The American Spectator

Richard| 12.28.09 @ 6:58AM

It would be nice to see a party that focuses on removing laws that don't work, and I wish the Republican party would fill that role. We could have a new "Contract with America" type of swing in the nation. Considering that we actually saw a budget surplus after the Contract with America, perhaps we could have a similar moment of awe with a new movement that aims to restore America's less intrusive government envisioned by our founders.

As for Krugman, I've lost a lot of respect for him after reading that article. He essentially went as far as to say you either hold his view, or you're crazy. I used to respect him as a thinker, but it appears he has transformed into an idealogue with no appetite to consider opposing views.

Alan Brooks| 12.28.09 @ 5:48PM

I'm losing interest in today's politics, so I'll just keep repeating that if you insist on running anti-conservative GOP hacks then you deserve everything you are now getting.

Knock yourselves out.

Raoul Ortega| 12.28.09 @ 8:27AM

"Repeal It!".

And along with repealing so-called "Health Care Reform", let's push for the reprivatization of the auto companies and banks that got nationalized this year. We need to show the Left that the ratchet is broken and can no longer be relied upon to get them to their statist's nirvana.

Son Of Sam| 12.28.09 @ 3:32PM

Let's be serious guys, the real problem is that the "liberal" enemy hate America and hate us. Trying to reason with them is like trying to play volleyball with a goldfish: they don't get it, they can't do it, its a waste of your time. Yes, yes, yes, I agree: "repeal it!" And while we're at it, repeal the ObamaNazi clowns by
A) un-electing them

B) investigating, indicting, prosecuting, convicting and jailing them. For the more treasonous among them, executing them would be the final logical step

The only sure way to protect free America from the terrorists without and the traitors within is to make sure they are all in the ground or in prison

stand strong until freedom dawns
Son Of Sam
http://www.samadamssos.bravehost.com/
samadams1765@gmail.com

Louis Jenkins| 12.28.09 @ 8:38AM

Even if it can't be repealed? Any body of lawmakers than can make a law can also get rid of it. This is a stupid thought much like, "Can God make a rock so big and heavy he can't pick it up?" Mr. Antle is correct, Conservative lawmakers need to think outside the box. This is why the Republican Party is in trouble-they go along to get along instead of kicking and biting at every turn.

JP| 12.28.09 @ 8:45AM

James Antle's wishes may be more difficult than one can imagine. First, the voters have become used to having thier behavior subsidized.( Try repealing the mortgage tax deduction, and see how long you last in Congress. Ditto for student loans). Second, try to imagine getting a combination of 60 GOP, Democrats, and Independent Senators to vote for such an repeal. Actually, make it 66. As that is the number needed to over-ride a Presidential Veto. Ditto for the House.

Let's face it, there is just not that many principled conservatives in this nation. Yes, a charismatic leader like Reagan can come around every so often and establish a congressional voting block which is focused on a few core issues. But, to do what is needed now requires very broad and deep political support. And we're not just talking about repealing ObamaCare.

I'm afraid it would take a crisis like what we had in 1932-33 to generate the kind of support needed to not only roll-back, but to permanently discredit our Bismarkian welfare state. As it stands now, young people may end up detesting ObamaCare, but they love thier Pell Grants and subsidized loans (but hate the inflated education prices those subsidies generate); seniors obviously could do without mortgage deductions and student loans, but don' t even think about scaling back Social Security. Farmers and ethanol producers hate "waste, fraud, and abuse" -but keep your hands off thier subsidies.Local cities and counties hate Uncle Sam's mandates, but hell hath no fury for the lawmaker that cuts federal grants to states for capital improvements.

In the end, we now have a $3.5-4 trillion budget (which eats away at a $11 trillion GDP), an aging population, and nearly $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities through 2100. Good luck finding a candidate who promises to end our 70 year Christmas celebration.

JP| 12.28.09 @ 9:17AM

"...Mr. Antle is correct, Conservative lawmakers need to think outside the box. This is why the Republican Party is in trouble-they go along to get along instead of kicking and biting at every turn. "

Louis,
The GOP is in the state it is in now for the simple reason that there are so few conservative voters. For arguments sake, let's say that when ObamaCare is implemented in 2010 there is a huge outcry of political anger. In the 2010 Mid-terms the Senate Dems are vulnerable in Conneticut, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and California. Don't even think for a moment that a conservative (in this case I mean fiscal conservative) will win in those states let alone get nominated. Even in conservative states like Indiana, Senators overtime become more and more liberal (John O 'Suillvan Rule).

The GOP continuously reverts back to "liberalsim lite" for the simple reason of momentuem. What began with Hoover (and made famous with FDR) continues and accelerates withe every new generation of politicians. I suppose, at some point in time, the voters will be forced to make a decision. Let's hope that it is not made during a full fledged currency crisis.

Louis Jenkins| 12.28.09 @ 7:05PM

"The GOP is in the state it is in now for the simple reason that there are so few conservative voters. "

JP: I do not believe the reason for the state of the GOP is due to few conservative voters. Rather, the GOP left the conservative voters behind. When a message or party platform gets watered down to lib-lite then the message is lost, at least the message the conservative voters are looking for is. I have several former 'friends' who talked a good conservative talk, but voted liberal last year just because the GOP had little to offer. Now they chew the insides of their mouths in agnst.

"The GOP continuously reverts back to "liberalsim lite" for the simple reason of momentuem. "

As Bram stated below, the GOP has no desire to represent the conservative voter, yet there is a host of 'em out there looking for a candidate who will! It is not a question of momentum, its a question of backbone. If and when that person is found, he or she will not be a community organizer, will have not been born in Kenya, and certainly will not be a Muslim. A backlash of some size is in the make. Just what kind waits to be seen.

Bram| 12.28.09 @ 9:31AM

JP - I disagree. The GOP reverts back to liberalism because "conservative" and “career politician" are contradictions in terms. There are plenty of conservative voters, but very few politicians who represent their views.

The obvious solutions require Constitutional manipulations - strict term limits on all members of Congress and a 3rd house of Congress that does nothing except repeal laws and budget lines.

Al Adab| 12.28.09 @ 11:16AM

We must avoid the same error our opposition makes in equating the GOP with the Conservative Movement. They are not synonomous. Only when the Conservatives set policy for the GOP was the party successful.

Notwithstanding that, we failed miserably after 1994 when Congress was unable to "take the heat" and defund or otherwise eliminate the multitude of agencies and regulations which combine to eat out our life's blood.

As long as the GOP pursues the old rules, witness NY-23, it will continue to fail as an institution. The rules of political science have changed. Principle is now more important than even electoral success. Without Principle there is no meaning to victory. What we as Conservatives must pursue is 1 Principled opposition to tyranny; 2 Presentation of the case for Liberty and Limited government; 3 Philosophical opposition to the class warfare agenda promulgated by the Left.

Lincoln said, "That some become rich shows that others may become rich." He went on to show that this state encourages enterpricse and individual responsibility. Sadly, the Left has found political profit in creating a giant class of victims who now think (believe) that their condition is forced upon them by others whom Government rightly may punish for their succes.

Cato is remembered for his opposition to Ceasar even to the point of death. The Conservative movement, rich in the American tradition, must be willing to pay the price that. if not we, at least our grandchildren may continue to live in Freedom. The stakes could not be higher, for a new dark age is the only alternative.

Too long a comment but hopefuly the point is clear. Merry Christmas.

Ken (Old Texican)| 12.28.09 @ 9:31AM

OK Mr. Antle
We in the heartland are already getting creative.

We are very carefully evaluating our options, and the follow-on consequences of those options, for not only ourselves and our neighbors, but our country as well.

Though each of us is in a unique "life situation", each of us begins our journey of imagination with an almost unconcious beginning place of a part of the hippocratic oath: "First of all, do no harm..."

Many Americans are reaching the point in their thinking that "mildly efficacious over the counter medicines" can no longer help the "patient" recover...or even survive.

Those Americans are now in the process of trying to determine in their own minds where the course of treatment should proceed from here.

They certainly know that the use of "leeches" to bleed the patient are proven not to help.

(Smile) and they have all heard the TV commercials about "prescription drugs" that can increase our urine flow.....but the side effects might KILL us in the process. Wouldn't that be a great grave-stone inscription?
"Yes, he died bleeding from his eyes, with unendurable abdominal cramps, dizzyness, and ED, but man! could he do a stream".....

They are now wondering seriously if surgery is called for, and if so, what should be removed.

Do they know HOW to perform the surgery?
Do they know WHERE to do the surgery?
Do they know how to contain the infections following the surgery?

...Do they have the proper instruments to do the cutting, but also to contain the inevitable bleeding?

...Finally, it comes down to this; might this communist, (pardon the shorthand), infection in our country come to a "head" sorta' like a boil or super-zit so that they can precisely identify it, locate it, and then excise it without having to cut through the "body wall"?

I want to thank you guys at Am-spec again for helping those people along in their diagnostics regimen.
And, Oh yes! The productive American people are getting quite imaginative.

Northern Rebel| 12.28.09 @ 9:51AM

Richard:

YOU RESPECTED PAUL KRUGMAN AS A THINKER?!

Yikes.

JP| 12.28.09 @ 10:01AM

Bram,
I am only using recent history as a guide, and not some abstract social/political theory. Look at the Reagan years. The Dems ran the House, and the GOP (for 6 years) ran the Senate. The Gipper was at his most effective during the crisis years 1981-1984. He was able to keep a coalition of conservatives, RINOS, moderates, and Reagan Democrats together long enough to pass a)supply-side tax cuts b)a huge increase in defence spending c)a decrease in the regulatory state and d)a slow down in the rate of growth of domestic spending. He also broke PATCO, deployed the Pershing Missles to Europe, and reformed Social Security (through a payroll tax increase). All of this was done in his 1st term.

But he was victim of his own success. Many things happened between 195-1986, including Iran/Contra; however, his congressional coalition soon broke up, and the Dems retook the Senate. GOP Senators like Lowell Weicker, Jim Jeffords, and Bob Packwood broke rank first. GOP House members like Tom Ridge followed. The liberal gravy-train was back on course by Bush41's first year in office, and the voters finally put the Reagan Revolution to bed in 1992. Yes, 1995 saw a return of the GOP congressional dominance. But it took only a few years before entitlement spending was on the rebound (absorbed mostly by record capital gains of the Dot Com era). The voters like thier pork. And, as I said earlier, what one man's pork is another man's necessity.

Northern Rebel| 12.28.09 @ 10:08AM

On Neil Cavuto's show, Art Laffer said it would take "a long weekend" to clean up the mess"President" Anti-Christ, and the communist-democrats are making.

I was encouraged by his remarks, but he'd need help from a bunch of weak-kneed pansy republicans in congress, and that discourages me.

I'm feeling by-polar now, so I must go lay down.

Jeff Perren| 12.28.09 @ 10:32AM

"a conservative Congress whose chief business will be chopping down the jungle of bad laws that oppress us, laws that range from misconceived to iniquitous and unconstitutional."

That would keep them busy for the next 20 years, a consummation devoutly to be wished.

Franklin| 12.28.09 @ 11:19AM

JP,

Your first comment about us being hooked on govt subsidies, deductions and handouts is right on.

BUT, I think that if the economy was better, employment was better (I’ve been unemployed most of this year) and taxes were eliminated or at least reasonable, then I could part with the govt niceties without much pain. It might be harder for those who have been on the dole all their lives, but I’m sure when they are forced, they will find jobs.

Jim Hlavac| 12.28.09 @ 11:35AM

Repeal of this monstrosity of a federal & state government at nearly every area of involvement in our lives will come about either by legislation by a liberty minded congress, based on reason, elected by rational people --
or repeal will come about by the actuarial reality that socialism cannot work for long -- for it will run out of money -- and then what?
Repeal is coming -- 'tis but a question, then, of orderly or messy -- and when.
As for concern that people won't give up this or that program -- well, even these people are smart enough to figure out the math -- if it is presented to them -- and there is no more money to give them. Alas, our current GOP is more intent on bringing their own plate of goodies to the table.
The demo-publicans are not repeal minded of yet. But even if they stay in power, they will have to repeal -- for they'll have no more goodies to give, no more money to hand out, no more people to tax -- and a whole host of rather upset people to whom unkeepable promises were made. Yep, repeal is a-coming, fear not.

david| 12.28.09 @ 12:07PM

Mr. Antle is engaging in wishful thinking. I would like him to name any meaningful piece of liberal legislation that Republicans/conservatives have repealed since the New Deal. Eisenhower and the Republicans in Congress with him could have made principled arguments against many of the New Deal programs and yet I can't think of a single thing they abolished. How much of the Great Society did Gingrich get rid of? The sainted Ronald Reagan did not eliminate a single one of the three cabinent positions created during the Carter years. What Antle is asking is us to believe is that Republicans/conservatives are going to do, on any level, something they have not done in any meaningful way in over 60 years. Don't hold your breath.

Derek Leaberry| 12.28.09 @ 12:45PM

Ony economic cataclysm can create conditions for a true conservative renaissance. For now, conservatives should just stay out of the way and let the Democrats run things into the ground.

Al Adab| 12.28.09 @ 12:51PM

At least future voters, assuming they are any, will know where to assign the blame.

Jim| 12.28.09 @ 1:26PM

Now david is a realist. :)

RAMIII| 12.28.09 @ 1:44PM

The real problem that exists here is not imagination (or lack thereof), rather it is the fact that it is much easier to appeal to emotion and base instinct (think Carnivorous Plants -- how do they lure their prey? see http://www.botany.org/carnivorous_Plants/).

It is very difficult to provide an appealing SOUND argument for something when it requires a great deal of time and energy to affect the intellect in contrast to just getting an emotional reaction. Especially considering our "sound byte" addicted culture.

Margie| 12.28.09 @ 3:00PM

I like the idea of the Republican party being the party of repeal.
This brings Sarah Palin to mind. She would run on that platform (IMHO), and it would spread like wildfire.
Is there a man who would do this? (I prefer a man at the helm), but if not, then why not Sarah? After all, look at Margaret Thatcher (I compare as to conservative and fearless).
The party of repeal is a good idea to me.
My 2 cents, anyhow.

Howard| 12.28.09 @ 9:53PM

Unfortunately it takes a major crisis to mobilize creative and critical thinking. The GOP was fat and happy for several years. Pigs like that fellow Young in Alaska kept the gravy train rolling. In fact, I read where the latest "stimulus" package has plenty of earmarks, including our GOP friends oinking at the table. Obviously, they don't get the message. In some ways I'd prefer to see a smaller GOP, but a party with principles. While I like power, the fat Republicans running the congress most of this decade were RINO's. Good ideas will win out. Pork and earmarks are for losers.

Mary Louise| 12.28.09 @ 10:00PM

Along with the relentless vision and activity of progressives, they held and maybe still hold, the advantage of being attached to a social view of man that is, superficial or not, easy or not, more in tune with the common man.

As an example, in economics it can be argued that liberal economics is inefficient. This argument took place between Mises and Röpke as it related to agricultural practice with Ropke responding with something very close to, inefficient, perhaps, but still takes the human being into account.

My older brother worked in a slaughter house for a while back in his late teens. He'd been working since he was twelve running errands and mowing the lawn for an elderly woman whom a spinster neighbor had recommended him to. Anyway, one day he came home from work and announced that he'd quit his job. My parents didn't say much or give him any grief because he had proven his discipline and work ethic long before. And he didn't talk much about the reasons for quitting, but one of them, the biggest, was that at the time cattle were slaughtered by hitting them over the head with a sledgehammer. And cattle so slaughtered probably don't die with the first blow, so I imagine the groans must have been pretty intense.

Conservative incrementalism is possible, if temporary. So you can at least try. I'd work on a good mantra or two though.

I didn't finish Atlas Shrugged. I just couldn't because it seemed so stunted and barren and anti-social to me. No phallus, no kids. And the good it touched upon in those first pages wasn't anything I didn't know before I began reading it. I'm really glad I didn't buy it.

Osamas Pajamas| 12.28.09 @ 11:48PM

Yep. Throw it back in the Demo's faces --- be The Party of No when new outrages arise and The Party of Liberation [repeal] when addressing old outrages.

And by the way, the tension between conservatives and libertarians is nonsensical, for both groups have grand critiques of government failures on every front --- and these deserve to be published far and wide. Kill-off the enemy --- and then quibble about little details.

Osamas Pajamas| 12.29.09 @ 12:05AM

One of the virtues of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" is that it points the way to a faster solution to the over-regulated authoritarian society.

By establishing the enforcement of human rights as the first job of government --- "rights" enforcement rather than "law" enforcement --- we can dispense with all those laws and regulations which contradict and violate those rights.

I refer to the perfectly-natural and universally-valid human rights of life, liberty, private property, and the pursuit of personal happiness.

The first article of private property is "the self" and all other rights are derivatives of and flow from these inalienable, cardinal rights.

These rights ----The Rights of Man ---- are the gift of nature or of nature's God ---- and they belong to all human beings, everywhere.

I am reminded of an anecdote concerning Solzhenitsyn. When asked what it would take to destroy the Soviet state, he replied, "Don't lie." Not lying --- not falsifying reality --- is "being true to the truth" and that is what it will take to overthrowthe Democrat party and reform American government into a constabulary force whose mission statement is the Declaration of Independence and whose job description is the US Constitution --- as amended to include and preserve, protect and defend the foregoing rights.

Yosemeti Sam| 12.29.09 @ 1:09AM

Simple resolution for conservatives - to the
primaries ramparts and not to the caves!

Eat - or be eaten!

Red Bubba| 12.29.09 @ 6:06AM

Why not zig when they zag? C'mon GOP, use your brains.

Congressional staffs are exempt -- declare all citizens of your state congressional staff "reservists" on-call for their advice.

Bills not being read -- put in a provision that a "yea" vote is a vote to forfeit all congressional pay and benefits.

Oldefarte| 12.30.09 @ 12:31PM

The congressional liberalism of the last fifty years [and its federal budgetary costs that the American taxpayers PAY FOR] can only be reversed if we begin to elect true conservatives that will pledge to begin congressional dismantling of this liberalism ship of destruction!!!!!

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