Posted by
Craig Freeborn on Monday, November 13, 2006 1:53:02 AM
I’ve was asked if Tuesday’s elections mean conservatism is dead. My answer is an emphatic no. The Democrats didn’t win – the Republicans lost.
In 1994, the Republican Party won a majority in Congress for the first time since 1946. In that election 12 years ago, the GOP rode into power on the “Contract with America”, promising lean government, lower taxes, welfare and tort reform, and term limits. Indeed, the Republicans were the “party of ideas and reform”.
Many of the points in the contract were passed into law – many more were passed by the House but died in the senate or were vetoed by President Clinton. Some were even passed on a veto override.
The Republicans proved that they can run and win on solid conservative principles. They proved that conservative issues can be translated into bills and passed into legislation.
But for the last two years, they also proved the potential value of term limits – because that part of the Contract with America didn’t pass. And that failure – and the ensuing scandals – proved Lord Acton’s observation that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
During the last Congress, Republicans had become so enamored with their own power they lost sight of the reason they were elected in the first place. Their arrogance was epitomized by Tom DeLay when, in 2005, he said there was no fat left in the budget to cut – when in fact it was loaded with pork.
Look at which bums the voters threw out. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I count seven notorious big spenders, three under indictment or investigation of corruption, two (or is it three now) for sex scandals, one with an abuse report, several RINOS, an untold number of earmarkers, and I don’t know how many were caught up in the Abramoff affair.
In the end, the voters wouldn’t even forget Rick Santorum’s endorsement of Senator Arlen Specter or his support of the “bridge to no where”.
None of this has escaped those who survived. Rep. Mike Pence – possibly minority leader in the 110th Congress – admitted “the American people didn’t quit on the Contract with America, we did”.
President James Garfield warned us that “The people are responsible for the character of their Congress.” This week the people took the first step in regaining control of Congress.
The next step is up to you. Write, phone, e-mail your Congressman and Senators. Let them know you were disappointed with the previous Congress. Tell them your position on the issues, and that you expect their support.
Remember Harriet Myers, Dubia Ports, border security, no amnesty, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. Congress supported these issues because Freeborn Americans like you demanded it. Just don’t stop demanding!