Little-Acorn
09-13-2010, 01:25 PM
My company had a visit from U.S. Rep Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) last week (son of the Duncan Hunter who was in Congress for many many moons). He as first elected in 2008 I believe. Seems very straightforward and pretty conservative. But politicians can always tailor their image to suit the current audience - we'll have to see what he actually DOES.
It was a townhall-style meeting. He talked for a while, then took questions. I asked the first one. Essentially, "In 1994 Republicans laid out a group of agenda items they promised to accomplish if elected into a majority. They were, and they did. Now in 2010, we are in a similar situation: Dem majorities everywhere, and the govt moving hard to the left, passing wildly unpopular big-govt bills. Do this year's Republican minority Congressmen intend to roll out a group of agenda items to give people something to vote FOR, instead of just voting against Democrats? In 1994 this happened right after Labor Day, which is NOW. Time is running out. What will they do?"
Hunter replied, "Yes. They are putting together something along the lines of the 1994 Contract with America, but with issues current today, and will present it very soon. They've set up a website, www.AmericaSpeakingOut.com , to get an idea of what issues mainstream Americans are most interested in, and are making up their agenda with input from that."
I asked, "Can you give us a date?" He replied, "No. But it will be very soon, within a week or two."
Wel, that's what he said. Take it for what it's worth (that and a subway ticket will get you from Manhattan to Queens...).
I was encouraged, but still not overwhelmed. Sampling people like that isn't a bad idea. I was hoping that we would have elected reps who have their own convictions of what we should do, convictions that mainstream conservatives agree with, and act on those, rather than sticking their fingers up in the wind like that... but since we often don't, I guess this is the next best thing.
The website seems OK, but I noticed a lot of the suggestions involved more use of Big Govt to "solve" the various problems. Set up a Blue Ribbon commission to look into this, make laws restricting job outsourcing or lawyer influence in this or that, etc. To me, conservatism is the tendency to get government OUT of most things (except a few, see Art. 1 Sec. 8 and the amendment process for starters, you know the drill), isn't it?
Well, that was Wednesday of last week. Has anyone heard/seen any "official" pronouncements from prominent Republicans, about what these major agenda items will be?
Seems like every group under the sun is calling for "Contract with America II", and listing their own items of what it should be. But frankly the House Republicans are, and must be, in the driver's seat for this, if it happens. If/when they come out with THEIR list of agenda items, that will be the REAL "Contract with America II", and all others will get discarded.
If Hunter was telling the truth (always a big IF with politicians from every party), we should start hearing from them very soon. Have you?
It was a townhall-style meeting. He talked for a while, then took questions. I asked the first one. Essentially, "In 1994 Republicans laid out a group of agenda items they promised to accomplish if elected into a majority. They were, and they did. Now in 2010, we are in a similar situation: Dem majorities everywhere, and the govt moving hard to the left, passing wildly unpopular big-govt bills. Do this year's Republican minority Congressmen intend to roll out a group of agenda items to give people something to vote FOR, instead of just voting against Democrats? In 1994 this happened right after Labor Day, which is NOW. Time is running out. What will they do?"
Hunter replied, "Yes. They are putting together something along the lines of the 1994 Contract with America, but with issues current today, and will present it very soon. They've set up a website, www.AmericaSpeakingOut.com , to get an idea of what issues mainstream Americans are most interested in, and are making up their agenda with input from that."
I asked, "Can you give us a date?" He replied, "No. But it will be very soon, within a week or two."
Wel, that's what he said. Take it for what it's worth (that and a subway ticket will get you from Manhattan to Queens...).
I was encouraged, but still not overwhelmed. Sampling people like that isn't a bad idea. I was hoping that we would have elected reps who have their own convictions of what we should do, convictions that mainstream conservatives agree with, and act on those, rather than sticking their fingers up in the wind like that... but since we often don't, I guess this is the next best thing.
The website seems OK, but I noticed a lot of the suggestions involved more use of Big Govt to "solve" the various problems. Set up a Blue Ribbon commission to look into this, make laws restricting job outsourcing or lawyer influence in this or that, etc. To me, conservatism is the tendency to get government OUT of most things (except a few, see Art. 1 Sec. 8 and the amendment process for starters, you know the drill), isn't it?
Well, that was Wednesday of last week. Has anyone heard/seen any "official" pronouncements from prominent Republicans, about what these major agenda items will be?
Seems like every group under the sun is calling for "Contract with America II", and listing their own items of what it should be. But frankly the House Republicans are, and must be, in the driver's seat for this, if it happens. If/when they come out with THEIR list of agenda items, that will be the REAL "Contract with America II", and all others will get discarded.
If Hunter was telling the truth (always a big IF with politicians from every party), we should start hearing from them very soon. Have you?