxed for their upkeep.

I must ask- your assertion that there is no immigrant problem in Europe gave me pause. I spent three years in Germany and one of the biggest complaints I heard from German and French citizens was about the "immigrant problem". There was a lot of hard feeling for the Arab and Polish immigrants whose numbers grow by the day...were they just pulling everyone's leg?

[13Sisters76]

Our fight must be during the campaigns and in the primaries. THIS is where we make the changes needed. Eventually, we may even be able to push another "second party"- like the Libertarians. But for now, Job #1 MUST be the permanent defeat of the demonRATs. We can't allow them to ever take control again, and for me, this means holding my nose for as long as it takes for conservatives to get REALLY mad.