The American Spectator

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Feeling Better

4.13.06 @ 12:01AM

GOOD DAY FOR PESSIMISTS
Re: Quin Hillyer's Bad News Everywhere I Look:

I must confess I have been feeling down in the dumps for the same reasons as Mr. Hillyer. The Republicans, when they control the House, the Senate and the White House, turn into spineless jellyfish who are worried only about getting re-elected. Doing what is best for the country is a secondary concern. I never even thought I would see the day when Republicans controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House. Well, it happened, but my wildest dreams about a government that is responsible with our hard-earned tax dollars remains tragically unfulfilled. We will never get another chance like this again. In the end, the Republicans have shown themselves to be as power-hungry and corrupt as any Democrat. Their number one priority is re-election, and they seem to think that acting more like liberal Democrats is the way to do that. They will be very disappointed this fall when they see that their "generosity" with our tax dollars does not lead to continued control of the House and Senate.

Republicans did a great job of keeping spending down when Clinton was in the White House, even if Clinton gets all the credit for it. Maybe Bush will finally raise the veto pen when Congress is no longer controlled by Republicans. If only term limits could be placed on both the Senate and House. Imagine if Representatives could only be elected once, with four-year terms, staggered so that one-fourth are elected every year, and if Senators could only be elected to one eight-year term, with state elections staggered every two years. Imagine how they could, once elected, do what is best for the country, rather than trying to please everybody and buy votes by spending other people's money. Before we all break out into a John Lennon song, let's try to imagine that a Constitutional amendment to make these changes will be put to a state vote, with our current congressman, Republican and/or Democrat, and the judicial branches do not find a way to declare it "unconstitutional" and prevent a vote on the amendment. Now imagine that three-fourths of the states pass it, and our Congress becomes full of one-timers, and our tax dollars are suddenly treated with respect.

I sure wouldn't bet my 401K on all this happening, but I am just trying to avoid falling into the great abyss of cynicism (you know -- all politicians are and always will be corrupt and power hungry, etc.)... Quick -- somebody throw me a rope! Too late!

You won't see me actively working to get Republican incumbents re-elected this fall. Why bother? Sigh... My pride will still make sure I vote, but I no longer have any positive expectations.
-- Mike Spencer
Midland, Michigan

Quin Hillyer's solution for all the ails of the world boils down to victory in Iraq. I agree. However, that might take some time. In the meantime, the U.S. must win at home and that can only be accomplished if the GOP can somehow find the backbone to adopt a strict immigration policy, which includes enhanced border security, the immediate deportation of illegal immigrants with criminal records, the immediate expulsion of illegals displaying foreign flags, the promise of no amnesty, and a guarantee to the American people that citizenship and the right to vote will never be granted to an illegal immigrant. It could be presented as Contract With America II.
-- Jack Hughes
Chicago, Illinois

Sweet God in heaven, Quin Hillyer is just another example of the whiny right. The problem with too many conservatives is they've adopted the crybaby persona of the liberals. Since the temper tantrum over Harriet Miers conservatives have shown they can act just as juvenile as the left. It's time to suck it up and act like adults.

To reverse the "bad news," "negative polls" and BS of the left it is time for so-called Reaganite conservatives to adopt President Reagan's 11th Commandment not to speak ill of other Republicans. In a rush to prove their "independence" conservatives are trashing President Bush and Republicans with ferocity only slightly less intense than the left's. How does such knee jerk "me too" behavior prove anyone's "independence?"

There are also needs to be some historical honesty and integrity in the conservative movement. Ronald Reagan, the conservative icon, was not perfect, nor were the 1980s the lost golden age of America. President Reagan for all his conservative rhetoric and true greatness actually governed quite pragmatically. Let's not forget he granted blanket amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, raised taxes to accommodate Democrats, adopted a Democrat scheme to supposedly "fix" Social Security that merely pushed the problem off on future administrations, grew the Energy and Education Departments, appointed moderates to the Supreme Court and refused to punish terrorists when they murdered hundreds of U.S. military personnel in Lebanon.

When judging W's Presidency honestly by Reagan's real record it is amazing not only how similar they are, but how much more conservatively Bush actually governs. Maybe there is a three-fold problem in the modern conservative movement -- (1) some conservatives prefer losing to governing (it's easier being on the outside complaining than actually having to do something), (2) recognizing leadership in D.C. requires compromise and incremental victories to change the governing culture in the U.S. and (3) they can't handle the truth that Ronald Reagan was a pragmatist first and a conservative second.

The time has come to quit thinking like losers, fixating on the polls and allowing the old media to set the agenda. Republicans and conservatives need to begin accentuating the positive and when disagreeing doing so with a modicum of civility. We're winning the war in Iraq with an incredible low casualty rate (compared to all other major U.S. conflicts), the economy is the best in the last 50 years, tax rates are lower, government revenues are up, aside from defense and entitlement spending discretionary spending is flat (according to Senator Rick Santorum), tax freedom day is earlier than during the 1990s and America is still a great country.

Quit "b_ _ _ _ _ _g" now, because things could get a lot worse -- Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker Pelosi and President Mrs. Bill Clinton.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Crownsville, Maryland

Seems to me the problem with ethics could be helped greatly by TERM LIMITS on both houses. Two terms is good enough for the President and should be good enough for them also. Just think maybe in that short time they would do the work of the people that sent them and not have time to get into the pockets of some lobbyist.

I love the private account in Social Security; at least some of your money would be yours and not the government's. My friend was looking forward to getting her first SS check and died that month, what did her family get from all she had paid in? Zip, nada, zero. Well let me change that a little, is it $255 you get for burial now? What a joke.

I am so disgusted with the immigration bills in the Senate, I think a term used on Rush yesterday was "voter amnesty." All the Democrats are after are votes, legal or otherwise. If we don't do something soon about making sure voters are citizens our way of life will be going down the tubes. Just how many ILLEGALS do you think signed up to vote Monday? We can carry privacy just so far. We need a national ID card that can not be copied. When I go to cash a check I have to show some kind of ID, why is that different? There has to be a better way than just saying "yep, I'm a citizen."

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