Washington Times via Michelle Malkin -
Republican Party officials say they will try next month to pass a resolution accusing President Bush and congressional Republican leaders of embracing “socialism,” underscoring deep dissension within the party at the end of Mr. Bush’s administration.
Those pushing the resolution, which will come before the Republican National Committee at its January meeting, say elected leaders need to be reminded of core principles. They said the RNC must take the dramatic step of wading into policy debates, which traditionally have been left to lawmakers.
…“The resolution also opposes President-elect Obama’s proposed public works program and supports conservative alternatives,” while encouraging the RNC “to engage in vigorous public policy debates consistent with our party platform,” said [author of the resolution, Republican National Committee Vice Chairman James Bopp Jr.], a leading attorney for pro-life groups who has also challenged the campaign finance legislation that Mr. Bush signed.
If enacted, the resolution would put the party on record opposing the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector, which passed Congress with Republican support and was signed by Mr. Bush, and opposing the bailout of the auto industry. The auto bailout bill was blocked by Senate Republicans, but Mr. Bush then reversed course and announced that he would use financial bailout money to aid the auto manufacturers.
…”If the party doesn’t move in this direction, we will continue to be irrelevant. Whoever has the larger star power will continue to win, and what they stand for and believe will become less relevant,” [North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Gary Emineth] said.
I have very little tolerance for those who wish to distance themselves from erstwhile allies in the interest of a positive public image, however… This resolution would be a powerful repudiation of the policies upon which the Republican party and President Bush part ways. It is important for the GOP to distinguish itself from the policies of the Bush Administration that do not represent our core beliefs. This is not the same as sacrificing George Bush on the altar of political expedience. It makes no statement on Bush policies with which the GOP rightfully agrees; only those which were not representative of the core principles of the GOP.
I support this measure. So do five of the six RNC Chair nominees.
“The bailout was a bust. It should never have happened,” former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele told the audience at the debate sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform. “Republicans should have had a little bit more you-know-what to withstand the pressure. They didn’t and we’re paying for it. I absolutely support the resolution because it reflects the frustration of our base.” Mr. Steele’s position was seconded by four of the five other candidates vying for the RNC chairman’s post.
The lone dissenter was Mike Duncan, the current RNC chairman who has worked closely with the Bush administration. He said that “as a banker” he understood the problem better than the other candidates and it couldn’t be summarized with “a simple yes or no answer.” He did admit the bailouts have clearly created “a lot of problems.”
Mike Duncan should be eliminated from contention for RNC chair on this issue alone.
The election for RNC chairman, along with a vote on the antibailout resolution, will be held in Washington on January 29.
Republicans-at-large often find ourselves in the untenable position of defending Republican party politics in the face of 8 years of Bush Administration spending and “pre-socialism.” Let us support this measure as a step towards credibility.
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