America’s political class: signs of hope
In fact, the Tea Party is extreme only in its ordinariness. It is made of of moms and accountants and shop stewards and small businessmen. Richard Lugar was a career politician. Richard Mourdock spent three decades in business, a few years as his state’s treasurer, and is now seeking senatorial office. If elected, he has promised to limit himself to two terms. He supports cutting government spending, is against earmarks, and would seek a balanced budget.
I was fortunate yesterday to be among a small group of people who met Mr. Mourdock at a semi-secure undisclosed location for lunch. He’s the real thing: bright, articulate, passionate, and level-headed. He is someone of whom one can say without smirking that he is a public servant. People who say the country is in trouble are right. They are wrong, however, to despair. As candidates like Richard Mourdock demonstrate, the hour often brings forth the man. America may have the worst political class in its history. Men like Pat Toomey and Richard Mourdock give one hope. Keep an eye on him. The smart money says he is going to win and keep that seat on the right side of the ledger. But Mr. Mourdock will not have to worry about being called Barack Obama’s favorite Republican.
Of course, there is plenty of reason to hope that by the time he takes office, Barack Obama will be just a bad memory.
Elder statesmen with clear and definite objectives (e.g., Reagan, Churchill, Adenauer) have often been the source of great benefit, but I’ve developed a reflexive suspicion towards septuagenarian politicians (e.g., Lugar, Hatch) who are determined to remain in office until a day before the coffin lid slams shut on them. I can see no other motive for their persistence than the eternal libido dominandi.
Geez Roger, I get the distinct feeling you just don’t care for the man in the white house.Your not some kind of partizan is ya brother?
“If there’s anything a public servant hates to do, it’s something for the public.” — Kin Hubbard
We haven’t had true public servants for at least a century. Indeed, a good argument could be made that we haven’t had them since the end of George Washington’s term as president. But with the Supreme Court having upheld ObamaCare’s individual mandate as Constitutional under the taxing power, none of it matters any more.
The Republic has fallen. Let him save himself who can.
I agree it is encouraging to see new blood coming up in the repub party that actually beleive in spending restraint and following the constitution.
But the corruption of our political class will not really be solved until Obama/Pelosi/Reid are gone, and the dem party has similar reform politicians there. And I dont mean these reform dems have to behave like repubs, they just need to be concerned about runaway spending and special interest cronyism.
Which is why the left is going full Godwin, and calling them stormtroopers.
The American Revolution Part 2 started today. It is not only your right but your DUTY to over-throw such a corrupt body that has stolen America from the people.
The American Revolution Part 2 started today. It is not only your right but your DUTY to over-throw such a corrupt body that has stolen America from the people. Do you really think you have any rights anymore? The Commerce Clause says otherwise, as of this morning. There in literally nothing this Govt cant make you do now.
The American Revolution was started over much less onerous taxes and regulations than we have to day.
Such nonsense. Roger, for every successful politician you select I can find 10 in DC who are exactly the opposite–venal, stupid, and cynical. And many of those politicians went to DC as idealistic as the ones you selected, but decades of existing in the center of unlimited government has corrupted them totally.
Reformers come and reformers go, but the broad and deep imperatives remain the same. Our provincial districts–once known as sovereign states–no longer have any power to offset DC. The balance of power in DC between the three branches of federal government has been over for decades–they are all on the same side, the side that sees no limit to the power of the federal government.
With all that power goes money. The federal government knows how we should spend all of our money and they will use their massive police powers to ensure that we donate, earn, and spend in ways they find lucrative. It is as simple as that. Standing astride of history yelling stop is just a way to become road kill while everyone else is on their way to the gold rush.
The good news is if we lower income taxes then non-healthcare government will need to be shrunken from the size of a grape into a raison in order to preserve monies for the healthcare system.
Second, Romney is the wrong person at the wrong time to lead the recovery to limited government. Make no mistake about it, the repubs may repeal the ACA but they will replace it with something just as bad.
> Do you really think you have any rights anymore? The Commerce Clause says otherwise, as of this morning. There in literally nothing this Govt cant make you do now.
No.
The individual mandate was not upheld under the commerce clause. (It seems that the majority opinion said that the individual mandate was NOT a valid exercise of commerce clause powers.)
The individual mandate was upheld under the power to tax. It’s unclear how, as it isn’t an income tax (16th amendment). (The 16th modifies the taxing powers in sections 2, 8 and 9.)
If you really want to see a man’s character, give him power.
An example in point is Marco Rubio and his Olympic Tax Elimination Act. I don’t know if you were perceptive or lucky (no offense meant) in not citing Rubio as a sign of hope.