Thread: Ten Commandments for the Next Two Years: Waste, Spending

Deregulation, Repeal, Waste, Spending

Ten Commandments for the Next Two Years

By Daniel Greenfield
Tuesday, November 9, 2010

With the 2010 election, the game has changed. Republicans in congress are no longer powerless to do anything, but cast mostly symbolic votes against another piece of the radical Obama agenda. There will be pressure on the Republican congress to engage in bipartisan compromises and blame for inaction if they don’t. The grass roots needs to keep the pressure on Republicans, while maintaining their opposition to the Obama agenda, and preparing for 2012. With that in mind, here are ten commandments to keep in mind for the next two years.

1. Creating Jobs Through Deregulation
While Obama pushes more phony job creation programs through regulation and spending, the Republicans have to focus on creating jobs through deregulation, by getting government off the back of the small businessman and the freelancer. That means not just opposing the next wave of the Obama agenda, but also creating tangible reforms that will mean less paperwork, less fees and fewer regulations for American small businesses to worry about. If the Republican congress can push a program that will actually make a difference at the ground level, then they will have won some key allies, particularly among independent voters.

2. Repeal Positively
It’s great that Boehner is talking about repealing ObamaCare, but while it’s important to do that, and jettison as much of Obama’s agenda as possible—but it is also vital not to be defined by it. For the first two years being the Party of No was a successful strategy, but a sizable amount of voters expect more than just vetoes or repeals. Being the Party of No while in the opposition was important, but being the Party of No while dominating the House is poor strategy. During the next election, it will be important for Republicans to remind the public, not just that they repealed what Obama did in his first two years, but how followed a roadmap for restoring America.

3. Cut the Waste
Take a lesson from the UK, where Cameron has gone on an aggressive spending slashing spree. Some of his cuts have been unpopular, but the popular targets are useless overpadded bureaucratic organizations. There are plenty of choice targets operating out of Washington D.C. too. Targets that will outrage liberal elitists, but are likely to be quite popular with the general public. The Juan Williams affair focused the lens on public broadcasting, but why stop there. Dick Armey has already focused in on the National Endowment for the Arts, always a juicy ripe plum. But that’s just the beginning. There are a lot of soft targets to hit, and they should be hit early and often. Make Democrats defend their wasteful spending, and they’ll look elitist and out of touch.

4 Avoid Arrogance
The last thing the Republican Congress needs to do is act like Obama. A certain amount of triumph was okay, but gloating and arrogance should be avoided. Because the public is watching. The Obama Administration will act childishly, but reciprocating in kind, particularly around crucial budget negotiations would be disastrous. A clash of personalities at this juncture will not favor the Republicans. Any petty behavior on the Republican side, will allow the media to paint them as spiteful and arrogant. That worked for Clinton last time around. And they’ll be sure to try it again. If the public gets the sense that the Republican cuts are not motivated by budgetary sensibilities, but by power and privilege, then Obama will have the 2012 election locked up tight.

5. Learn from History
Particularly from the 1995 shutdown of the Federal Government. Obama has very little to lose at this point, and he’s surrounded by advisers with little real world experience. It is entirely likely that the strategy at this point is to give the appearance of negotiating, while moving the negotiations toward a catastrophic stall, and then calling congress’ bluff. Clinton did it successfully. It is entirely possible that Obama will try to copy or surpass him. The easiest way for the Republicans to fall into this trap is through overconfidence.

6. Learn from Obama
Barry Hussein thought his victory meant an unlimited mandate to do anything he wanted. The public wanted him to focus on the economy and job creation. He focused on bailouts and phony job creation plans, that had nothing to do with job creation. He assumed the public was stupid. They weren’t. Let’s not make the same mistake. That means having and holding on to the right focus from the start. It also means looking like public servants, not like a party machine. So keep the pork off the table and bring home the beef.

7. Careful What You Cut
On the other hand cuts that will allow the media to “Gingrichâ€

Jobs are easy

Just put a ton of fear into illegals , Must be millions of jobs they are holding that Americans will do.

Even without the senate or the president , there is a ton of things the House can do.

The first thing would be to get nappy and Morten up there and grill the daylights out of them , including fear of trial for failure to perform.