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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

GOP "Tsunami": A Word of Caution

After toiling 17 hours at the polling site and with five hours of sleep under my belt, I have groggily awakened to reports of a national GOP sweep of historical proportions. And thank God for that.

But, perhaps I'm just too hard to please, or far more cynical than even I thought I was capable of being, for, in truth, I have to say that I am decidedly unimpressed by the so-called GOP electoral "tsunami". Nonplussed and troubled would be more accurate. Though the biggest sweep since 1938, if my memory serves me, I still harbor some serious concerns.

While the Rand Paul and Mark Rubio upsets were particularly sweet, the Reid victory over Angle in Nevada, me-first Murkowski's apparent write-in victory in Alaska, Jerry Brown's thumping of Meg Whitman in California, and obscenely arrogant Boxer's win over Fiorina provided particularly disturbing counterpoints to the celebratory mood. And for me anyway, the disquieting closeness of many of the elections themselves, even in those races where GOP candidates "won", were alarmingly revealing.

Yes, the gubernatorial and state legislative sweeps were hopeful signs of a grassroots resurgence of republicanism which will surely benefit the GOP (re-districting) and the country in the future, but the lingering concern to me is the incredibly gigantic number of Americans--MILLIONS OF THEM--who again cluelessly voted for their Democratic Socialist overseers. To any thinking American who really wants his country back, this has to be an acutely troubling realization.

So, while I am pleased that conservative Tea Party winners may prove to be an influential countervailing political force on the Hill who might even be capable of helping to substantively shape the GOP agenda, of intense concern to me is the fact that our government and its suffocating bureaucracy is still dominated by unvetted neo-Marxist czars and other ruthlessly committed Progressives who are still capable of perpetrating terrible damage over the next two years. Thus, the GOP resurgence simply doesn't provide the solace or sense of security for which I had hoped. (NB: having lost only 3 of their 80 members in this election, the radical congressional Progressive Caucus is still very much in charge of a notoriously uncompromising Democratic Socialist Party which will continue to exert unrelenting pressure on Obama, already ideologically compatible with the Caucus's aims, to reject accommodation and to push for more socialist programs and policies one way or the other.)

What will the GOP-dominated House do to live up to our expectations after December? Indeed, what can they do? God only knows. But, to prevent the GOP's implosion and yet another toxic Progressive resurgence in 2012, it absolutely behooves the GOP establishment not to violate our trust yet once again. No more accommodating Progressivism either within or without its ranks, no more mindless "going along to get along", and absolutely NO more compromising on principle. (During my formative 70's negotiating experience with Communists in Asia, I quickly learned that compromising with tyrants is viewed by them as appeasement; thus, even when done in good faith, compromising will invariably prove to be counterproductive and utterly unredeeming.)

Long overdue and carefully targeted congressional investigations covering a plethora of Progressive corruption, blatant constitutional violations and executive overreach MUST go forward with professionalism, dignity and determination. At long last, Progressive vermin must be drawn into the light of public scrutiny and exposure. Of course, the GOP must be sure that the public fully understands what is happening and why; that the investigations are not merely vengeful politically-motivated witch-hunts, but restorative remedies to what has been an out-of-control federal government. Though these critically important probes will be cynically and predictably characterized by the Democratic Socialist Party as mean-spirited politics as usual, in the interests of the Republic they must go forward with all deliberate speed.

Among the other promises contained in the "Pledge to America", the GOP must uncompromisingly follow-through with its pledge requiring that all legislation contain a citation of constitutional authority. Such would be an effective way of restoring some semblance of constitutional order, failing which that order will be fundamentally no better after December than it was before the GOP "sweep".

And since the House is in charge of originating revenue bills, the GOP must cripple implementation of Obamacare and work toward a common sense reform of health care before more serious damage is done to the best health care system in the world. To avert economic collapse, reformation of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security--but also Tax Reform and reigning in the Federal Reserve--must also be courageously pursued.

In short, the GOP's responsibility is nothing short of GARGANTUAN! And, frankly, I'm not at all confident they're up to the challenge. In any event and come what may, the GOP must start treating American voters--even the hard-boiled and unwitting leftists among us--as adults. We must no longer be lied to, placated with giveaways we can no longer afford, and mislead with meaningless rhetorical pablum designed merely to get the party elites re-elected. With our country on political and economic life support, much depends upon the wisdom, sobriety, courage and, above all, principle of the GOP. And, frankly, we'd all better get it right this time, or it really will be all over.

Oh, yes, and no bailouts for the People's Republic of California or New York! They voted for Socialist dominion, so let them solve their self-inflicted socialist malaise themselves. We must now insist that both state and federal governments get their houses in order by unleashing the vibrant laboratory of innovation which the free exercise of state sovereignty so beautifully provides.

Finally, the GOP must allow common sense, constitutional order, public trust and personal responsibility dictate its course of action going forward. In essence, then, it is our civic duty to ensure this GOP sweep is not yet another pyrrhic victory.

My suggestion: remain as vigilant and engaged as ever!

"Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble Actions. The Eyes of all our Countryment are now upon us, and we shall have their blessings, and praises, if happily we are the instruments of saving them from the tyranny mediated against them." George Washington