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March 28th, 2024

Insight

Whither now, Republicans?

Ron Hart

By Ron Hart

Published Nov. 14, 2014

Harry Reid’s control over the U.S. Senate will soon end, and corrupt, pork-barrel spending will be his legacy. The Nevada Democrat has left more earmarks during his brutal reign than Mike Tyson. Hopefully, there will be counselors for Dingy Harry and his fellow Democratic senators to help them transition into other forms of white-collar crime.

President Obama’s failed policies and his arrogance hurt Democrats. He has worn on people. I am not even sure he gets a window seat on Air Force One anymore. During his post-election press conference, he displayed not an ounce of humility, and he remains bitter, defiant and antagonistic. He seems intent on continuing down his policy path that voters overwhelmingly rejected.

Democratic candidates ran away from Obama and did not want him campaigning for them in their states. Pretty soon, they will start demanding to see Obama’s birth certificate.

Instead, Democrats wanted Bill Clinton with them on the campaign trail. I guess Clinton the womanizer is in demand while the socialist, statist Obama is not. The lesson we can learn here is that most people would like to fool around, but no one really wants to be forced to share his things with others.

It makes sense that “Slick Willie” has more gravitas. Remember, Obama is an unpopular, lame-duck president while Bill Clinton is married to the next president.

So what should Republicans do after their sweeping wins? One hopes they will not repeat the mistake they made after their big wins in 2010, by going after gay marriage. They go from being the party of limited government, liberty and individual responsibility to being like the mayor in “Footloose,” who wanted to outlaw dancing in his town. It’s not what the electorate wants, and the GOP seems to have learned its lesson about having a meddlesome focus on social issues.

The superficial statement that everyone always agrees with is, “Washington needs to work together to get more things done.” I think just the opposite: Washington should stop getting things done and leave us alone.

“Getting things done” means passing another bill, another tax or another law. We do not need them. The Affordable Care Act did not make health care more affordable. The Patriot Act did not make us more patriotic. Both laws were excuses for even more government intrusion into our lives.

Unwind, reduce and narrow the scope of government. Let the free market and the people, with their enlightened self-interest in mind, take over. When that is allowed, marvelous things happen. Terrible things happen when the government gets involved.

If they have to, here are a few things the GOP could probably compromise on with Obama and get done now:

1. We have the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world. Many corporations keep their profits and cash in other countries to avoid being taxed here. Create another tax holiday so they will be incentivized to bring an estimated $2 trillion in cash overseas back to the U.S. That will help create investment and jobs in America. It’s a no-brainer.

2. Amend Obamacare to allow competition for health care insurance coverage across state lines. Competition benefits all consumers. Add tort reform. The fact that Obama did not do it the first time says two things: He is beholden to plaintiffs’ attorneys, and he did not really care about reducing health care costs. Doctors are forced to practice defensive medicine to avoid being sued. If two tests are practical, they order six so as not to be vulnerable to litigation, and costs increase. Abolish the punitive 3.8 percent Obamacare tax. It stifles investment in the U.S.

3. Under this president’s policies, middle-class incomes have fallen from $55,000 a year to $50,000 – the biggest drop ever. Unchecked immigration has taken Americans’ jobs or reduced what they are paid for them. Illegals pay little tax and send much of their money back home. Pass an immigration bill that protects the borders and reduces the influx of illegals who take social services, education and jobs from the middle class. Cheap illegal-immigrant labor hurts the middle class, but it helps the rich by saving them $500 in labor costs on building their reflecting Koi ponds.

The only bipartisan bill I am sure will get done is one that funds the war against ISIS. Politicians on both sides agree that it is in their best interest to turn away from our shores a conquering Islamic extremist army that stones adulterers.

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