The New American Revolution
Part 2 of 3
Sunday, March 23, 2008
By Jon Christian Ryter
In 1994 Congressman Newt Gingrich [R-GA], the minority whip, proposed a
GOP Contract With America that led to the Republican Revolution
in which the Democrats—who enacted NAFTA and started the jobs drain
that has not let up in over a decade—lost control of both Houses of
Congress for the first time since 1952. Under the Contract With America
Gingrich pledged, first, to restore accountability to Congress and end
waste and fiscal abuse. Under the Contract, the laws that apply to the
rest of the country would also apply to those in Congress. The plan
would cut the number of House committees and limit the terms of the
Chairmen of those committees thus curbing the generational power structure
of the people's assembly. Assure an honest accounting of the budget
through zero baseline budgeting and most of all, by requiring a three-fifths
majority to enact a tax increase.
Gingrich also proposed a legislative agenda and promised to bring 10 specific
pieces of legislation to the House floor for a vote within the first
100 days of the 104th Congress. The American people bought Gingrich's
pledge and the voters turned control of both Houses of Congress over
to the Republicans largely because the Democrats sold them out and sent
their jobs packing to Mexico.
Beginning in 1995 the special interest groups and the lobbyists for big business
began writing checks in the names of the members of the new majority
who kept their pledge during the 104th Congress but began to get used
to the graft that poured money like Katrina waters over the broken levees
in New Orleans into the campaign war chests of the new movers and shakers
on Capitol Hill. Graft may be an acquired taste, but it seems once a
Congressman or Senator samples it, the sweet savor of money is hard
to resist.
By the time the 106th Congress rolled around the GOP controlled both ends
of Pennsylvania Avenue. Sadly, by the Election of 2000 many of the brightest
members of the Republican Revolution, who had promised they would only
seek three terms (after three terms in the House and one term in the
US Senate politicians, who succumb to power, become institutionalized)
declined to seek reelection and the moral fiber of Congress once again
became strained. By 2001 the moral majority in Congress not only forgot
their pledge to the people they also forgot their conservative core
values.
The previously fiscally-prudent, supply-side, free-market conservatives
became pork-barrel economic liberals who easily discarded the Reaganomics
of the 1980s that gave America its longest period of sustained economic
growth in over 100 years. Had September 11, 2001 not happened, President
George W. Bush would likely have followed his father into the history
books after one term as president. The invasions of Afghanistan and
Iraq would not have happened, and antiwar liberal John Kerry would not
have claimed the Democratic nomination. In all likelihood, the nomination
would have gone to former Vice President Al Gore, Jr. And, in the grudge
rematch for the White House, the man who still believes he is destined
to lead the free would would have easily overwhelmed Bush in 2004. (In
the event the Democratic Convention in Denver between Aug. 25-28 deadlocks,
its very possible the Democrat Party will drag Gore out of mothballs
and anoint him as the party's standard-bearer for a second time (something
the Democrats almost never do). Gore would likely pick from a short
list that would include Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL], Sen Evan Bayh [D-IN],
Gov. Ted Strickland [D-OH] and perhaps House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [D-CA]
as his running mate since, under California law, she can seek two elective
offices in the same election—and because she won reelection in 2006
with 81% of the vote.
What Happened in 2006?
If you listen to the mainstream media they would have you believe that
America was weary of the conflict in Iraq and wanted US troops out of
Afghanistan and Iraq regardless of the ultimate consequences. The exit
polls in 2006 said Americans wanted an end to a war, they thought, we
could not win. The exit polls showed a clear majority of those who voted
believed the number one issue was the War in Iraq. Yet, polls taken
just prior to the election indicated the number one issue on the minds
of Americans was sealing the border, evicting illegals and restoring
jobs lost to Mexico and China by NAFTA. When you look at the exit polls
you discover that roughly 61% of those polled leaving the voting precincts
identified themselves as Democrats and only 35% identified themselves
as Republicans.
The exit polls in 2006 were skewered because of an anomaly the media chose
to ignore—about 35% of the Republican voter base—those who viewed themselves
as "patriot conservatives"—sat out the election to protest the selling
out of the voters by the GOP majority whom they could no longer distinguish
from the Democratic minority. Democrats and Republicans competed to
see who could spend more taxpayer dollars on pork that served only to
guarantee that more offerings of 30 more pieces of silver were dropped
into their campaign war chests. And, a large percentage of the electorate
had simply had enough. Seen they couldn't see too much difference from
the thief on this side compared to the thief on that side, it didn't
make sense to vote for the "lesser of two evils" when the politicians
on both sides looked equally evil.
In point of fact, the differences under the skin are as dissimilar as night
and day. By sitting out the Election of 2006 the right surrendered to
the left, which viewed their victory as a mandate to unilaterally withdraw
from Iraq and Afghanistan, provide welfare benefits for illegal aliens,
provide universal healthcare like the failed socialized medical system
found in Canada, and return America to the days of generational welfare.
To accomplish this, broad new taxes will be needed. None of the current
slate of presidential candidates are against taxes. It is, after all,
only money—someone else's.
Fixing 2009
When Congressman Ron Paul embarked on the quest for the White House these
were the things he thought about, and these were issues that troubled
him. What also troubled him very much was the fact—and how well he grew
to know it—unless the media anoints you as a first tier candidate you
are doomed to run the silent race, and the electorate will not vote
for you in numbers sufficient to prevail. No candidate can win the presidency
without day-in, day-out TV news coverage. And the media only anoints
those who get the nod from the crown heads of industry and banking.
The fact that Ron Paul—the 5th most senior Congressman in Texas—became
the top GOP presidential money-raiser in the 4th quarter of 2007 speaks
volumes for the love and respect the American people have for this man.
Dr. Ron Paul has become the "can-do" man. While the merchant princes and
lords of industry have placed the White House out of his grasp, Dr.
Paul has captivated a nation, and those he has captivated who proudly
call themselves soldiers in the Ron Paul Revolution are fighting
now to give Dr. Paul the other House—on the other end of Pennsylvania
Avenue—the US House of Representatives.
Dr. Paul is offering the American people a new prescription to revitalize
America. The Ron Paul Revolution is phase two of the Republican
Revolution. Only this time around, no empty promises. Dr. Paul's plan
to revitalize prosperity in America is a four-point program that entails
tax reform, spending reform, monetary policy reform and regulatory reform.
Click here for part ----->
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Jon Christian Ryter is the pseudonym of a former newspaper reporter with the Parkersburg, WV Sentinel. He authored a syndicated newspaper column, Answers From The Bible, from the mid-1970s until 1985. Answers From The Bible was read weekly in many suburban markets in the United States.
Today, Jon is an advertising executive with the Washington Times. His website, www.jonchristianryter.com has helped him establish a network of mid-to senior-level Washington insiders who now provide him with a steady stream of material for use both in his books and in the investigative reports that are found on his website.
E-Mail: BAFFauthor@aol.com
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