The importance of electing a Republican majorities in the United States Senate and House of Representatives cannot be understated. The need to stop the hard-left agenda of President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi could not be more urgent.
But if we recapture a majority, and intend on maintaining it for some time to come, Republican federal legislators need to demonstrate to the country — but especially to Republican voters that have been frustrated watching the growth in our federal government, regardless of which political party has been in charge — that things will, in fact, be different than before.
In her most recent column, Peggy Noonan summed this up quite well..
But if you look at the past half century or so you have to think: How come even when Republicans are in charge, even when they’re dominant, government has always gotten larger and more expensive? It’s always grown! It’s as if something inexorable in our political reality—with those who think in liberal terms dominating the establishment, the media, the academy—has always tilted the starting point in negotiations away from 18 inches, and always toward liberalism, toward the 36-inch point.
Democrats on the Hill or in the White House try to pull it up to 30, Republicans try to pull it back to 25. A deal is struck at 28. Washington Republicans call it victory: "Hey, it coulda been 29!" But regular conservative-minded or Republican voters see yet another loss. They could live with 18. They’d like eight. Instead it’s 28.
For conservatives on the ground, it has often felt as if Democrats (and moderate Republicans) were always saying, "We should spend a trillion dollars," and the Republican Party would respond, "No, too costly. How about $700 billion?" Conservatives on the ground are thinking, "How about nothing? How about we don’t spend more money but finally start cutting."
What they want is representatives who’ll begin the negotiations at 18 inches and tug the final bill toward five inches."
Tomorrow House Republican leaders are set to unveil a 2010 version of the Contract With America (this is about the same amount of time as the 1994 Contract was presented in that big year for Republicans).
There are two things to look for in this contract that will tell the informed political observer that lessons of the past and the tea party message of the present have been well received by House GOPers…
The first will be what definitive commitments are made to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. Specificity is the key here. For example — "repeal Obamacare" is very specific or look for specific programs that will be called out for elimination. Calls for a reduction in federal spending are good if they are specific to a benchmark — a dollar amount. If there is a call to reduce federal spending to, say "2006 levels" — there must be an agreement as to what that means — what is that dollar amount?
The second but equally important point that must be present — a commitment to continue the moratorium on earmarking that Republicans adopted in this Congress. After all, the GOP commitment to stop earmarking was made to demonstrate to all of us that "they got it" and that things have to be done differently. A moratorium on earmarks from a majority party is the real deal — it means that there are no more earmarks, for either party. It is this commitment that demonstrates whether House Republicans are listening to the the voters — or whether they are more interested in appeasing the hordes of highly paid, well connected lobbyists in Washington, all pushing earmarks for their clients (and willing to spread around some of the profits in the form of campaign contributions).
If the two significant items I mention above are a prominent part of the House Republican announcement — then we can all be excited that we are working towards a long-term (God willing permanent) Republican majority.
If, however, commitments on shrinking government are vague, or a "moratorium" on earmarks shifts to some meaningless rhetoric about "reforming" the earmarking process — then it means that the message from out here is still not making it "in there."
Stay tuned, and let’s see what Republicans roll out tomorrow! I am hopeful, and excited!
September 22nd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Oh…does hope spring eternal….however….the House Republicans have done a reasonable job considering herding fat cats is a tough slog!!!!