Posted on 01/25/2010 8:36:33 AM PST by jessduntno
With a spate of retirements, defections and defeats, Democratic candidates are falling like flies. It seems a good year to be a Republican. But there's still a big problem: The brand is still damaged goods -- and too many Americans have no notion of what the GOP stand for. Most likely, Republicans can gain seats in 2010 by doing nothing, but many voters still wonder whether a "party of 'No!'" can govern if handed the baton? Can negativism really lead to long-term success?
- snip -
David Gregory, host of "Meet the Press":
Gregory: Does the Republican Party, in this election year, need what the Republicans had in 1994, which is a Contract with America . . . to get 300 Republicans to sign up for no new taxes and a balanced budget? Do you see that as being a necessity this year?
McConnell: Yeah, I think we will have a plan. We've had a plan, an alternate plan, on everything this year, and I think we'll have an alternate plan for the voters in, in November.
Gregory: So you will have a contract with America for 2010?
McConnell: Well, I don't know what it, what it'll be called . . .
What follows are my suggestions for what a 21st century compact might look like. Call it the GOP Contract with America, version 2.0. -- call it whatever you want. It would not be a "purity test," but instead a promise from the party leadership to the American people that if Republicans are given control of the Congress, the following acts will be brought to a vote in the 112th Congress:
(Excerpt) Read more at politicsdaily.com ...
The big problem with the the Contract in ‘94 is that they had no follow through. It was a fine sounding plan, but then they did nothing and lost all the gains.
“The upshot was that for the first time in 40 years, Republicans gained control of Congress. Gingrich himself became speaker of the House. John Boehner: It’s your serve.”
Does this mean that in ten years Boehner will become a quasi-liberal talking head sitting on a couch with a socialist and backing the most liberal possible GOP candidates against the most conservative possible one?
Gingrich was on CSPAN nightly telling the people of America about his Contract With America. He had a definite agenda and he reiterated it point by point for months on C Span before the election.
He sold the ideas through time and effort.
It worked. What a good idea. Who is willing to do it now? The [progressives) are still too confident to change.
they will continue to do ‘what brought them to power’ (my opinion).
The Republican’s feet need to be held to the fire with even more effort than we hold the Democrap’s feet to the fire.
We did have power in both houses for several years and it is true a lot of good was done, but a lot of chances were squandered away. We can’t just pack our bags and go home because our favorite party won a few elections. We need to keep the pressure on them otherwise the seeping corruption of power will infect those we have faith in and they won’t do the right thing.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus
>> The big problem with the the Contract in ‘94 is that they had no follow through. It was a fine sounding plan, but then they did nothing and lost all the gains. <<
We got the power and fumbled it badly, “Full belly, empty mind” syndrome kicked in full force.
The American Health Care Act: Perhaps Massachusetts voters have already taken care of this, but Republicans should pledge to repeal ObamaCare in full. The Democrats want a victory on this issue, and they will still likely pass something. But Republicans must also pass meaningful health care reform of their own -- reform that adheres to conservative principles: Real health care reform would include the uncoupling of health insurance from employment, the ability to purchase insurance across state lines, the ability to legally purchase a la carte (or "non-Cadillac") health insurance, along with further medical malpractice limits.
The e-Congress Act: The 1994 Contract with America included a "Citizen Legislature Act" that called for term limits. Federal term limits did not pass, but technological innovations unavailable to Gingrich's guerrillas could now be used to foster an environment conducive to members staying connected to the citizens who send them to Washington. One promising idea (previously discussed here) would require Congress to hold some of their votes electronically -- the goal being to keep them in their districts more -- and away from the lobbyists, perks, and other temptations of Washington.
The Limited Government and Transparency Act: From Day One, Republicans should end the practice of congressional earmarks -- one of the Republicans' undoing when they last held power -- and they should also pledge to support zero future bailouts, and force the immediate federal divestiture of all auto-industry holdings. They should also pledge to allow C-SPAN cameras to cover any and all votes, including those taking place now in the highly secretive House-Senate conference committees. Republicans should once again call for an amendment that would require a balanced budget, unless sanctioned by a three-fifths vote in both houses of Congress. Lastly, Republicans should commit to reduce the absolute -- not proportional, but absolute -- size of federal spending by 10 percent in their first year.
The Energy Independence Now Act: For decades, politicians have talked about energy independence, but nothing has happened. In 2008, Barack Obama said he was focused on putting resources "into solar, wind, biodiesel, geothermal . . . and [developing] a highly fuel efficient car." John McCain favored all those conservation measures -- and more -- but he also looked at the hard facts and called for the U.S. to authorize the immediate building of 45 new nuclear power plants, which he noted would only be a start toward energy independence. Our guy was right. Nuclear power is a sustainable source of energy that does not create air pollution or generate greenhouse emissions. Republicans should up the ante and call for 100 new nuclear power facilities, promise tax credits for conservation, and pledge to immediately lift bans on offshore drilling for oil and natural gas exploration in all federal lands and coasts.
The Strong National Defense Act: Republicans should take bold steps to reassert American power in the world. This would include passing an explicit resolution that an Iranian nuclear weapon is a casus belli justifying regime change in that nation, by force if necessary. Republicans should also offer the kind of explicit and active support for the Iranian democracy movement that President Obama has refused to give. Republicans should reassert that the goal for the war in Afghanistan is to win, with winning being defined as the death or capture of every al Qaeda leader active on September 11, 2001, starting with Osama bin Laden; and the establishment of an Afghan-government ability to hold off the Taliban. Republicans should also insist on reviving missile defense for our European allies, and pass a statute explicitly allowing enemy combatants to be tried in military tribunals.
Secure Our Borders Act: Republicans candidates would pledge to vote to secure U.S. borders next year, and then follow that measure with common-sense solutions to deal with people already here. Once our borders are secure, Republicans should insist on a complete rewrite of American immigration law to eliminate "chain migrations" that reward lawful applicants who have desired skills, or who come from nations with historic ties to the United States -- ranging from Ireland to Mexico.
The Free Campaign Speech and Workplace Act: In the wake of the last week's landmark Supreme Court free speech decision, Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission, Republicans should pledge to repeal whatever remnants of the ill-considered McCain/Feingold legislation that limit the free exercise of political speech. Contract with America 2.0 should also distinctly oppose any return of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine," and Republicans should pledge to support the rights of union members to have a secret ballot.
The Science and Final Frontiers Act: Republicans should dare the nation to once again do great things. John F. Kennedy challenged America to go to the moon in a decade, but many of today's Democrats would refuse to follow such a call. Republicans should carry the torch of vigorous endeavor, starting with a goal of putting a man on Mars by 2019.
Republicans should also pledge to pass legislation to make eradication of cancer the nation's top national health priority. Some 20 percent of Americans die from this disease. Attacking it head-on would require the United States to foster a once-in-a-generation push in research and development that would make America the envy of the world -- and would benefit the entire world as well.
The Savings for the Future Act: Republicans would champion legislation allowing Americans to redirect up to 15 percent of Social Security contributions into a personal retirement account.
The Educate America Act: Too many inner-city, poor, or otherwise at-risk children are doomed to attend failing schools. Republicans should support vouchers and tax credits for families who wish to send their children to private schools.
Some of these are very good like term limits.
The one on SS won’t fly anymore than it did in 2005 because the country is broke . One could have made the principled/moral case that the shrinking SS monthly surplus should be saved instead of spent (phony trust fund) on other programs. But it makes no sense for the US to borrow money from China, to create a personal savings account for votes.
Whoa!
My recollection is that the GOP majority in the House did everything they promised to do.
They promised to reform the House rules. They did.
They promised to bring a number of legislative items to a vote. They did.
They didn't promise to pass every bill -- just bring it to a vote. But they actually passed every measure in the Contract -- save one. Term limits, which did come to a vote. But failed to pass -- rather narrowly, as I recall.
As it happened, much of this legislation failed to clear the Senate -- thanks to the filibuster rule and Tom Daschle.
Recall also that the GOP Senators were not signatory to the Contract with America -- only the House candidates.
I'd say that Gingrich and his crew did everything that could be reasonably expected of them. They hardly deserve the accusation that they "did nothing".
BUMP
“A critical flaw of the Contract for America was that it was only a House of Representatives “contract”. The Senate Republicans basically did nothing with the House Republicans’ initiatives.”
the “checks and balances” have become a pissing contest, unfortunately...I think there are some good thoughts and starting points here; how to get them out there is a bigger problem...
One thing to consider ... the first contract with America was a mirage. The 1994 election happened because of the AW ban in 1994. Gingrich stuffed the contract with America out there at the last minute. It did not drive the voters to the polls it was the gun ban that did that. Yep, I was there, was part of the de-Foleyate group, who dumped Speaker Foley. We ran all guns all the time ads from our PAC.
Polls and election turn-out are not driven by long wordy contracts, carefully crafted documents, they are driven by issues, like we are spending ourselves into bankruptcy.
Issues like I hate Bush serve to blind people into voting for something they would otherwise pass on by. Ask the Massachusetts voters what got them there ... one liners.
Oh BTW, the “I hate Bush line” it took years for the lame-stream media to make that stick. People aren’t haters, and hate dissipates quickly.
So my opinion, forget the contract and focus on values and principles.
— just my 2 cents
Coming to voter with boom and bluster and accomplishing nothing simply doesn’t impress me. And it apparently didn’t impress a lot of other voters given how quickly they lost the gains.
Let’s hope that if we have a repeat of the “94 Revolution” that the new pubbies don’t drink the Kool-Aid in DC and try to “can’t we all just get along” as their predecessors did.
“One thing to consider ... the first contract with America was a mirage.”
That may be, but I think the need that this fills is the constant drone of Rep being the Party of no, with no plan of their own. If you compare this list with the Libbies, even the dumbest bick in the walk will see the difference...and I think the people who stopped the Kennedy Seat Coronation will like what they see here...and I see nothing a conservative can object to on merit...practice may be another thing, but I think it is a good start...I woud like to see us gather strength in the battle of ideas and we currently have nothing that is manifest.
Good, strong, forward-thinking post!
I would hope that our “Republican” party can now see the light, and move back to presenting strong conservative issues such as these and then follow through on them!
ALL TRUE.
IIRC...(most of) the GOP Senate, did practically nothing.
..they sat on their hands.
BUMP
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