Posted on 12/23/2002 1:37:32 PM PST by Jim Robinson
WASHINGTON – Government downsizing, privacy and national security/defense emerged as the top three action plans that a group of some of the nation’s key conservatives will urge on the Bush administration and the incoming Republican 108th Congress.
Gary Aldrich, president and founder of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty, outlined the purpose of the meeting Thursday.
“Is it enough for Republicans to smartly manage an unaccountable, ever-growing bureaucracy? Or can we do more?” Aldrich asked in a Nov. 22 letter inviting influential conservatives to the strategy session.
Among those weighing in at the nearly daylong gathering were leaders of well-known cultural, economic and national defense conservative groups, as well as a member of Congress, two Reagan administration officials (one in person, the other by written communication), a pollster, fund raisers and candidates for public office (past and future).
Republicans, as the more conservative of the two major parties, have presented people of his persuasion with “a great opportunity,” Aldrich told NewsMax.com.
“We have the White House. We have the House, and we have the Senate. And that is called opportunity,” he observed. “The only thing I don’t think we have right now is a vision where we would like to be five, 10 or 20 years from now.” That is where the activity of the strategists comes in.
Privacy and Hillary
The privacy issue was discussed in terms of making certain that any information the government can gather on law-abiding citizens in the name of national security is information you would not mind falling into the hands of Hillary Clinton should she someday become president or attorney general.
Aldrich — best known as a former FBI agent who went public in 1996 with a blockbuster book “Unlimited Access,” exposing the lax or almost non-existent security at the White House - allowed as how there can be times when left and right agree on the privacy issue, but that “I personally find it difficult to deal with leftists because their primary interest, as far as I can see, is the dismantling of our current form of government, which is the Constitution that we love and enjoy and our Bill of Rights.”
Some discussion at the meeting focused on the fact that much of the left raises the concern over privacy only when the private sector collects information, but was complacent about Filegate and other scandalous privacy invasions by government when the Clintons were in power.
Those who met Thursday are fervent believers. Aldrich noted how difficult it would normally be to persuade people to give of their time less than a week before Christmas.
Time to Attack Back
The participants were definitely of a mind to go on offense, perhaps strengthened by information - not rumor or gossip, but hard well-sourced information — that top Democrat party operatives met about a week after the GOP’s victorious Nov. 5 election and decided on a strategy of intimidation and attack, attack, attack. The first move in that left-wing strategy was to go after the conservative talk show hosts, Fox News and the Washington Times. When that failed to resonate with the public, the Democrats pounced on Trent Lott.
However, the Democrats’ attack strategy is prompted by desperation, it was agreed. Comes a time soon when it will be the left’s turn to be on defense.
The administration wants to streamline Social Security and Medicare so that they will not take the country into the chaos of bankruptcy. The Democrats have been delaying necessary reforms in these programs, the better to demagogue the issue. But the Nov. 5 elections showed that senior citizens no longer fall for the scare tactics.
Now the burden is on the Democrats' shoulders to help save Social Security and Medicare, because if they don’t, “they can’t try to socialize the country,” one attendee opined. The monkey will be on their back.
This was not merely a gathering of like-minded activists “preaching to the choir.” Aldrich prefers to think of this as the “visionary group,” with plans to see that its message is heard by Congress and the administration through grassroots action.
He recalled a 1997 meeting in Charleston, S.C., that met to deal with the Clinton scandals. Ultimately, these citizens determination helped lead to the 1998 House vote that made Bill Clinton the only elected impeached president in the nation’s history.
Here's hoping that we hear a lot more from these folk!
Merry Christmas!
William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site
Hey thats my team! LOL. I sat through the whole Tsgiving game. The "bubbas" own the 'Skins on Thanksgiving.
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This is a point well-taken, inasmuch as the thought of her becoming either president or AG is certainly bloodcurdling enough as it is. |
It bears remembering that this is the same person who was obsessed with instituting an illegal and unconstitutional socialized health care program which would've placed into her hands the medical records of every American. And I firmly believe that was only the first step...Consider following this link and note the similarities to her M.O.
Of interest, I was listening to Rush Limbaugh's show today and his replacement was asking the same question to listeners. "The GOP is in charge - what should they do?"
It does seem a bit strange to be asking this after the platform is written and the campaign completed. Why not perform as advertised?
Yes, it is a great idea for conservatives to express their vision - then perform as advertised even if they experience setbacks. Goldwater didn't win but Reagan did. Vision isn't achieved by compromise.
The Cowboys have been plenty offensive lately. Offensive to anyone who likes to watch good football, that is.
Hail to the Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight, for old DC!
Been a tough year hasn't it?
Hey! What's up with that? Why didn't TIME name Aldrich "Person of the Year" in 1996?
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