The Failure of the Republicans

I do not like to align myself with either major political party... after all, they're both full of politicians. But, I am certainly much more conservative than liberal on many viewpoints. This past election, the Republicans basked in their self-anointed glory as Democrats lost both the Presidential election and many state elections. Also, most states passed conservative-esque legislation regarding parental notification of abortions and on the definition of marriage. The elephant party was officially on the clock.

The Republicans promised this was to be a new day, with control of the House, the Senate and the White House great things were going to happen. And, over the past year, what have they done?

Nothing much.

The good:

• The economy... The Republican strategy of tax cuts and low interest rates have greatly assisted in keeping this economy afloat during troubled times.
• The war on terror... war is ugly, especially this one. But if we don't participate, it doesn't mean it is going to go away. It only means that we won't be defending ourselves or keeping innocent Americans from dying in the future. So, if you gotta fight, you gotta fight.
• Supreme Court... It'd be nice to have justices who just read the constitution instead of rewriting it or taking non-US laws into account when dealing with legal issues. Hopefully, Bush will get some even-minded legal junkies in the black robes.

The bad:

• The war on terror... if you're going to fight a war, fight it with everything you have. Don't fight it to just barely win, but to completely win. Get as many troops, bombs and missiles over there and blow the enemy to bits... after all, the goal is to win, right? This war will never be politically palatable, so pay whatever points you have to pay on the home front and get the job done. Stop messing around. If Iraq doesn’t pass the constitution and start taking care of themselves, things will go badly in a hurry. The evolution of Iraq will either be Bush’s greatest achievement or greatest folly.
• Securing the borders... Okay... you've convinced me that terrorist are bad, that we need to fight the battle wherever it lies. Hello, but that includes our own borders, right? If you're willing to throw young American lives into the fray in the Middle East, why can't you have the political brass to secure the borders? Everyone knows its a problem. Illegal immigration is bad. It cost American citizens a LOT of money in health care costs, incarceration costs, etc. And what's to keep Osama Bin Bad Ass from crossing Mexico with a nuke in a backpack, ready to meet his 77 virgins? Right now, nothing. If the threat is real, it is real here even more so than across the pond. But, politicians in both parties are afraid of offending… who? The legal Latin American citizens who followed the laws? Or the illegals… oh wait, they can’t vote, can they?
  
• Reliance on Foreign Oil… Okay, you’ve convinced me that terrorists are bad and that they are mostly funded from oil profits in the Middle East… that and heroin production. So, why are we doing absolutely NOTHING toward getting off or our reliance of oil? The biggest mistake Bush made during his second presidential acceptance speech, in my opinion, was not making it a national priority to make clean car technology something to be completed in his last term. Much like Kennedy’s push for spaceflight, Bush could have made American ingenuity a cool, necessary thing. It could have been his greatest achievement. Instead, we’re looking to drill up in Alaska? That’s the long term solution? Ahhh… no, I don’t think so.
• Social Security… It’s still going to go belly up. I look at my paycheck every two weeks and am pissed that I’ve been forced to donate more of my money… that’s MY money, into a black hole. So, with the House, Senate and White House in control, this remains unresolved.
• Tax Reform… Taxes in this country are a mess. For every tax, there is a loophole on how NOT to pay them… so why have the tax? So that only the people who are savvy enough or can afford someone to find the loophole can take advantage of them? I strongly suggest the Fair Tax Plan. But, it makes way too much sense for anyone up in DC to put it into place.
• Fiscal Responsibility… The Bush administration is one of the biggest liberal spending groups ever to sit in the White House…. Entitlements are going through the roof. Maybe he needs to look up the whole smaller government part of the Republican charter… I think he forgot that part.

Unfortunately, I don’t see the Democrats doing anything about these issues either. As a matter of fact, I only hear them complain, I don’t hear them offering solutions. Hell, they're even blaming Hurricanes on this administration. Get a grip, donkys. Let's pull ourselves back into reality here.

When Newt and the boys/girls in the 90s offer the Contract with America, the current Republicans should have used that as a model for this last election. I would love for the Republican Party to publicly state:

• We will complete the Iraq transition with all of our forces to bear.
• We will revamp the Tax Code.
• We will fix Social Security.
• We will secure the US borders.
• We will remove our reliance on foreign oil.

I just want someone in DC to do SOMETHING! It’s called leadership. Isn’t that why they’re up there? Too make the tough choices for the benefit of their constituents? And aren't I one of them? Obviously, the current crop of elected officials are just looking out for themselves and their re-election.

That's nothing new... and that's the problem