A Boston Tea Party …(Armey Axioms)

People that know me, know many things get on my nerves and when something is on my nerves the person or idea usually gets to hear about it. Sunday in the “Wall Street Journal” former Republican Congressman Dick Armey wrote an op-ed piece. I have been biting my tongue for a number of weeks and this op-ed finally broke the camel’s back.

For months I have watched Newt Gingrich and occasionally Dick Armey speak about conservative principles. Often they reminisce about those good ol’days when Republicans swept into power in 1994 with the Contract for America. As Armey wrote on Sunday, “In 1994, Republicans took control of the House for the first time in 40 years, running on the Contract with America, a clearly articulated public policy agenda based on smaller, smarter government.” Gingrich has also been traveling the country and showing up on FOX NEWS as the residential conservative expert. He even wrote a book, which I read, entitled “Winning the Future” which resembles an updated Contract with America.

But enough is enough, someone needs to tell the truth here. It is all fine and dandy for Gingrich and Armey to spew true conservative thoughts now that they are released from the chains that bound them to special interests. We should not, however, let them revise history so they are portrayed as conservative saints. There is plenty of evidence, if you are interested, contradicting the conservative leadership of these two conservative prima donnas. It was these two gentlemen that told those young guns bent on reforming government in 1994 that they needed to calm down. Now that Republicans had finally taken control of the House some of the reforms they ran on needed to be put aside in order for them to keep control.

It is not honest for them to get off Scott free. I would argue Armey and Gingrich started pushing the ball down the hill and it now has turned into a giant boulder. They put a halt to sweeping reform when it was possible in 1994 and the few years after. They became, like they all do, intoxicated with being in power. I will accept that maybe they have come to their senses now that they are on the outside looking in. I will also accept that the problems of Republicans governing as Democrats have become increasingly obscene in the years since. I, though, will not stand by and allow these two men to remain blameless. I realize most Republicans in Washington and those who cuddle up to them in the media don’t like to air dirty laundry but Gingrich and Armey halted a revolution and that cannot be forgotten. All sins are forgiven eventually but I for one will never forget. There were many of those newly elected congressmen who quit after a couple of terms because these two in leadership prevented the ultimate revolution.

The way they talk now it is easy to see the freedom one feels being on the outside. It is to bad this same type of freedom is not felt when in office. For these two men to criticize those now in office seems a bit hypocritical. Armey often talks about “Armey Axioms”, well here is one: You had your chance in 1994 and that chance may never happen again.