I’ll be talking with Steve Hayward this morning for a podcast and let him comment on this debacle, but for now these few lines from Jonah Goldberg at NRO made me smile:
"I think James Baker and Dick Cheney should take Bush out to the woods around Camp David. After 24 hours in a sweat lodge, he should be given only a loin cloth, a hunting knife and a canteen of water. Bush should then set out to track and kill a black bear, after which he should eat its still beating heart so he can absorb its spirit. He should then fly back to Washington in Marine 1. His torso still scratched from the bear’s claws, his face bloodied and steaming in the November chill, he should immediately give a press conference at which he throws the bearskin on the front row of the press corps, completely enveloping Helen Thomas, declaring, ’I’m not going anywhere.’
This will send important messages to Democrats and well as to our enemies overseas, who are no doubt high-fiving as we speak."
What’s needed is a new "Contract with America." This one needs to address the following issues: defense, health care, immigration, and jobs. Simple...non-socialist solutions can be found for most of this, but it takes leadership to bring such things about. Instead of systematically eliminating our leaders (e.g., Gingrich, Lott), perhaps we would do better to listen to them. The GOP has regressed back to its former (Rockefeller) state...we need new blood.
You know, as important as the war on terror is (and I support the war on terror 100%) I was a "cut-and-run" conservative based on domestic issues (e.g. immigration, prescription drug giveaway, spending, RINO’s, etc etc.). I noticed McCain talking the conservative talk last night on Fox News. He even mentioned the Prescription Drug Giveaway!! Good for him!! He is obviously trying to position himself for 2008. Too bad he can not be trusted...
Minus the sweat lodge/bear killing ritual, I believe that’s exactly what the president will do.
Dain, refresh my memory... why did you guys get rid of Gingrich and Lott again?
Gingrich was blamed for the 1998 losses...although he was simply the lightening rod. Lott was pushed aside for Frist...over a stupid remark. Complete PC nonsense...and we are paying for playing on the Dims field.
So the idea is that the Republican party should "stay the course" some more?
Perfect.
I don’t think any conservatives on this blog have said anything that resembles "stay the course." Rather, we need to get back to what brought us success in the first place in 1994. Then we had a clear, sensible agenda that appealed to a broad portion of the electorate. Since then, we have gotten away from that and our leaders have begun to rule not on principle but in order to keep power. We fell into the same trap that liberals had fallen into when they were in power.
I believe that if we get back to running on a clear agenda and we actually follow through on our policies, we can return to the majority. Staying the course is precisely what we cannot do.
That’s what I’m reacting to...Bush stubbornness will not help us here. He needs to adjust his strategy in Iraq (say, like kicking the living s$it out of the insurgency and then holding an Iraqi vote...leave or not?). Also, he needs to find that veto pen (be-cobwebbed in some corner) and ACT LIKE A PRESIDENT.
Have your fun, Marko...but conservatives are even better critics than Democrats. We play defense well. We’ll find out how Princess Pelosi likes governing...should be interesting.
Karl Rove, George Bush and Dick Cheney are repsonsible for the biggest GOP defeat in your lifetime. Nancy Pelosi will be a breath of fresh air in the House. She’ll make a great leader.