Can Republicans See Victory in 2008?

Yes, but only with a conservative-led Republican Congress leading the way!

By Rense Johnson, Chairman, Citizens for Term Limits

That’s right — We must have a Conservative Republican Congress leading the way. The answer lies with congressional Republican leaders. If they won’t reform, they must be replaced.

Voters well remember how Republican leaders reneged on the party’s 1994 Contract with America, which had promised (hollowly, we now realize) that they would “restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives.”

Congressional Republican leaders will have to clean up their act. It has been said that if Republicans lose the 2008 election, it will be “only” for four years. We disagree. Can anyone doubt the damage the liberal socialist Democrats can accomplish in four years? No, the 2008 election will be generational, at least.

The Republican Party will not win the White House unless it can also win the Congress and make good on its 1994 promise to “restore the bonds of trust.” A tall order indeed.

Of all the reforms the freshmen wanted to bring to Washington, I believed setting term limits was by far the most important. Nothing would change the culture, and policies, more than replacing career politicians with citizen legislators. A political careerism more than anything else had separated Washington from the people. Careerism perpetuated big government and was a constant corrupting force in the system. — Oklahoma’s Sen. Tom Coburn in his book Breach of Trust [emphasis added]

Our nation today faces too many tremendous problems that can only be solved by a Congress led by patriots who put the nation first, ahead of their own careers. How can congressional Republicans prove they have become worthy of our trust?

They must prove to us that they want to serve our nation, instead of serving their own careers. They must convince voters that they can bring about six essential changes:

1. They must do away with big-money lobbyists. Obama, stealing a march on sleepy Republicans, has already forsworn money-laden lobbyists. Wake up Republicans, or you are dead. And so is our 232-year-old Nation.
2. They must work to totally eliminate the deluge of wasteful congressional earmarks. Pork Barrel Earmarks are theft of taxpayer money. Weekly Standard editor Fred Barnes, commenting on Fox News’ Special Report recently, said that the most powerful campaign issue for Republicans in the coming election would be elimination of earmarks. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell is a big “earmarxixt,” This will do nothing but damage to Republicans.
3. They must also campaign for a sane policy on legal immigration. We welcome the legals, but cannot afford the illegals. Millions of illegals are here now because our borders have not been made secure, allowing potential terrorists to enter as well. Illegals will depart if present laws are enforced. Why? Because with a crackdown on those who hire illegals their jobs will disappear. Make it happen, GOP! Without that enforcement, border agents who are occupied chasing illegals cannot go after the international terrorists, who want to exterminate us.
4. They must promise to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, to leave in Americans’ pockets more of what they have earned.
5. They must trim the bureaucracy, which costs our economy more than two-thirds of a trillion dollars annually, just in compliance. Our government cannot create wealth, it can only encourage or inhibit those who do. Compliance cost is a reflection of the huge economic burden of bureaucracy. Taxpayers know they pay for a bureaucracy that spends its time cooking up new ways to control us.
6. They must be willing to drastically and dramatically cut the unbridled irresponsible congressional spending that has destroyed our dollar and sent us reeling toward bankruptcy. Career politicians of either party are incapable of getting this done. Term limits will kick ‘em out! American voters want to be Republicans if only Republican leadership will let them.

What makes these six items so difficult to accomplish? The kind of Republican leadership that digs in its heels, expecting business as usual with no progress. Leadership that must be replaced.

What Americans are looking for is the old-fashioned Republican Party, a party with conservative leadership, willing to change course and set sail for a Congress that will be term limited, where members will stay no more than six years in each chamber, House and Senate:

A Party that comes to Washington to serve the nation instead of wasting time and money promoting members to constituents;

A Party that will dissolve its superfluous committees created for the benefit of its ego-driven television virtuosos; and

A Party that will choose its leaders by merit instead of seniority.

Can anyone doubt that the very future prospect of a Republican-sponsored term limited Congress will bring voters swarming to the polls to vote a Republican majority into Congress?

Can anyone doubt that such a congressional program will also re-enforce the Republican presidential campaign as well, getting voters thinking Republican — bringing both to winning majorities — and opening their pocketbooks?

For our children and their unborn descendants: Wake up, Republicans! Find the leaders we need! We have only weeks to remake the GOP and turn our country around.

Meanwhile, Log on to www.termlimits.com.

Rense Johnson may be reached at 405-751-3232

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