Posted on 11/22/2017 5:55:30 AM PST by Kaslin
A group of 44 conservative leaders have sent a letter to all members of Congress that might be called a conservative wake-up call.
The group represents, through their various organizations, a broad array of conservative concerns. But they boil it all down to three areas that all agree need immediate legislative action.
Tax reform, which currently is in the pipeline, bolstering our defense budget, and getting the federal budget in order through fiscal restraint.
The point these conservatives wish to drive home to Congress is that Donald Trump's election in 2016 was not just an anti-establishment vote. It was a vote to push a crucial agenda, on which he ran, for getting our nation back toward founding principles.
If Congress fails to deliver this essential agenda, say these conservatives, raw dissatisfaction with Washington could well drive unhappy voters apathetically back home, relinquishing power to the left. This might explain Democratic victories in the most recent elections, and particularly the defeat of Republican Ed Gillespie in the race for governor in Virginia.
Gallup polls each month ask Americans, "What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today?"
No. 1 on the list for the last several months running is "dissatisfaction with government."
Similarly, a recent study from Harvard Business School focuses on dysfunction in Washington and how it is driving widespread public dissatisfaction.
Pew Research polling, cited in this study, shows that only 20 percent of Americans "trust the federal government always or most of the time." For some perspective on how we've changed, in the early 1960s, more than 70 percent of Americans expressed trust in the federal government.
The Harvard study sums up what is driving disaffection among the voting public. "The real problem is that our political system is no longer designed to serve the public interest, and has been slowly reconfigured to benefit the private interests of gain-seeking private organizations: the political parties and their industry allies."
Hence, the sentiment to elect an "outsider" like Trump to "drain the swamp."
Donald Trump is the fifth American president never to have held prior elective office. But he is the first never to have served in any public office. Three of the five, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower were generals. Herbert Hoover was a businessman, but he had been head of the U.S. Food Administration and was Secretary of Commerce before being elected president.
Donald Trump is the first American president with zero prior experience in public life. He was elected as a true outsider.
A sense among voters that they have been shut out of their own country, that Washington politics is now a spectator sport, where voters have as much influence on what is happening on the field as they have when they watch an NFL game, helped elect Trump.
Conservative leaders want to convey that the political capital of this dissatisfaction is short lived. Trump voters are looking for the agenda.
Fortunately, the president can still move things forward administratively. And, indeed, the Trump administration is getting high grades for deregulation on a broad front. This is helping to drive the current economic recovery.
But Congress needs to get into the fray.
We still need to fix health care. The Congressional Budget Office notes the dangers of our national debt, which now hovers around 100 percent of our GDP.
With Speaker Paul Ryan's leadership, the House has just passed critically important tax reform. Now Senate leadership must herd the cats and get this passed. This first sweeping tax reform in over 30 years is vital for an economy looking for oxygen.
The election of Donald Trump was a political event without precedent in our nation's history. Conservative leaders are sounding the alarm in Washington, reminding Congress what the 2016 election meant. And that the clock is ticking.
Except Ed Gillespie is a RINO and does not care one bit about the "Trump" agenda which is the real conservative agenda.
The idea of self-governing republic was a noble, if not novel, idea born of a set of extremely unique circumstances, never to be again repeated. New territory, small, educated population, enlightenment principles, old, corrupt practices and institutions far across a large body of water.
For one, how can anyone, group or individual, that isn't dedicated to spending 100% of its time devoted to liberty hope to have any chance? "Normal" regular people spend 20 years minimum perfect their craft or profession, whether tradesmen, engineer, doctor, etc.
However, during that same period of time, politicians and other sociopaths have been spending days, nights & weekends perfecting the art of lying, stealing, colluding, conspiring and in general, becoming the perfect white-collar criminals. (Along with some traditional blue collar 'rapey' kinds of activities.)
The end result is exactly what we see & experience today; and easily predictable as so many founders foretold. Once the papers were signed, this country was on a trajectory with the very destiny it has achieved. It will required a superhuman effort to restore any semblance. It can be done, because an historical figure manages to pop up every 100 years or so.
But to prevail, one must drop all pretense that what has occurred was somehow a mistake, or error, or failing. It never had a chance against organized efforts to destroy the foundation. It will take constant, unrelenting effort to restore even parts.
What a load of baloney. The gop faction of the uniparty wants to lose the 2018 election. Not only do they want to lose, they’re desperate to lose. They hunger for the good old days as a minority faction when they didn’t have to lead, but got to spend their time splitting up their share of the loot.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
You beat me to it. They are completely out of touch. Aren't there any grownup editors at town hall?
No Kaslin, he/she is right. But people born in the USA see things differently.
He also lost because 1 out of 9 Virginians are foreign born. Those folks vote overwhelmingly for the ‘rat faction of the uniparty.
Virginia is now a blue state. Not that there is all that much difference.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
The downfall started at Appomattox Court House.
No, this is not a good analysis. Each one of these house R's and a bunch of R Senators faces a primary challenger and that challenger needs to be a MAGA candidate that will go on to win in the general.
A MAGA candidate with Trump’s active support would have one in VA. You are missing all of them this morning. Take you’re negative pill today?
one in VA == won in VA!
“With Speaker Paul Ryan’s leadership, the House has just passed critically important tax reform. Now Senate leadership must herd the cats and get this passed. This first sweeping tax reform in over 30 years is vital for an economy looking for oxygen.”
Now this is the money line of the article and reflects the actual agenda. The gop faction of the uniparty doesn’t given a flying fig about getting rid of ocare, building the wall, limiting immigration, or even getting re-elected. Their priority is this so called tax reform. With speaker Ryan’s “leadership” no less.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
Well, that because it's a "Harvard study", and from the Pew (how appropriate) Research foundation... Liars on the grandest of scales...
The gop political leadership will gladly lose the 2018 election to the ‘rat faction. And there won’t be any substantive difference.
Most of the gop faction in congress resides in what is considered “safe” seats. Absent an unlikely to occur political tsunami, they retain minority party status. No leadership responsibility, but the loot still comes in. They’ll happily lose the marginal, competitive seats to get back to their comfortable minority status.
The gop faction are world class experts on strategic retreat. Leadership? Accomplishment? Not so much.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
Again, we get them in the primaries. How hard is that for you to understand?
Much as I personally think Corey was a better candidate. I don’t think he could have won. But it would have been a closer race.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
And my FRiend, how hard is it for you to understand that if we win a primary here, a primary there, the game is still rigged and we still lose?
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is not a plan, it’s silliness at best and insanity at worst. I’ve been hearing the “primary them” mantra for well over 20 years now. It hasn’t worked.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
Limited government, fiscal responsibility, fair trade, constitutionalism and law enforcement.
The wall is now necessary because both parties ignore long established immigration laws; fully screen legal immigrants, block those from enemy countries, deport trespassers and bust all employers of illegals.
Getting the final amnesty IS what it is ALL about.
There has been a 30 year bipartisan plan to steal the country from the citizens by importing foreigners.
They are trying to make sure we are not allowed to elect anyone else who sides with the citizens and the rule of law again.
We stunned them throwing out their Majority Leader, Eric Cantor.
Trump had the wealth and fame to punch through the Bush blockade at the RNC.
They will make sure that “mistake” does not happen again.
It’s all about cementing the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA) in place.
They desperately do not want US to be able to restore the rule of law and reverse the demographic changes they have instituted through non-enforcement of laws and borders.
They invited 30 million people here to change the country against the will of the citizens and they do not want US sending them home.
They will do whatever it takes to keep US from electing anyone who sides with the citizens and the rule of law.
What they really don’t want is for US to keep our country.
The final amnesty that would cement the Bush Plan for North Mexico (aka USA) into place has been sought repeatedly since 2006. They sold us Rubio to get the last one in 2013.
We have been prevented from electing anyone who would side with US and the rule of law by their control of the RNC and state parties.
The most important thing to the Uniparty is protecting the demographic changes they have made to the country against the will of the citizens.
That’s what drives the NeverTrump, the media and the Democrats hatred of Trump, it is an extension of their hatred of US.
The Tax Cut and Job Growth Bill is not a disaster...it’s very close to being reconciled in Joint Committee and fine turned......
The SALT (hmm remember a different SALT in the day), will get figured out, as they will have to solve that in Committee.
Then, the overall package will consist of large tax cuts for middle America, equalizing corporate tax cuts (yes the US corporate rates are some of the highest in the world) and a small but meaningful reform of the system, which will hopefully in time lead to much larger reform.
By the way, the angst against corporate tax cuts is very disappointing to see on a conservative website like this for 2 big reasons.
1. The Reagan/Kemp wealth creation and growth conservatism seems all but dead.
2. Liberal media and DNC envy and class propaganda seems to have bled into conservative thought.
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