Posted on 08/07/2007 4:34:58 AM PDT by IrishMike
Seven months have passed since I handed the gavel to Nancy Pelosi, formally returning control of the House to Democrats for the first time in 12 years. In my remarks to the House that day, I offered a bit of advice to the members of the incoming majority. I told them:
“A congressional majority is simply a means to an end. The value of a majority lies not in the chance to wield great power, but in the chance to use limited power to do great things.
“The [American] people don’t care which party controls it; what they want is a government that is limited, honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs. The moment a majority forgets this lesson, it begins writing itself a ticket to minority status.”
It didn’t take long, and there is no mistaking it: the Democrats’ ticket was punched last Thursday night when they stole the 215-213 vote on the Republican motion denying taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants.
This vote was about far more than just arcane parliamentary process. It was an act I believe will eventually come to symbolize this majority and its myriad broken promises. In fact, in one telling instant seen by millions of Americans via the Internet and other means, the Democratic majority revealed it is willing to break any rule, trample on any precedent, and run roughshod over its own members to defend a left-wing, big government agenda most Americans utterly reject. Then it compounded the gesture on the House floor by stifling Republican efforts to debate the majority’s handling of the incident, and erasing the evidence of its iron-fisted actions from the public record, much as it did with the 215-213 vote itself.
The stolen 215-213 vote wasn’t about us. It was a breach of trust between the Democratic majority and the American people the current majority swore it would work in an open, bipartisan, accountable manner to serve.
The severity of this breach hasn’t even occurred to every Democrat, at least as yet. As the Washington Post revealed, there is disagreement within the Democratic leadership ranks as to whether Thursday night’s stolen vote action was even a mistake at all. Majority Leader Hoyer acknowledged on the floor that it was a mistake, and apologized. But Speaker Pelosi brushed Leader Hoyer’s comments aside, saying there was no mistake, and calling the incident something that was just an “inconvenience” for the Republican minority.
Leader Hoyer has it right. It was a mistake -- a mistake that will grow in infamy with each day the Democratic leadership allows it to stand. The stolen vote wasn’t just “inconvenient” for Republican politicians; it was an affront to the millions of Americans we were representing when we offered legislation to stop the Democratic majority from allowing taxpayer dollars to go to individuals who violate the laws of our country.
Nonetheless, according to the Washington Post, a “defiant” Speaker Pelosi brushed aside this disgraceful moment in democracy by asserting that Republicans were frustrated. We simply have been “deluged by the success of the Democrats on behalf of the American people,” she said.
The Deluge of Success
Since January, the current majority has had the opportunity to use its power to do great things for the American people. That opportunity has been utterly and tragically squandered. Instead of doing great things, the Democrats have taken actions that make all of us look small, and “deluged” the American people with bad public policy:
• They stuck pork-barrel spending for peanuts and spinach on a bill meant to fund American troops in harm’s way.
• They created slush funds for secret earmarks, attempting to spend billions of taxpayer dollars without transparency.
• They jammed “green pork” accounts into the energy tax bill, allowing taxpayer funds to be used to subsidize things like Lexus Hybrids in Beverly Hills and putting copies of Al Gore’s book in children’s classrooms.
• They voted to look the other way when the Speaker’s own choice for majority leader broke House rules by threatening a Republican member who dared to challenge an illegitimate earmark.
• They stonewalled lobbying reforms that require lobbyists to disclose taxpayer-funded earmarks for which they’re lobbying Congress, repealed Republican reforms requiring earmarks in tax and authorizing to be publicly disclosed and subject to challenge on the House floor, and killed legislation requiring taxpayer-funded state and local government lobbyists from following the congressional gift ban as they lobby for pork.
• They trumpeted passage of a lobbying reform bill largely indistinguishable from the one Republicans passed through the House last year -- the bill Democratic leaders condemned at the time as a “sham.”
REPUBLICANS RISING
In January, Republicans vowed to use our time in the wilderness of the minority to reconnect with the principles that unite us as a party and have broad appeal with the American people. We vowed to present the American people with a clear choice. There is no question we’ve made progress toward this difficult goal.
Our unity has aided us immensely in this process. The past months have been a humbling experience for us all; we’ve gone through it together. But it’s also been a healing experience. We’ve acknowledged mistakes that contributed to the loss of our majority, and vowed to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We’ve agreed Republicans must work together for a new and better American future, based on security and freedom -- principles that unite all House Republicans and define us as a party. We’ve learned to listen more closely to each other, and to listen more closely to our constituents. We’ve agreed on the need to return to our core principles, and the need for restored trust between the American people and their elected leaders.
We’ve also been effective -- “unusually effective,” to borrow the term used recently by Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard. Sticking together, we’ve forced the majority to deal with us and acknowledge the views of the millions of Americans we represent.
• Unprecedented Floor Victories. We’ve successfully passed 15 Republican motions-to-recommit -- 16 if you count the immigration vote stolen Thursday night -- leaving our imprint on many of the major bills brought to the floor by the Democratic leadership. That’s more than House Democrats passed during the entire 12 years in which they were in the minority.
• Protecting Americans at Home and Abroad. Led by our colleagues Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) and Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), we insisted that the Democrats work with us to pass legislation closing the terrorist loophole in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) -- and it now appears we’ve won. Similarly, led by Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Steve Pearce (R-N.M.), we forced the Democratic leadership to pass the “flying Imams” legislation ensuring Americans can’t be hauled into court for responsibly reporting suspicious activity.
• Fighting for Fiscal Responsibility. We forced the Democratic leadership to restore transparency requirements for appropriations earmarks, restoring GOP reforms that allow earmarks in appropriations bills to be challenged openly on the House floor. We lined up against the largest tax increase in American history, and vowed to support President Bush when he vetoes any spending bill that threatens the goal of a balanced budget by 2012.
• Supporting Our Generals and Our Troops. We stopped the Democrats’ “slow bleed” plan to cut off funding for American troops in Iraq, giving General Petraeus and the brave men and women of our armed forces the chance they deserve to implement Operation Phantom Thunder and defeat al Qaeda.
AUGUST AND BEYOND
Republicans will use August to talk to our constituents about these matters -- not for the purpose of making them more cynical, but to make certain every American realizes what is at stake.
That there are devastating consequences for American families and small business owners when Democrats control Congress. Our freedom and security are at risk, subjected to death by a thousand cuts by a legislature that believes the answers to our problems lie in bigger government and higher taxes. An undeclared war on American jobs is being waged. The size and scope of the federal government is being expanded by reaching into the pockets of hard-working American families and taking more of their money.
We know we can’t solve Americans’ challenges in health care, retirement security, and education by taking more of their money and limiting their freedom. When we return in September, House Republicans will resume our task of building a new and better future through freedom and security, not bigger government. We will continue to rebuild and recommit ourselves to the principles of smaller, more accountable government that define our cause, we will not only earn back our majority; we’ll also do great things together for the American people once we’ve got it.
I think you nailed it.
Yeah, when they first got power back in the 90's, they extended all kinds of olive branches to the left in a show of bipartisanship (like equal representation in committees) because the left were whining and crying over their loss of the majority. And all the Pubs succeeded in doing is shooting themselves in the foot. The libs were never reciprocating.
Problem with the Pubs is that they are pushovers. What the Pubs need to do is grow a set of you-know-what's and stand up to the Dems. And when they win back the majority, to not back down or give in.
“...more of the same old same old.”
Are you f*$%*&^ kidding me!?
Same old same old!? Whaddaya think you got right now, a shining
example for the future?!!
MV
If the Republicans get back into power, they would do better by allying with a few moderate Dems to prove to the RINOs that they aren't absolutely needed. The Dems might be "bribed" with a few crusts rather than demanding most of the loaf like the RINOs do.
The only ones who even know about the “stolen vote” are those who follow politics closely. The media has swept it under the rug, like it never happened. And frankly, it’s because the GOP is not making a big deal out of it.
__________________________________________________________
Yes. The Congressmen are so disconnected from the public that they don’t seem to realize that most Americans don’t even know about this, much less hold it against the Democrat majority. The Republicans didn’t even hold up the ordinary business of the Congress for a single day in protest, and as far as I know, President Bush didn’t say a word about it. The tree fell in the forest and no one heard it.
“…and vowed to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
I must have missed something. “Higher standard?”
This is to declare their standards were “high” to begin with and now want them higher.
If I conducted my life according to their high standards, I would be doing jail time.
It’s time to “Swift Boat” Nancy “Queen Rat” Pelosi and Steny “We control this House, not the parliamentarians!” Hoyer.
Precisely, Rep. Boehner, why you're now on the outside looking in. Shame on you for throwing away the majority status.
Some times lessons learned the hard way, are learned properly.
One can only hope. My fear is that the pubbies screwed up so badly during their tenure that it will be years before they have another chance.
The way Nancy and Harry are acting, despite the best attempts of the drive by, congress has an approval lower than snail slime -
I’m thinking ‘08 we keep POTUS, regain Senate & Congress.
“Same old same old!? Whaddaya think you got right now, a shining
example for the future?!!”
Of course not. But I think the reason we have it is due partly to the complacency of our side and their willingness to be a part of the problem (Rinos) rather than the solution for the huge problems we face. Is it wrong to expect more from them? I’m saying quit talking about doing what is right and just do it, day in and day out. Talk is cheap. Show us by example, start today. It will take determination and character. I hope they can pull it together and we can see the change. Our country needs leaders who are committed and on a mission to get us back where we should be. Talk to the American people straight with no pretense. We are under assault on many fronts, no doubt about it. There is no more time, no backing away and letting others fill in the gap. Push back, speak loud and clear, leave nothing unsaid. The polls don’t matter, what the media says about you doesn’t matter. Take it to the people and go from there. If the party doesn’t have the leaders who will stand up to the onslaught, we will know soon enough.
Hmmmm. Are these the same American people that Ditech
refers to as “smart” in their TV ads hocking ever higher int
rate teaser mortgages to keep the party going?
You hit the nail right on the head. It IS the people. Not the
way you intended...but it is the people.
Settle for second-rate and you will most assuredly get it and
keep getting it. Far too many people are willing to settle foir
second-rate and they want YOU to settle for it too.
MV
Well I am “one” of the people and I find it very hard to settle for second rate. I don’t believe the country can survive it. We are at a crossroads and it could go either way. If we believe in what our forefathers gave us, we had better have the will to fight for it. It is our turn and the time is now.
I'm thinking about writing a 'fiction' book about the USA one hundred years from now... one half in which we continue on our present course, one half in which we turn around and get back to the ideals that our country was founded on.
Well, I am afraid that most poeple do not have the will to fight
for “it”. They want someone esle to fight for “it” once in awhile
(see post-9/11 response in Afghanistan). Otherwise, they
want their leased BMWs, plasma screen TVs and easy credit
to convey the trappings of wealth as they attempt to keep up
w/ “the Joneses”.
Whoever invented easy credit was a f*%$*&$ genius. Not only
does it impact the financial industry and resonate throughout the
economy, it is the single greatest mechanism by which to keep
the lower and middle classes “in line”. What better way to give
the lower classes access to the illusion of wealth than by extending
them easy credit? Not only easy but w/ huge leverage factors? You
wouldn’t want to protest either if you could buy that big screen TV
on credit and go home and such down some brewskies. Why would
anybody want to upset this gravy train applecart? It is a pacifying
(or better yet, numbing) phenomenon. It is a boon to keeping
the system moving in the direction you abhor: to fewer freedoms
and more govt intervention and attempts at forced parity among the citizenry.
MV
That was Avis.
I would sooner watch my fingernails grow than count on the Republicans to do anything right at this point. They blew it.
Simply not enough. This essay sounds good, and it has a lot of solid information, but the Republicans need to do the Democrats what has been done to the GOP for decades. Republicans need to scream from the rooftops that the Democrats stole a vote in Congress. They need to shout it out. They need to reduce it to a bumper sticker and then paste it all over town. They need to name names and strong arm media outlets. The Republicans are still acting like the good parlimentarians in the Duma while the Democrats use every weapon at their disposal to destroy the opposition. Someone somewhere needs to start matching the Leftist political posturing move for move.
In that regard, I liked the guy at the coal mine ripping into several members of the media for bad reporting. When you identify the problem and name those responsible, it’s a hell of a lot stronger than the scholarly text produced by Rep. Boehner.
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