Republican: GOP Revolution Dying on Washington D.C. Vine

BayouBuzz ^ | 8/1/2005 | Jeff Crouere

[Happy2BMe]

Republican: GOP Revolution Dying on Washington D.C. Vine

For decades conservative Republicans dreamed of controlling the White House and Congress. The rallying cry was “If only we had the power, we could revolutionize this country and end the era of big government.” Well, in January 2001, it finally happened and the GOP took control of Congress and the White House. Since that time, it has held total control, except for a 17-month period in 2001-02. Yet, not only has Washington D.C. not been revolutionized, but spending has skyrocketed, deficits have ballooned and government has never been bigger.

What happened? It seems that Republicans in Congress only act like Republicans when Democrats are in charge. When the GOP has control, they change from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde and become the monsters they battled against.

Since 2001, Republicans have passed the pork barrel laden farm bill,

an all too expensive education bill, approved a massive new government bureaucracy, the Department of Homeland Security and added an unnecessary Medicare prescription benefit, which according to economist Stephen Moore is “the most financially irresponsible legislation of the last 30 years. “ The party of fiscal discipline is gone and Republicans have become addicted to the big government disease. In treating drug addicts, counselors always look for an important first step, the admission of a problem. Unfortunately, Republicans don’t see big government as a problem anymore, but just a way to buy votes from constituents also addicted to big government. Yet, this addiction is a true problem because as cogently observed by commentator Cal Thomas, “Government programs are the only sign of eternal life on earth! ”

In the last week, two more monstrosities were passed by the Republican controlled Congress, the energy bill and the transportation bill. Both bills are loaded with pork, include too many unnecessary projects and provide obscene perks for influential special interest groups. For example, in the $286.4 billion transportation bill, there is $230 million allocated for a bridge in Alaska to connect an island of 50 people to the mainland. It has been aptly called the “Bridge to Nowhere.” The energy bill authorizes spending of $66 billion and includes $14.5 billion in tax breaks. It doubles the domestic mandate for ethanol production to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012, giving corporate welfare to farmers and little benefit to consumers.

Our federal budget deficit is $333 billion, down from $412 billion last year, but truly “misleading” according to Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), who believes that “Congress is raiding Social Security to mask the true size of the deficit.” What true deficit reduction has occurred had been due solely to increased tax revenues and not fiscal restraint.

Not only is there no fiscal discipline, there is no conservative agenda. Despite the President’s talk, there is no social security reform on the horizon and no real tax reform being seriously debated. Despite having control of Congress and the White House, Republicans are not pursuing a real conservative agenda, only more big government. For example, a true conservative agenda on the pressing issues of immigration reform, the real threats to the English language, or the multi-faceted culture war does not have the support of the GOP leadership in Congress or the White House and is in no danger of being passed. Republicans seem more interested in providing voters the security of big government than in effective border security.

But, isn’t the country doing so well due to visionary GOP policies? Maybe according to Republican lapdogs on talk radio and Fox News, but real America outside of the beltway knows better. Real wages declined in 2004 and the first quarter of 2005. Today, there are 22,000 fewer private sector jobs today than in March of 2001, when the recession started. Our stock market is stagnant, while gasoline prices keep rising and consumer debt and bankruptcies are skyrocketing. Our trade deficit just keeps going higher, and coupled with large budget deficits and purposely weak U.S. treasury policies, the dollar will continue to get pummeled in currency exchanges.

Today, the politically correct crowd rules the day and the Republicans do not have the will or in the inclination to do anything about it. A party that used to be defined by the mantra of smaller government and more individual freedom is basically indistinguishable from the Democrats on fiscal matters. With philosophical differences between the parties on domestic issues gone, is it any surprise that a new Gallup poll shows Americans becoming “more favorable to the Democratic Party.”  Voters will realize that if both parties stand for big government, they might as well support the real thing as opposed to the sick and confused imitation.

In Washington D. C. today, bringing home the bacon is the main goal, not advancing individual freedom or a conservative agenda. This is not what I signed up for as a Reagan Republican. If politics today is all about power, not ideology or principled differences, count me out. So, if the Republicans are not going to govern any differently than the Democrats, what’s the use?

[DarthVader]

"but maybe electing Hillary & Dean is exactly what needs to be done in order to get conservatives w/in the GOP to take their party back'

Destroying the country for those aims is not a viable solution.

[Dane]

Say what? Why?

Uh you in your reply #31 was saying people who own and run businesses growing/processing food and building building are as inherantly evil as murderers and rapists.

[staytrue]

It consists of changing the designation of ILLEGAL / undocumented workers to "guest workers."

I probably made 100 posts explaining to people who had nothing against legal immigrants, but were against illegal immigrants because "it was illegal" that there was not a lot of difference between Legal and Illegal.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Well, the Republicans had damn well find another Reagan. Are they too lazy (arrogant?) to look?

They expect conservatives to accept BOHICA as a way of life? Are they going to play the Hillary card every time someone says something mean to them?

And what of the "Hispanic" vote?

Are Republicans saying that America has to excuse and accept millions and millions of ILLEGAL migrant workers to avoid upsetting Americans of Hispanic origin? That's an insult to those Americans.

I have no idea the country of my origin. It's one of two or three including Ireland. Ireland is a source of many ILLEGAL aliens. Many left recently owing to New York state's crackdown on drivers licenses. Good.

If the President said that we had to accept / excuse ILLEGAL aliens lest we alienate Irish voters I'd be insulted by it.

I'd get the idea that to Republicans I was less of an American than they feeeeeeeeeeel that they are. What a bunch of arrogant jerks. No vote for Hillary Rats but I'd have to wear haz-mat clothing to vote for a mainline Republican.

[tkathy]

OMG how awful to fix up our highways. Vote for Hillary!

[Gipper08]

" How long has it been since you were able to recognize the Republican Party?"

I am 23. I have never reconized the GOP as anything but socialist. There is hope though, we have to lift up the few who are conservative and pray for the best(Pence,Tancredo,
Shadegg,Coburn)

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Cute.

I'll play.

I was talking about the businesses that hire the migrant workers though it's ILLEGAL to do so. Yes, a crime is a crime.

[ZULU]

This is a great article.

I think part of the problem is entrenched interests which translates into career politicians of both parties. The only solution is term limits. Another solution is to forbid any member of the Bar, who is, in effect, an officer of the Court and hence a representative of the Judicial Branch of the Government from holding elected office in the legislature or the executive branches of the governments.

In COngress, it would appear the worst Republican offenders (RINOs) if you will, are entrenched long-time Senators like McCain, Hatch, and other boobs who call themselves Republicans while acting like Democrats or lack the testicular fortitude to stand up to the Rats whenever they are challenged, even though the Rats are in the minority.

If the Repubs blow it in Bush's Second term - and so far they have in the first two years of that term, its time for Conservatives to seriously reconsider their allegiance to this Party and form a third political party - one willing to shake up the system, and confront the Bolsheviks in the Democrat Party.

If this were to happen, the Republican Party would collapse like an empty eggshell with people like McCain, Chafee, and Snowe going over to the Democrats and losing their elected office as a result. And the Rats would find themselves facing a far more effective, leaner and meaner adversary.

[Gipper08]

We have found another Reagan.It is Mike Pence of Indiana.It is up to us to spread the word and support Pence and allow his wing of the party to take over.

"Mike is charismatic. He's articulate, but he's not shrill or mean the way some conservatives can be," said Stephen Moore, former president of the Club for Growth, a conservative political action committee. "I think a lot of us are looking around and saying, 'Who is the next great conservative hero? Where is the next Ronald Reagan in our party?' The Committee has 100 members now. That's a high water mark. So it means that all legislation that passes Congress is going to have go through Mike Pence." ...... Pence has shown that he is not afraid to take unpopular stands. In the last Congress, he defied Bush, spearheading Republican opposition to the drug benefit that Bush wanted and speaking against the president's education initiative, No Child Left Behind Act.

"I was concerned that the ship of conservative governance was veering off course into the dangerous uncharted waters of big government Republicanism," Pence said. "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54940-2005Mar21.html?referrer=emailarticle

[Dane]

I was talking about the businesses that hire the migrant workers though it's ILLEGAL to do so. Yes, a crime is a crime

So a business owner who grows/processes food or builds buildings, etc.etc. may hire an employee who shows up everyday, works hard and doesn't cause trouble is akin to a murderer or rapist to you.

[libertyman]

...take a couple more hits, bong boy!

Why thank you, that sounds like a wonderful idea...but please don't call me a Libertarian; although I respect the Libertarian Party, I'm not a member anymore. I DO think the "bong boy" name is pretty cool, despite the fact that you meant it in a negative manner. I'll be glad to share a joint w/ you if yon't to...it sounds like it would do you some good.

[Dane]

We have found another Reagan.It is Mike Pence of Indiana.It is up to us to spread the word and support Pence and allow his wing of the party to take over.

President Ronald Reagan signed real amnesty(i.e citizenship) in 86.

Presiden Bush has not proposed or supported blanket amnesty, just bringing more order into an already chaotic system

Sens. Kyl/Cornyn have proposed a good bill, it will however get overshadowed by the McKennedy real amnesty bill by the liberal media.

[Gipper08]

He also said to secure the border(for the amnesty to work) and that a nation without a border is not a nation.

[Dane]

He(Ronald Reagan) also said to secure the border(for the amnesty to work) and that a nation without a border is not a nation.

And was the first to propose NAFTA.

[Non-Sequitur]

That's because we don't elect conservatives to Congress. We elect Republicans. The two are not necessarily synonymous.

[libertyman]

...the dims will flood the country with illegals...

Of course they will--but what has the GOP & President Bush done to PREVENT this from happenning NOW, pray tell? Absolutely nothing: the President has actually insulted good folks like the Minuitemen who are trying to do something about this problem, & he is refusing to do his job when it comes to protecting us from foreign invasion.

Big government, open borders, & having the US play the part of being the world's policeman...the Dims & president Bush have a lot more in common than most of our fellow FReepers are willing to admit.

[Stu Cohen]

So, if the Republicans are not going to govern any differently than the Democrats, what’s the use?

None.

I'm not a Republican. I am not nearly that liberal. The Republics are the new Democrats, and the Democrats are the new Green Party.

There is no such thing as a viable conservative party in this country. It is a myth. I have zero idea why a self-proclaimed "conservative" would call themselves a "republican", unless, like most people .. they have no idea what they are. "Conservative" just sounds like what they are supposed to be if they don't like Democrats. They know not what the real meaning of the word means.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "akin to a murderer or rapist to you"

Are you for real?

Above you said that such a claim is a "buchanan/tancredoite arguement."

Got proof?

I agreed with you that one could argue that a crime is a crime. I, like the majority, know that all crime is not the same. Jay walking is not a capital offense, for example.

Where do you think you are going with this? What's the point? Is there a point? TIA.

[Dane]

I agreed with you that one could argue that a crime is a crime. I, like the majority, know that all crime is not the same. Jay walking is not a capital offense, for example.

Where do you think you are going with this? What's the point? Is there a point? TIA

You made your point in the first paragraph of your above italicized passage.

[Stu Cohen]

I DO think the "bong boy" name is pretty cool

So do I. Although is sounds like Robin to Batman. How about "Bong Man"?

I'm just glad you're not an alcoholic. From what I hear, their worst day sober is better than their best day drunk.