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Public Service, Public Examples

By Quin Hillyer on 1.21.11 @ 6:09AM

Varied thoughts on the current scene.

From the random department of random thoughts which randomly takes the place of a fully developed, single-subject column:

Subject one, Mike Pence: The Indiana congressman has become the fulcrum around which the Republican presidential campaign will take shape. He may be nowhere near the top of the polls among Republicans nationwide, because he does not have the name ID of possible contenders Palin, Gingrich, Romney, and Huckabee -- but whether Pence runs or doesn't run makes a huge difference as to what "space" remains, in terms of messaging and strategy, within the field. With stalwart conservative movement leaders such as Morton Blackwell, Dick Armey, Brent Bozell III, David McIntosh, and Jim Ryun all reportedly urging Pence to run and offering at least tacit support, Pence will have the opportunity to be the very first full "movement conservative" to run for president since Ronald Reagan. Nobody since Reagan has so fully supported all three pillars of the movement (financial, defense, social). Without Pence in the race, the other candidates will all be vying for "movement" leader support, individual leader by individual leader. If Pence runs, the other candidates will need to hunt organizational ducks elsewhere.

For that matter, if Pence runs, I can see Sarah Palin staying out of the race -- not because she fears his electoral power, but because I could see her deciding that he is a good enough vehicle for the conservative message that she doesn't need to enter the fray. Think about all her family has been through in the past 29 months! She might want some space to breathe in, and maybe a chance to burnish her credentials. In short, I could see Palin endorsing Pence. I can't see her endorsing any of the other likely candidates.

Subject two, Gabby Giffords: In all the unfortunate back and forth about the "tone" of debate -- an unnecessary controversy ginned up by the left -- not enough has yet been said about just how wondrous a thing it is to see this brave woman recover as well as she has so far. Obviously, Giffords is far from the only person to survive a bullet through the head -- think James Brady, for one -- but her progress until now still seems remarkable enough to be almost miraculous. Every decent American is pulling for her and praying for her. The shooting of Gabrielle Giffords wounded the spirits of all of us. We Americans rally around innocent victims, and rally in defense of our republic and of those who brave the arena. Godspeed, Rep. Giffords. Godspeed.

Subject three, repeal of health care: Every single Republican senator should read this brilliant piece on legislative tactics by Brian Darling of the Heritage Foundation. It explains, step by step, exactly how Senate Republicans can ensure that Harry Reid can't unilaterally bottle up repeal of Obamacare without it reaching the Senate floor. All it takes to keep repeal alive in the Senate is a simple procedural objection, followed by the support of 16 senators at the appropriate time. There will be no excuse for the repeal to be buried in a Senate committee. None. In fact, if Senate Republicans fail to follow Darling's outline, every single one of them -- especially the leaders -- should slink home in shame, under a hail of metaphorical rotten tomatoes.

Subject four, a failure of House Republicans: Conservatives have good reasons to grumble over some serious loopholes in the vaunted new House rules, especially with regard to using savings from items removed from spending bills actually to reduce the debt and with regard to the citation of enumerated constitutional powers for any congressional action. About which, more at another time and place. But at least some semblance of decent rules were instituted on those subjects; on another subject which is at the very heart of abusive big-government power, the House leadership extended the middle finger against civil liberties. The subject: overcriminalization of everyday life, especially via expanded federal police powers (even though federal police power was meant to be extremely limited). Read this December editorial about the rule proposed by major conservative leaders, and then ask why Republicans deliberately ignored the suggestion. For more on the overall subject, please order this book produced by the Heritage Foundation. It will scare the pants off of you, in terms of making you realize just how vast are the federal powers to put innocent people in jail. (Full disclosure: I contributed a chapter to the book, but I receive no royalties or other considerations from any book sales.)

Subject five, a hat tip to a retired governor: On Monday, term-limited Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama left office after having achieved tremendous things in the realms of economic development, education improvements, ethics, and government efficiency. He did it all with Reaganesque cheerfulness and Kempian energy. Conservatives everywhere should hope he finds some other avenue in public life through which he can lend his considerable talents.

Subject six, Joe Lieberman: The best thing about Joe Lieberman wasn't that he is a stalwart on defense and foreign policy -- although that was good -- but that he is both a gentleman and a true statesman. His domestic policy views on most issues were wrongheaded, but never ill-motivated; his fairness and decency and respect for old-style American political norms are tributes to the best this nation has to offer. I am sorry he is retiring. Public life needs more like him.

There, that's enough for now. Here's hoping all Americans can be served, at every level of government, by public servants as superb as Pence and Riley, and as admirable as Lieberman and Giffords as well. We need them so we can remain one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.

About the Author

Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (19) | Leave a comment

Wordmonger| 1.21.11 @ 6:56AM

Scare the pants off,and leave of out of it. Maybe former Governor Riley would be a good US president,what?

manonthestreet| 1.21.11 @ 7:08AM

Palin brush up on her credentials?This guy has been drinking the Kool Aid.
If Pence is nominated we will have 4 more years of destruction.Only Palin has the fight in her to take it to Obama and that's the only way you are going to beat him.
These Rah Rah boys just don't have the fight in them it takes to beat Obama.

Clint| 1.21.11 @ 7:14AM

Tea Party Patriots are vetting Mike Pence as A 2012 Presidential Candidate.

July 19th, 2010:
"Michele Bachmann's freshly minted Tea Party Caucus has its first member of GOP leadership: Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence.

At a press availability this afternoon, Pence was enthusiastic. "You betcha," Pence said when asked if he'd join.

"I come out of a background -- I was chairman of the Republican Study Committee, I was chairman of...the House Conservative Caucus," he added. My hope is that this Tea Party caucus...will be an avenue for bringing some of the energy and the enthusiasm and the focus that I've seen, from the National March on Washington where I spoke on 9/12, to traveling around Indiana and all around the country, deeper into the well of Congress."

AR Ar ar| 1.21.11 @ 7:23AM

After reading the editorial on overcriminalizing it just helps focus on one small piece of what is wrong with our full-time government "service" representatives and senators, It's as if someone flashes a new "problem" across their radar and they cannot help but say "Do something! Anything! Even if it's wrong." Too much time on their hands and too little willingness to do the actual job, you know, little things, like passing a budget maybe. Perhaps this new blood and the historical nature of the last election will move some of these Washington fixtures to finally start doing their job the right way.

donserge| 1.21.11 @ 8:32AM

RE: Lieberman. "His views on domestic policy are wrong headed.....but public life needs more like him". (?) I am a little tired of conservatives praising Lieberman as a "great guy" while he votes against them 90% of the time. Lieberman retiring is what is needed so he will not be able to give us any more "wrong headed" votes in the U.S. Senate.

Oldefarte| 1.21.11 @ 1:57PM

[1] Any and all of them, except Huckabee [not electable] and Romney [a RINO]. I'm preferable to Pewlenty at present, due to his recent debt ceiling statements. [2] This is the largest tradegy since 9/11/01, and everyone's prayers are needed for her and her husband. I believe that the eventual uncovering of facts regarding this teen shooter will reveal another tradegy of family-oriented abuse involved. [3] No matter what senatorial tactics are used by Republicans, the only result will be OUTING of Democratic votes on this issue for use in 2012. Democrats still control the Senate and Oval Office [thanks to the stupidity of the American taxpayer-voters]. The 2012 elections are the only viable solution to this asinine/welfaric legislation [5] Amen, a true statesman and a gentleman to boot [6] Nah, Nah, Nah, a too much middle-of-the-roader in the style of W. What is needed are true conservative leaders, but Joe can be forgiven since he lived and had to be elected in Yankeeland Connecticut [he should simply move to Florida and run as a Republican]!!!!

donserge| 1.21.11 @ 2:51PM

Lieberman "middle of the road"? The American Conservative Union gives him a 16% lifetime rating....(a little more than the 10% I gave him; my mistake.)

Oldefarte| 1.22.11 @ 11:33AM

For a DEMOCRAT, you don't consider Joe a middle-roader? What rock have you been living under? Comparing him/Joe to the Kennedys, Kerry, Schumer, Pilosi, Reid, Rangel, Gore, Obama, Waters, Conyers,etc is similar to comparing champagne to excrement. Get your head out of your backside and state the obvious!!!!

loulou| 1.21.11 @ 2:22PM

Oldefarte: While the Tuscon massacre was a terrible occurance and I do pray for Giffords and everyone affected, I believe the Ft Hood massacre was the largest tragedy since 9/11. 14 people were murdered by an Islamist infiltrator. The families of the victims got zero from Obama and the lamestram media. No extravaganza, no circus, no pep rally--nothing.

MikeBee| 1.21.11 @ 3:48PM

Loulou,
You point to the true tragedy today. All the media cares about in this shooting is the Representative. But, the rulers of this country are we, the People, not our Representatives. A number of the Rulers of this great country were massacred, and the media only talks about their servant. Not to denigrate Gabby in any way, but she is the servant, serving those who elected her, the true rulers.

Oldefarte| 1.22.11 @ 11:38AM

loulou: Forgive my ignorant avoidance of the Fort Hood assassinations. My old/tired brain sometimes is dementia-like. If up to me, I'd vote for the perpetrator of same to GO DIRECTLY TO THE EXECUTION CHAMBER, and to skip the trial and legal appeals!!!!!!!!

Thomas Cheplick| 1.21.11 @ 3:24PM

Excellent article! We NEED Pence. America is facing a SERIOUS crisis and we need a serious president: smart, insightful, and a *true* Constitutionalist in the White House to make sure our beloved country stays strong and does not become some sort of second-world mess. We need Mike Pence! Congressman Mike Pence is the Strongest Reagan-Kemp pro-Jobs free market guy we have got in America! There is *really* nobody else like him.

He was the first to stand up to Karl Rove to fight against the bailouts, he stands strong on national defense and fights Planned Parenthood tooth-and-nail! Principled, Christian and he has got a fine and crisp speaking-style!

I urge you to come to www.TheConservativeChampion.org to find out more about The Pence or sign our declaration cheering him on into the 2012 Race for the White House!

*WE need to make sure he gets IN this most important presidential races of our lifetimes against President Obama*.

Thomas

"To those who say that marriage is not relevant to our budget crisis, I say, ‘you would not be able to print enough money in a thousand years to pay for the government you would need if the traditional family continues to collapse.’” -- Rep. Mike Pence

chris haynes| 1.22.11 @ 9:21PM

"The best thing about Joe Lieberman....that he is both a gentleman and a true statesman."

Joe Lieberman supports legal abortion, the greatest holocaust in history. 50 million innocent American children killed, with his 100% support, and he's a gentleman?

Statesman? Okay, if you call Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and the Fuhrer statesmen too. Although together their penny ante holocausts dont measure up to Joe's

Chef Schnauzer| 1.23.11 @ 8:41AM

This praise of Lieberman has to be a joke, an unbelievable joke. A real conservative can't look at a guy who lavished my labor, my sweat equity on such programs as ACLU, abortion on demand, Acorn, and pick a liberal waste of money (housing waste, education waste, another useless committee waste do I need to remind you, really?????). This guy had an absolute lack of moral fiber (yes, killing babies is wrong - jackass). Calling him either a gentleman or a statesman is wrong. You can't possibly know what either one of those qualities are he was an active member of a gang of thieves and was active in selling out the country.

Anthony| 1.23.11 @ 1:47PM

If not Palin, then Pence. Pence is a solid conservative, and unlike the rest, Romney and Gingrich, who have hidden in the shadows as Sister Sarah takes on the left , Pence and Bachman have been in this fight.
2012 is for all the marbles, and if we blow this, America is finished.
P.S. NBC's MTP did a full scale attack on Palin today with a phony poll. They are scared dodo of her, take note of who the left truly fears, and boycott GE's NBC.

Leslie Lowe| 1.23.11 @ 3:57PM

Mr. Hillyer current and part writting make it clear is among those who had a disdain for Sarah Palin. Mike Pense is a good man, but to make the assumption that Palin will put her own Presidental run on hold should get in the race is wishful thinking.

Jay Dee| 1.23.11 @ 7:06PM

I've already signed the petition for Pence. He is a true conservative and doesn't mind telling everyone where he stands.

At this point in time Sarah will lose to a second term Obama. The MSM will never say a kind word about her nor will any of the old establishment Repubs. With age comes wisdom, memories fade and she could eventually be the Margaret Thatcher of the USA.

Pence will be able to turn this country back to the Constitution and let Sarah gather herself. She would make a nice Senator from Alaska or the Head of the Dept. of Interior.

Let the rhetoric cool down on Sister Sarah.