A Boston Tea Party ...(True in 2006)

Last week was Groundhog Day. It looks like we are headed for another six weeks of winter. Fittingly, “Groundhog Day” the movie describes what we conservatives are going through this primary season. As conservatives we seem to be forced to have to swallow our pride, suppress our anger, and tow the party line. It was like that during the midterm elections of 2006 and we are in the same spot again in the 2008 election.

The 2006 midterms seem like yesterday. Those “check pants” Republican types were governing like they were Democrats. Earmarks became the norm. We were told we were racists by the administration and Congressmen over strict immigration. Harriet Miers was nominated for the Supreme Court. Seven Republicans joined with seven Democrats to end a conservative effort to stop judicial filibusters. This was all added on top of the largest expansion of government since the New Deal with the prescription drug plan. Conservatives were left to think as Vince Lombardi once said, “What the hell is going on out there?”

It was we grass root conservatives who were most upset. Oh, we heard quiet criticisms from our well respected national and local talk show hosts but not to the level of what was going on at ground level. We had a Republican President and a Republican Congress so our criticism was supposed to be tempered. We were told as unconservative as these actions were they would only be worse if the Democrats were in charge. As the 2006 midterms inched closer grass rooters shouted they were not going to go to the polls to vote. We were saying enough is enough; the time had come to send the Republicans a message that governing like this was not acceptable.

Our leaders with the microphones scolded us. How could we let the Democrats take over power? I called Sean Hannity’s radio show and told him we needed the guys with the power, those with microphones, to start openly campaigning for open primaries where incumbent Republicans were replaced with new conservatives. I was told I was a great American but never heard the subject approached again by the host. Evidently incumbents were wonderful as long as they were Republican incumbents. I would say these hosts went so far as to try to shame us conservatives into voting. We were told we had a war to win. If Democrats took charge of Washington our troops would come home without winning. We were lectured that the Democrats would raise taxes.

Well, in 2008 just as in 2006 we have a war to win and Democrats want to settle for defeat. In 2008 as in 2006 Democrats still want to raise taxes. 2008 is a lot like 2006 in so many ways except now many of those with the microphone think it is all right to hold a grudge and not vote in November. Grover Norquist said yesterday on “Mornings in America” with Bill Bennett, the most informative show on radio, that there is a $2 trillion difference between any Democratic nominee and any Republican nominee. Our soldiers all over the world would say there is a “victory vs defeat” difference between the two nominees

If our immensely knowledgeable talking heads want to change things for the conservative movement then the day after the elections in November they should immediately campaign against all Republicans in Congress not deemed conservative worthy to be replaced by dyed in the wool conservatives. Today, this year, and for the next four years our soldiers deserve a Republican in the White House even if his name is John McCain. What was true in 2006 remains true in 2008!