All those true conservatives who are paying attention realize the next two election cycles will pretty much indicate the American course of events not only domestically but, just as importantly, in foreign policy and our (American) relevance internationally. We are facing a decreasing time window at the end of which will see us heading back towards American greatness or towards an Europeanized socialistic America where we become Greece (I wonder how many Americans know America is contributing to the Greek bailout? But I digress.).For an informed generalized opinion see Newt's thoughts here (courtesy okie) :
http://able2know.org/topic/113196-1012#post-4286534
The fight for the American dream of freedom and prosperity for both its citizens and the world in general, is now found, not between a successful GOP over a demoralized and doomed Democratic party (despite Joe Biden’s latest election handicapping), but, instead, between a grassroots movement towards smaller more efficient government pursuing and executing those few and enumerated constitutionally legitimized responsibilities and a Republican establishment that is, essentially bankrupt in its so called 'principles'. One need only examine the reasons why the GOP was rightly thrown out in 2006 and 2008: their behavior, other then that involving national security, was almost indistinguishable from the Social Democrats. True conservatives still have a long and hard row to hoe. About tea party favored candidates like Rubio, Paul, and Angle in the mode of Demint:
Quote:Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), now a D.C. lobbyist, warned that a robust bloc of rabble-rousers spells further Senate dysfunction. "We don't need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples," Lott said in an interview. "As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them."
But Lott said he's not expecting a tea-party sweep. "I still have faith in the visceral judgment of the American people," he said.*
Way to go Trent--co-opt the only hope for the GOP to regain some semblance of principled action and differentiation from the Progressive Democratic party's big government spending and pork! Some how, Lott forgets that an increasing number of Americans agree with the ideas of small government, less spending, and preservation of individual liberty touted by those he would co-opt. These citizens are doing more just gut checks Trent, they are reading the U.S. Constitution--you should try doing likwise. But then, Lott forgets he has already been "co-opted" by his jaded political views that cost him his office, good riddance I say. However, he is now working as a Lobbyist which is just the other side of the coin that involves their chummy relations with legislators and special interests, increased spending (in their direction), and tax credit carve-outs and exceptions to big government ‘rules’ regarding who actually gets “Free Speech”.
Although many do not like my position (which is abundantly clear via my former posts), a long look at the expansion of government, at least since the early 1900's, argues for that position (smaller government, way lower taxes fairly and validly [i.e. constitutionally] applied, and incentives for saving and investing in the private sector) if America is to attempt to regain prominence, respect, and influence as both an economic and military power . Another who supports my contention that the GOP establishment is as much the problem as Progressives (who are at least somewhat honest in their socialistic goals) is NRO's Kevin D. Williamson who in response to Sen. McConnell's valid rant against the last 18 months of Progressive spending says:
Quote:Check out the spending under your guys, Senator McConnell. Notice how it doesn’t go down? This is why nobody trusts Republicans on spending: because Republicans have not earned anybody’s trust.
Further, Williamson, regarding McConnell's web site (under "Issues") notes:
Quote:There is no category for “Spending Cuts,” or “Balancing the Budget,” or “Ceasing to Basically Haul the Nation’s Entire Stock of Diminishing Assets Down to the Local Pawn Shop and See If We Can Get Enough for a Forty.” But . . . FY2011 Appropriations Requests. Now, there’s something a politician can get to cackling about.
As you might guess, those appropriations requests are more densely packed with pork than a can of Spam — Kentucky-fried pork, of course. Seems the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant needs $116 million of your money. The Forage Animal Production Unit needs $4 million. The biofuel lobby needs a million dollars to be routed to it through the University of Kentucky. Hopkinsville has a narcotics taskforce with its hand out. Raytheon wants $12 million to put lasers on 20mm Gatling guns in Louisville — which at least sounds kind of awesome, but President Obama thinks they can do it with $6 million instead of $12 million. Somebody wants to buy something called Fern Lake and make a park out of it, but they want you to pay for it — $1.2 million. No, there’s no tab for “Cutting Spending,” but if you add up all the stuff that Senator McConnell lists under FH2011 Appropriations Requests, you come up with just about $600 million. That’s a lot of cash — and that’s just the special-interest stuff he’s advertising on his website, not the big-ticket items. So, let’s do some English-major math here: $600 million in feel-good spending multiplied by 100 U.S. senators equals . . . $60 billion, almost enough to pay for those unemployment benefits Senator McConnell is so keen to fight over — twice.**
This is why we need true conservatives like DeMint, Angle et al. Williamson is scathing in his criticisms of mainstream so-called conservative Republicans and rightly so. But why? Isn’t this what Congress is supposed to do, you know, bring home the ‘bacon’ to their constituents? Well, actually no. I have been endeavoring to write a little on this subject, but, here is a hint as to what kind of business Congressmen and Senators in Washington D.C. are really supposed to be attending to: All these legislators’ titles begin with "U.S."
JM
*
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/17/AR2010071702375.html
**
http://www.nationalreview.com/exchequer/231149/do-not-trust-cornyn-or-mcconnell-spending-cuts
