Decision '06

Any honest evaluation of the upcoming elections will conclude that the Republicans are going to lose seats in Congress this year. However, the question remains whether the Democrats will take over the House of Representatives and/or the Senate. I think it is very possible that Republicans could lose the House and possibly the Senate. It this happens then San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker of the House, Democrats will attempt to raise taxes, the military effort in Iraq will be undermined, and the war on terrorism will suffer.

Notice that the Democrats are not running an issue oriented campaign. Ask any Democrat politician what their goals are or what bills they will pass and the usual response will be something like this; "George Bush is leading this country in the wrong direction and we need a change."

That is not a plan, that's just complaining. Do the Democrats support more or less troops in Iraq? Are they going to raise taxes? What will they do differently in order to win the war on terror? Informed individuals know the answers to these questions (cut and run from Iraq, yes, and nothing since there isn't a war on terror), but the Democrats cannot run a campaign based on what they actually want to do because they know no one will vote for them. So all they can do is say "Bush sucks."

So, if the Democrats win control of Congress this election cycle it will not be because of their ideas (they don't have any), but because Republicans have performed so poorly, especially in the last 2 years.

Although I obviously want Republicans to win the election, I think a Republican loss might do this country some good. While President Bush and his Republican allies have accomplished some conservative goals in the past 6 years (confirmation of two conservative Supreme Court Justices, significant tax cuts, and a strengthening of the military), in many respects Republicans have abandoned the small government principles that got them elected in the first place. Republicans have vastly expanded the size and reach of government by increasing government and entitlement spending, passed a bill that restricts the free speech of all Americans, and are close to siding with Democrats in supporting an increase in the minimum wage.

When Republicans start acting like Democrats, the American people will vote in the real thing. While I hope that does not happen, I will not be surprised if Nancy Pelosi will be referred to as "Madame Speaker" come November 7th.

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~ The Conservative Guy