How did GOP right get it so wrong? (Dick Armey editorial)

Houston Chronicle ^ | 11-4-06 | Dick Armey

[Hydroshock]

Somewhere along the road to a "permanent majority," the Republican Revolution of 1994 went off track. For several years, we had confidence in our convictions and trusted that the American people would reward our efforts. And they did.

But today, my Republican friends in Congress stand on the precipice of an electoral rout. Even the best-case scenarios suggest wafer-thin majorities and a legislative agenda in disarray. With eight days before the election, House speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi has already begun her transition planning.

Where did the revolution go astray? How did we go from the big ideas and vision of 1994 to the cheap political point-scoring on meaningless wedge issues of today — from passing welfare reform and limited government to banning horsemeat and same-sex marriage?

The answer is simple: Republican lawmakers forgot the party's principles, became enamored with power and position, and began putting politics over policy. Now, the Democrats are reaping the rewards of our neglect — and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

In 1989, Newt Gingrich rose to the number twoNo. 2 leadership position in the House after a contentious three-way race pitting young backbench conservatives such as myself, Bob Walker, Joe Barton and others against old bulls such as Minority Leader Bob Michel and other ranking members. We thought they suffered from a minority party mindset and were too accommodating of the Democrats. Out of congressional power for nearly two generations, Republicans had become complacent. Senior members of the party were happy to accept the crumbs afforded by Democratic chairmen. Life was comfortable in the minority as long as you did not rock the boat. Members received their perks — such as travel abroad and special banking privileges — and enough pork projects for re-election.

[rob777]

"It's irritating to me to see how many Republicans from the House Freshman Class of '94 went over to the Dark Side."




WHAT???? They fought a heroic battle to limit government, forced Bill Clinton to reduce spending some and sign welfare reform and were sold out by the party establishment in the Senate when the going got tough. Are they a little bit bitter. YOU BET THEY ARE!!!! They have every right to be. Since that sell out by Dole and the Senate, the retreat by the party establishment from the battle against big government social engineering has been so fast that, to some extent, the GOP now is almost as much committed to this approach as the Dems.

No, I do not intend vote Dem. I have already voted for a straight GOP ticket, but it almost made be barf. Frankly, I wish the GOP still had more brave souls like Dick Armey.

[rob777]

"Hey DICK, stfu.. conservative House majority leader Delay accomplished more during his tenure than you ever did."




Right, under Armey the GOP House forced Clinton to accept some spending cuts and pass welfare reform while Delay fought with conservatives within his own party caucus to PREVENT further cuts. A few small cuts were finally accepted when Mike Pence and the RSC made their little rebellion public and got the support of grass roots conservatives. I think that anyone taking note that it took a public rebellion within the party to get even some minor cuts passed was not lost on people like Armey who would like to see some REAL cuts.

[raybbr]

Right, under Armey the GOP House forced Clinton to accept some spending cuts and pass welfare reform...

Ain't it funny how history is lost on some people????

[x1stcav]

WTF? Has Armey lost it? Thanks a heap.

[x1stcav]

That's an awsome summary.

Thanks for the ammo.

[rob777]

Ain't it funny how history is lost on some people????






Yep.

[WalterSkinner]

..during a global war

The context of the debate changes--all this smacks of a personal agenda...

[WestVirginiaRebel]

The problem is in the split that's occured within the conservative movement itself. Libertarian, small-government conservatives have had their voices overhsadowed by the people who think that gay marriage is a bigger issue than cutting spending or competence in the WOT. We are faced with nutbags who want to nuke us, people. Yet the GOP keeps catering to hacks who want to ban the teaching of evolution and who are paranoid to the point of hysteria at the thought of those evil homos getting hitched.

It's a question of priorities. Which is more important-sacrificing conservative common sense for the sake of a particular group's ideology, which really has nothing to do with traditional conservatism, or actually doing the jobs you were elected to do? Advocating nanny-stating in the name of God is NOT conservatism. It's bad enough that the Left already wants to do this. People don't like being told how to live their lives in a free society.

This is why I think guys like Arnold, Romney, and even McCain are probably closer to real Republican values than the evangelist Bushbot crowd is. They are among those who are actually talking about fiscal responsibility and limited government. Let me put it this way-gay marriage is way down on most people's list of concerns, and if there is another attack it will be because the people in charge spent too much time listening to the people who think their social agenda is more important than anything else instead of minding the store and actually paying attention to our security.

[Zack Nguyen]

A few months before the victory on welfare, we lost the battle over the federal government shutdown of 1995, when we were outmaneuvered by Clinton, a masterful political operator. After that fight, too many Republicans apparently concluded that America wanted bigger government.

I think this was a key event in the history of our Party. I think a lot of Republicans simply lost their nerve, one year into their new majority. A bit later the "lesson" was hammered home by the vicious shellacking that Republicans took for attempting to slow the growth of Medicare and school lunch programs.

[Zack Nguyen]

Yet Republican lawmakers have taken up such issues as flag burning, Terri Schiavo and same-sex marriage. They're fooling only themselves.

Though I am less concerned about flag burning, the issue of Terry Schiavo involved the taking of human life. I say government has a role in this. Same-sex marriage is a political issue, like it or not, as the leftist lobby has forced it into the political arena.

[Zeroisanumber]

I am in completer agreement with his goals, but not so sure of his tactics.

If we're going to lose seats on Tuesday, I would almost rather we lost the House or the Senate. Things aren't going to get any better in Iraq, and a mid-term victory (however thin) would be a signal to the Beltway to keep up with business as usual. If that happens, I'm certain that 2008 would be as bad for us as 1994 was for the Dems.

[kcvl]

If it weren't for those 'pious self righteous religious' voters they would never have been in the majority in the first place. Those people vote while all you belly aching libertarians complain election after election if everything doesn't go your way. The same people who gave us Bill Clinton twice.

[KDD]

See post 108.

I couldn't say it any better.

[Liberty Valance]

bttt

[kcvl]

Let me put it this way-gay marriage is way down on most people's list of concerns, and if there is another attack it will be because the people in charge spent too much time listening to the people who think their social agenda is more important than anything else instead of minding the store and actually paying attention to our security.

You couldn't be more wrong about people not carrying about national security. Just because politicians are pandering to social conservatives doesn't mean those same social conservatives don't care about national security. It's the politicians who don't get it.

Why do you think so many people are screaming about our borders to no avail?! Those politicians are pandering to the business community who want cheap labor. So, don't put all of the failures on the backs of social conservatives just because you don't like the outcome.

Thanks to contrary Libertarians we got Bill Clinton twice! When you don't get your way you start a third party or stay home. You just don't seem like social conservatives and blame them for everything.

[dr_who_2]

Yeah, horse meat really brings me to the polls. As for same sex marriage, most of the real work as been done at the state level...where it should be done in the first place. If conservatives don't pay attention to the grass roots, we end up with freshman classes full of RINOs to fill the seats that incumbent RINOS will eventually lose to Democrats. Dick Armey is right about the levels of spending with this congress versus the ones he was in, especially when you consider the President he had to serve under.

[Arizona Carolyn]

He was on Chris Matthews the other night (caught it because PMSNBC was running the Presidents Kerry rebuttal speech live and Fox was talking over it).. anyway, Armey was either drunk or has become senile.. someone needs to keep him home or shrinkwrap him until after the election.

[GopherIt]

Isn't it funny ...

Yup, isn't it funny that the election is less than 48 hours away and all this high and mighty opinion is coming out now. Isn't funny that it seems lost on some people that for those of us working to elect good conservatives right now, against very close margins, this, to say the least, doesn't help.

Armey and the rest of you can go to hell for all I care.

[justshutupandtakeit]

The GOP has been weakened by the undermining of the President by the Ultras who believe that FR is representative of the entire nation rather than a minority. So rather than confront the nation's enemies they concentrated their fire on the GOP for not doing enough oblivious as to why their efforts have not always been successful. Hopefully they have recovered their senses sufficient to prove Armey wrong.

[Atchafalaya]

Ahh, a great rebuttal; I started reading it and I thought Pukin Dog was on a roll. Thanks again MNJ; bookmarked for reference.