. . . . Part II.
Posted on 11/04/2010 9:26:26 PM PDT by grey_whiskers
In my prior piece (The New House Leadership: A Myriad of Choices I: Who's on First?), I wrote of the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, and noted that the new power required the leadership to make certain choices. The first choice, already covered, related to how to decide which Republicans to choose to put in positions of authority (Tea Partiers or Old Hands), and discussed some of various factors which might enter into such a decision. This piece will cover the next choice, which is, what is the most important move to make now as far as setting an agenda and legislative priorities.
Tuesday night, once it became clear that the GOP would indeed take over control of the House of Representatives, Congressman Boehner gave what amounted to an acceptance speech, even though he hasn't formally been selected as Speaker of the House. The interesting thing about the speech is that it belied all of the stories circulated about the GOP by the Democrats and their sycophantic (psychophantic?) whores in the Press. Boehner, it seems, had started out waiting tables and bartending in a family business, and had volunteered to run for politics out of concern for the country -- in contrast to such rags-to-riches Democrats as Ted Kennedy, Joe Corzine, and Nancy Pelosi. He broke down in tears while promising the American people that the GOP heard the message of the Tea Party.
And today, Boehner followed up by saying that "Spending Cuts are #1".
Both of these are a good start; and it is true, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But what beyond the first step? People and their assignments are on first; What's on Second? What should be the legislative benchmarks and goals of the new Republican House?
To answer the question, we need to look at three factors:
1) the material we have to work with
2) our likely opposition
3) (most important, ESPECIALLY for Tea Partiers) the voters
The material we have to work with is this: The GOP controls the House of Representatives, with a large influx of eager, conservative freshmen. The Democrats control the Senate, with the Senate majority leader both unrepentant and enraged that he actually had to work to hold onto his seat. And of course, we have Teh One in the White House (or, more often these days, on vacation). He has the power of the Office for the veto and Executive Orders, but -- like Saruman after his staff has been broken -- his voice has lost its charm, for those who will see.
I see, glancing over at another screen as I write, that John Boehner has written a piece in the Wall Street Journal (link here. I promise not to read it until I have finished writing this piece.)
What we can do, we must: and what we must do, we can. The Congress cannot presume to work its will upon the rest of Washington, as was attempted by the Class of 1994. Overreach, a hostile press, and triangulation by Bill Clinton showed the dangers of such. BUT -- it is instructive to note, that the widespread GOP victories give a clue: the elections were nationalized. The Congress should work on NATIONAL priorities, rather than getting bogged down as the spendthrift class of 1994 did, gorging on pork and destroying the Republican brand. If they act like the GOP did the last time they had Congress, the party will be destroyed. Much better to let the Democrats (Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barney Frank are all still in office) *become* and *remain* the faces of Washington excess, as Barack Obama replaces the GOP as the face of the broken promise, of gorging at the trough ($2 billion overseas vacations in India with 10% unemployment?) while voters suffer.
The likely opposition will be important not for who it is, but for *what* it does. As Barack Obama has repeatedly demonstrated, and as the Democrats have carried out against their enemies from Glenn Beck, to Rush Limbaugh, to Sarah Palin, their answer to everything is not to debate on the merits, not to appeal to patriotism, but blind, malignant hate -- the politics of personal destruction which Bill Clinton claimed to have left behind. As it worked during the election, the Congress must stay focused on the issues, and not allow the debate to become one of personalities: merely to answer the slurs with the truthful -- and devastating -- observation "Is that all you have?" as we hang the economy around the Democrats' neck. Obama promised change: he never mentioned it would be for the worse. And the House by itself, against the Press, the Senate, and the President, is not enough to pull the country out of the socialist quicksand.
And this brings me to the third point: the voters. Bill Clinton won his first victory on the strength of four little words. "It's the Economy, Stupid."
Look around at the unemployment, where even 99 weeks of benefits have not been enough: the ghost towns in Detroit and the Rust Belt (remember the "bitter clingers, Obama? Well, you forgot they clung to their Constitutional right to vote as well as their guns and religion); and the unspeakable deficit spending and pension black holes. What in HELL is Obama doing renting 500 rooms in a luxury hotel, as though he were a despotic sultan?
The answer, then, is that the GOP Congress should sell itself as the ANTIDOTE to all that Obama has done wrong: and actively solicit the American people to join them to make things right again. The populace can bond in this: those on the left of center want to believe that the government can help make things right; and those on the right want things to improve because of their innate patriotism and love of country. Saying to the people, "We're from the government, but we need YOUR help" may just be a clarion call that all can heed and to which they can respond.
More shedding from the striped coat of the Typing Tabby.
Line your birdcage *today*!
Thanks for the ping!
. . . . Part II.
Reagan won over the people by going on national TV and explaining what was going on and bypassing the RATs.
The GOP Conservatives should do the same. Go around The Imam straight to the American people. There is no love left for The Imam except by his Left-wing useful idiots.
The GOP should explain the obvious to the Senate RATs and House RATs, who are up in 2012, that they’re TOAST in 2012 if they hang with their boy who is, obviously, out to destroy our country. The same goes for RINO’s who don’t “get it” after last Tuesday.
“myriad of” = bad grammar
And here’s how it all started:!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr3sj8q5lfY&feature=player_embedded
Excellent. Hopefully the leadership gets it and your great ideas have already been incorporated.
We need to hold Congress for decades to undo the damage.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.