Will Republicans Save Us?

Townhall.com ^ | August 18, 2010 | Walter E. Williams

[Kaslin]

Democrat control of the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate has produced an unprecedented level of political brazenness and contempt for the limitations placed on the federal government by the U.S. Constitution. As such, it has raised a level of constitutional interest and anger against Washington's interference in our lives that has been dormant for far too long.

Part of this heightened interest and anger is seen in the strength of the tea party movement around the nation. Another is the angry reception that many congressmen receive when they return to their districts and at town hall meetings. According to the most recent Gallup poll, only 20 percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, but that's up from a March 2010 low of 16 percent.

The smart money suggests that there will be a Republican takeover of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. The question is what can liberty-minded Americans expect from a Republican majority? Maybe a good starting point for an answer might be to examine how Republicans have handled their majority in the past.

Democrat President Lyndon Johnson's term of office saw massive increases in federal spending. When Johnson was elected into office in 1964, federal spending was $118 billion. When he left office in 1968, federal spending was $178 billion, a 66 percent increase. Worse than the massive increase in federal spending, his administration and Democratically controlled Congress saddled us with two programs that have helped fuel today's fiscal disaster -- Medicare and Medicaid.

The 1994 elections gave Republican control of both the House and Senate. They held a majority for a decade. The 2000 election of George W. Bush as president gave Republicans what the Democrats have now, total control of the legislative and executive branches of government. When Bush came to office, federal spending was $1.788 trillion. When he left office, federal spending was $2.982 trillion. That's a 60 percent increase in federal spending, closely matching the profligacy of Lyndon Johnson's presidency.

During the Republican control, the nation was saddled with massive federal interference in education through No Child Left Behind. Prescription drug handouts became a part of the Republican-controlled Congress' legacy. And it was during this interval that Congress accelerated its interference, assisted by the Federal Reserve Bank, in the housing market in the name of homeownership that produced much of the financial meltdown that the nation suffered in 2008.

During the last two years, Democrats have amassed unprecedented growth of federal government power in the forms of bailouts, corporate takeovers, favors to their political allies and nationalization of our health care system. My question is how likely is it for Republicans to behave differently if they gain control? Their past behavior doesn't make one confident that they will behave much differently, but I could be wrong.

If Republicans win the House of Representatives, there are measures they should take in their first month of office, and that is to undo most of what the Democratically controlled Congress has done. If they don't win a veto-proof Senate, they can't undo Obamacare but the House alone can refuse to fund any part of it. There are numerous blocking tactics that a Republican-controlled House can take against those hell-bent on trampling on our Constitution. The question is whether they will have guts and principle to do it. After all, many Americans, including those who are Republicans, have a stake in big government control, special privileges and handouts.

Ultimately, we Americans must act to ensure that our liberty does not depend on personalities in Washington. Our founders tried to do that with our Constitution. Thomas Jefferson offered us a solution when he said, "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then."

[sickoflibs]

RE :”Yeah——what fun watching the fallout from Ohaha’s stupidity——coming out for locating a mosque near Ground Zero. He would have scored more political points by urging Democrats to endorse legalized pedophilia. At least child molesters have a lobby (/snix). Every day in every way Ohaha helps Americans understand that he shares nothing in common with them, and does not have the perspective of an American experience. “

It is fun to watch these issues all turn against democrats.

You got elected Democrats running away from Obama on this. Given the stimulus and Obama-care unpopularity and election coming they say this is the last thing they need.

Then you got off-the-team-progressives upset that Obama back tracked a bit the next day saying he was not passing moral judgment on the issue.

Then you got on-the-team-progressives saying Obama is doing the right thing (like on Arizona lawsuit) principled ignoring public opinion as opposed to Harry Reid. What they are ignoring is the great Obama is NOT running for election this year. He can afford to support his democrat base on unpopular positions this year . Not so in 2012.

Then you got liberals suddenly praising GWB and calling for him to save Democrats. This part is the funniest,

[DoughtyOne]

You know what SuzyQue, without our support the Republican party goes nowhere. Now, if we could just accept that...

If we hold off for an election or two, the Republican party would come running to offer us concessions. As it is, why should they? We operate as Blacks do in the Democrat party.

They get nothing and give 95% of their votes to the Dems.

We get nothing and give 95% of our votes to the Reprobates.

We grin at what the Blacks submit themselves to, and then blindly march off to do the same damned thing.

How brilliant is that?

[SuzyQue]

You’re right.

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you. SuzyQue. Wish I wasn’t...

I want a party that believes what I do. I’m not a radical. I’m not preaching anarchy. I am simply asking the President, Congress, and both parties to adhere to the U. S. Constitution.

If my party can’t agree to that concept, something is terribly wrong.