Posted on 11/09/2006 9:16:23 PM PST by Zakeet
As they lick their wounds, Republicans are no doubt wondering what went wrong and what to do now. The answers aren't all that complicated: Revive the reform convictions that earned them power in the 1990s, and start that process in the House of Representatives by electing a new slate of leaders.
Twelve years ago, the Newt Gingrich-led Republicans swept into power as reformers who ran against corruption and pledged to make government "smaller and smarter." Somehow, across the years, that conviction was replaced by Tom DeLay and the quest for permanent incumbency, Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis and the "earmark" brigade, and a retinue of Beltway retainers symbolized by Jack Abramoff. The current leadership let it all happen, and if Republicans want a shot at regaining control in 2008 they'll turn to a new generation to lead them.
If we had to pick the precise moment when House Republicans lost their way, it would be three years ago during the floor vote over the Medicare prescription drug bill. So unpopular was the bill among conservatives, and rightly so, that House leaders kept the vote open for an unheard of three hours as they dragooned reluctant Members to vote aye.
The other great symbol of GOP failure is the proliferation of earmarked spending. In 1994 there were 1,500 such projects stuffed into Democratic spending bills, and Republicans called this a fiscal disgrace. This year Republicans approved closer to 15,000 earmarks at a cost of more than $10 billion. The current leadership defended this earmarking even after such embarrassments as the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere were exposed. When they finally agreed to minimal transparency, it was too late.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
This article needs to be given wide circulation among GOP faithful.
Boehner values a good suntan. That says it all.
Bohnier thinks he will still be in a leadership position. I don't think so.
Blunt must go as well. And For Heavens Sake, JUST SAY NO TO LOTT in the Senate.
The WSJ Board is correct again. Boehner better not be Minority Leader in the House. Plese elect some leadership that will fight not only the Rats, but the MSM too.
Lott? Didnt the media stip him bare and send him to a re-education camp?
Okay I've been all over these threads the last two days talking about this sort of thing. Just today I was reading up on a possible candidate for POTUS '08.
Mark Sanford is part of that Freshman class of '94. He was one of the ones to leave because he promised a term limit and actually followed through with that promise. Now he's the twice elected Governor of South Carolina.
Sounds like leader material to me.
Mark Sanford '08 http://www.petitiononline.com/msan2008/petition.html
You have not heard. Dick Morris wrote an article on Newsmax that Lott is running for minority whip.
Yup. They should have stuck with core principles and focus: the Contract with America.
Mike Pence for Minority Leader 2006.
Mike Pence for Speaker 2008.
I want a fence.
The article itself is not about Lott. I think the title is 'Heads Will Roll".
However, in the article Morris props up Lott as the one to take over minority whip.
JUST SAY NO TO LOTT.
Gingrich did a nice job.
Boehner has a nice job.
I saw Bohnier give a speech last summer. I was VERY unimpressed. He struck me as the ultimate visionless, tasteless pol. I recognize he must speak for the whole party, and must defend the party on a whole, but he just seemed to me to be extremely uninspiring.
I hope Mike Pence takes his place. I'd like to see Jeff Flake run for Whip. I hear Shaddig is running for Whip, that's acceptable as well.
A truer statement I couldn't write myself. We need to reform the reformers, they need to remember why they were sent there in 94.
Just in case someone forgot where the contract is, it is still on the House server...
http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/CONTRACT.html
Actually Pence is running for Hassterts job and Shaddig is running for Bohniers Job.
So true.
Remember how fast Boehnor turned on Hasstert during the Foley scandal.
Boehnior is just as much at fault as Hasstert
Uhh...if you didn't notice, Hastert doesn't have a job anymore. You don't keep the Speaker position if you lose.
Pence is running for Majority Leader, the highest position in the caucus now that we are in the minoirity. Shaddig is running for Whip, which is 2nd now.
It's true that Pence is running for the #1 job and Shaddig is running for the #2 job, but those jobs have changed now.
Hastert didn't lose.
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