The new "Contract" = the "Contrast for America"

[Joseph M Lenard (JLenardDetroit)]

[EDITORS NOTE / UPDATE: When/where I say "Contract" I am NOT necessarily referring to Newt's "Contract for the 21st Century" as this piece was written long before that. By "Contract" I was referring to an unwritten compact pushed by Conservative Republican Candidates. I already contended: "I think the notion of another "Contract With America" will not fly because it was obvious that the notions and principles of the Contract were abandoned by the Party" in this article - that point/concern is now moot that Newt (yes, I rhymed for laughs :P) has released that "Contract...21st Century". Herein, the term "Contract" is therefore in abstract not literal, except for where specifically speaking about the previous "The Contract."]

 

Never before has the choice/contrast between Liberals/Demoncrats [yes, sic, pun] and Conservatives/Republicans (yes, there are still some Progressive RINOs (removerinos.com) but on the whole) have the differences been, ever more, clearer. Democrats' philosophy of Tax, Spend, Regulate, Tax some more, Spend even more, Stagflation, etc... and the Republicans' written (GOP (still Conservative) Platform planks, we just need to ensure they adhere to them) positions of Private Sector Growth, minimal Regulations, Personal Responsibility, letting people keep their own money, etc... (related RWU blog: Hey Progressives - Here's Your Sign!, see also: Lib-Religion (Lib. intent: Separation FROM Church TO State) and wall of separation between Church & State twisted by Libs (#comment-3773 of article))

So, first, let's look back (portions originally published (04/2009) as Contract with America (original, a part 2?) @ RedState) and then look forward to what we should be DEMANDING of Republicans following (regardless of the outcome) the 2012 Elections.
What direction and methods should the GOP be using to get things corrected. Frankly, I think the notion of another "Contract With America" will not fly because it was obvious that the notions and principles of the Contract were abandoned by the Party. When President Bush took office in 2000 and the GOP had control, "The Contract" should have been IMMEDIATELY DUSTED OFF AND REVISITED - IT WASN'T!

"The Contract" contained so many things, like my favorite: Spending Cuts, A - Z. This was never under-taken the first time, and should have been brought back up immediately following George W. Bush's swearing in. Even if (yes, no Super-Majority in Senate) the House had NO EXCUSE to not bring it back up and DARE the Senate to ignore the Votes/Bills generated by the Actions. Instead, too many Republicans just wanted to make like Democrats and have an issue (Spending among others) to demagogue. The 2006 mid-term elections were a result, in part, IMNSHO, of that Failure.

Line Item Veto!?!? Why wasn't that revisited?!?!? If for nothing else than to bring it up and to put forward as far as possible the language of a Constitutional Amendment. Passing another Law and forcing another SCOTUS (which was a bad decision, Omni-bus bills attempted to mute Presidential Veto authority and Line-Item Veto restored that balance) showdown on the Issue. The previous Line Item Veto was only fought for in a weak wishy-washy fashion, IMO, before the SCOTUS by Establishment Republicans that didn't really want it to stand. If SPENDING BILLS are supposed to be passed on their merits but can be lumped into an Omnibus Bill to ram through the Pork/Earmarks, and that is Constitutional - Explain to me again how/why that the concept/act of the Presidential Veto isn't also automatically implied??? let alone our needing it enacted into Legislation or a Constitutional Amendment.

Term Limits!?! We (Conservatives) had tried to get Term Limits. Some Term Limits were indeed passed on Local/State levels, but stalled on the Federal level. The President is limited, and there is NO EXCUSE that we cannot get a Constitutional Amendment to limit Senators and House Representatives. This will take a long time to get done, and Republicans have had NO EXCUSE to not have been spending at least a little time (here and there, EVERY YEAR) on keeping/bringing the issue back to the fore-front of discussion and attempt ACTIONS NOT JUST WORDS!!!

Republicans must acknowledge these mistakes and begin talking and walking the Issues/Values again! They must put forth Legislation, knowing full well it MAY be defeated, but must prove they will not again forget and will keep pushing from now until Hell Freezes Over or these principles are enacted!

More discussions:
MSM prepares Election night Spin/Narrative to influence Votes rather than just report on election.
Vote Psychology (Bandwagon, Bradley, etc) effects.

Historical perspective, with Newt (back in the fore-front with his Presidential run and being the major driving force behind the GOP version of a "Contract") being a Historian:
Roosevelt/Bull Moose (Palin gives us New Moose Party? yes pun )

Progressive (Bull-Moose) Party info

HOW DO WE GET BACK ON TRACK AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC STAUNCHLY BACK IN THE CONSERVATIVE WING OF THE GOP CAMP?

What should Republicans do immediately following the swearing in of a CONSERVATIVE majority in the House, the Senate, and POTUS? Even if the Obama-Bin-Biden and al-Democrats pull squeak out re-election, the Congress needs to pass and make him Pass or Veto what?!?!

• LINE ITEM VETO
  Remember that one?!?! The last one, IMNSHO, was NOT Unconstitutional as previously defined as the SCOTUS failed to consider and contrast the Congressional employed "Omni-Bill" process to reduce the President's Veto authority lumping more together that should have been presented as separate pieces of Budgetary Legislation. At worst, a new Line-Item Veto Constitutional Amendment must be passed and sent onto the States for ratification consideration, at best a new general Law passed to challenge the SCOTUS.
• REPEAL OBAMAOCARE
  Full repeal through the House (again), the Senate, and on to the POTUS for signing.
• REPEAL FRANK/DODD and CRA
  Raise the FDIC protections to $500,000 and then make clear there will be NO MORE BANK BAILOUTS.
• CUT DEPARTMENTAL PAYROLLS 10%
  As well as cutting their Budgets by 10% also, and NO they are not the same or mutually exclusive (but people who have never run a business may never understand the distinctions). The following Departments need their Payrolls (and Budgets) immediately ordered reduced by 10% as they've had far too much time (and too large of Staff) if they could meddle where they shouldn't. EPA (Cap-And-TradeTax {Climate $cam} end around), FCC (Net Neutrality end around), HHS (Obamaocare and more), Education Dept. (No Politician's relatives left behind Dept.), Dept. of Energy (it only takes one employee to stamp APPROVED or DENIED on Permits), Commerce, Labor (NRLB), Treasury, and on and on... Also, immediately reduce any/all amounts of ANY Department that has GRANT MONEY available by 20% minimum.
• Spending Cuts A to Z
  Those (1 page) individual Bills from each and every member of the House proposing individual (how about, REAL/ACTUAL) Budget Cuts - to be voted up or down, without amendment; but after Public Posting, minimum 72 hour review, with each side for/against putting up their best spokespersons limited to 2 hours (so we actually get votes).
• Essential Government Services Act
  This Bill MUST be designed/developed and passed BEFORE the next Budget, Debt Ceiling, etc... crisis comes along to REMOVE any Demoncrat demagoguing of the issues of what Government Services and Processes/Procedures remain in effect should (yeah right, when an eventual) GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN occur. No longer can the Democrats claim troops wouldn't be paid, because payment to them would be assured under the Act. No longer would they claim Seniors wouldn't get Social Security checks, because those being cut/sent would also be assured. Grossly reduced (say, 10% funding levels) to most Departments would be allowed to keep the Building lights on and Security Personnel to Guard them while their Staffs' would be furloughed! What else would/should be defined in such an Act?!?!
• True TAX REFORM
  Flat Tax reform or for those who favor the Fair Tax you need a Constitutional Amendment that Repeals Federal Govt. authority to levy an Income related Tax and replaces it with the Consumption Tax or we will land up with both just like Canada.
• Federal Officials Enhanced Eligibility (TERM LIMITS)
  Whether any individual Politician wants the limits or not, such an Amendment should be drafted, passed, and sent onto the States for WE THE PEOPLE (to pressure our States' for/against) to decide!!!
  Personally, I'd like language 'any person having served a period of 9 years' (this allows for some time having been appointed, special elections, split terms of service, etc... concerns) 'to be ineligible for any future Elections to the House of Representatives.' *and* same language for 11 years for the Senate. Plus, any person having Term Limited out shall be ineligible for Lobbying for a period of 5 years, if they want to hang around they can serve on the staff of a Freshman Politician and make themselves useful for far less pay and glory (if they truly wish to continue to serve).
• repeal of the 17th Amendment Constitutional Amendment
  Repeal of 17th was touched on in the RWU Popular Vote vs. Electoral College - Event comments section (related RWU discussion: [despite (R) 2010 gains] Exporting/Expanding BLUEism) or a lengthy old discussion of it: 17th repeal.
• BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT
  Various organizations have discussed such language for decades, the different plans/approaches can/should be discussed and one chosen or many of them merged/modified to produce a reasonable Amendment.

 

Might I suggest you cut/paste these suggestions, or highlight if you print the whole article, and send them to your favorite Conservative with a note that you EXPECT them to act on these things and NOT just blather on about them in the usual empty-promises form!!!!

related RWU discussion: the Party of kNOw
"Contract From America"

As always, Regards from NoMoTown (The MOTORless CITY)
Remember, Liberals - looking to do to America, what they've done to Detroit.