Republicans Pledge to Change Our Direction
Republicans Pledge to Change Our Direction
by Phyllis Schlafly
October 1, 2010
Already tasting victory in November, Republicans in Congress issued "A Pledge to America" setting forth their goals. The principal thrust is to reassure Americans that Republicans will, indeed, offer "a clear and clearly different approach" to Barack Obama's policies.
The Pledge properly recognizes that "joblessness is the single most important challenge facing America today" and that, therefore, it's time to end the "liberal Keynesian experiment," i.e., trying to spend our way to prosperity. We've been waiting for smart politicians to make a forthright denunciation of Keynesianism ever since it was originally inflicted on Americans by Franklin D. Roosevelt and then given political credence by Richard Nixon's famous comment (proving he was not a conservative): "we are all Keynesians now."
Republicans solemnly promise not to allow any tax increases. Unless the Reid-Pelosi Democrats come to their senses, they will allow a $3.8 trillion tax hike to take effect the first of the year.
The Pledge rejects Obama's "job-killing agenda": bailouts, government takeovers, tax increases, phony "stimulus" spending sprees, and the new regulation on small business to report to the IRS any purchases of more than $600. The Pledge recognizes that raising taxes is the wrong way to go because it punishes the very people who can hire the unemployed.
Another very sensible pledge is to "roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels." We surely need Congressmen who will call a halt to the present policy of borrowing from China and other foreign countries 41 cents of every dollar we spend.
Republicans promise "to repeal and replace the government takeover of health care." Current public opinion polls confirm that 61 percent of the voters want exactly that.
Republican remedies for health-care problems include enacting medical liability reform, allowing freedom to buy insurance from states other than your own, and making it easier to have health savings accounts. Since Obamacare provides for the creation of more than 160 boards, bureaus, and commissions, the only way to deal with such a maze of bureaucracies is to repeal Obamacare and start over.
Contrary to predictions and hopes of the RINOs, the Pledge takes firm positions on the social issues. The pledge "to honor families, traditional marriage, life and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values" starkly delineates a fundamental divide between the political parties.
Traditional marriage? Republicans are four-square to maintain it. Obama, on the other hand, has called for the repeal of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). The Pledge promises to prevent the marriage penalty from returning.
Life? Republicans pledge to "establish a government-wide prohibition on taxpayer funding of abortion and subsidies for insurance coverage that includes abortion." They also will "codify the Hyde Amendment" and repudiate Obama's sham in trying to finesse abortion funding in Obamacare by a meaningless executive order.
The other party is very different on the abortion issue. Obama has pledged to pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which would pay for all abortions with taxpayers' money and knock out all pro-life laws (such as the ban on partial-birth abortions and requiring parental consent for minors' abortions).
Democratic-appointed judges are repeatedly ruling against any public manifestation of religion such as posting the Ten Commandments or reciting "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Obama has lined up in favor of building a massive Mosque near the 9/11 site in New York.
When Obama publicly read portions of the Declaration of Independence on television, he ostentatiously omitted the key words "by our Creator." His failure to read the Declaration accurately means that he refused to identify Who endowed us with our rights.
Here is a very innovative idea: Republicans pledge to stop "forcing responsible taxpayers to subsidize irresponsible behavior." This is scheduled to start by "ending bailouts permanently, canceling the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."
We hope this policy will continue by refusing to bail out or subsidize any more banks that give home mortgages to people who have no job or credit.
In another switch from current policy, Republicans pledge to enforce our laws to secure our border: "We will reaffirm the authority of state and local law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of all federal immigration laws."
Tackling another controversial issue, Republicans pledge to oppose a national 'cap and trade' energy tax. And Republicans will fight for the rights of workers by opposing schemes that deny them the right to a secret ballot.
The Pledge recognizes that providing for the common defense is not just a priority, "it is a constitutional duty." Therefore, Republicans pledge to protect the U.S. homeland from missile threats from rogue states such as Iran and North Korea.
