Thread: The Contract with Conservatives

The Contract with Conservatives
Posted by Bobby Eberle
February 12, 2008 at 7:17 am

The party of Ronald Reagan -- a collection of social and fiscal conservatives -- saw all their work come together with the Republican Revolution of 1994. Republicans came to power through their dedication to core, conservative principles.

Since that time, the conservative base has seen the Republican Party go astray. From runaway spending, to big government programs, to assaults on our First Amendment rights to amnesty for illegal aliens, conservatives have become disheartened. Conservatives are told to be loyal to the Republican Party, yet the Republican Party has shown no loyalty to the conservative base. Conservatives are told to fall in line and work for Republican candidates, yet Republican candidates are not working for conservatives.

As Sean Hannity has so aptly pointed out, conservatives need assurances that core conservative principles will be implemented by our Republican presidential nominee and other Republican officials. After years of failed promises, however, the conservative base needs something more than assurances. We need a contract... and that is what the Contract with Conservatives is all about.


The elections of 2006 showed what can happen when Republican officeholders do not follow through on core Republican principles. Turnout goes down, and Republicans lose. The trend is looking even worse for 2008. As former House Speaker Newt Gingrich noted in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC):

"[On Super Tuesday], there were 14.6 million Democrats who thought the presidential nomination was worth voting for, and there were 8.3 million Republicans on Super Tuesday," Gingrich said. "That is a warning of a catastrophic election."

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) noted in his CPAC speech that candidates must return to conservative principles if they hope to win. He pointed out several areas where Republican officials must return to their roots... to the principles that led to the Republican Revolution. In particular, Pence points to areas such as life, free speech, smaller government, and spending.

America can thrive under conservative leadership and government. The Republican Party is best equipped to deliver this kind of leadership, but too often, it has not. The time has come when conservative voters can no longer be taken for granted. For our time, effort, money, and votes, we need a pledge. We need a pledge from our presidential nominee to uphold the core Republican values that built this party, and which have taken a backseat to politics in recent years.

The Contract with Conservatives is that pledge. It is a pledge to uphold the major conservative ideals that have been pushed aside over the past decade.

Contract with Conservatives
Immigration Reform

Secure America's borders
Enforce employment laws
No amnesty
The American people have spoken, and the clear message is that immigration reform starts with secure borders. In a post-9/11 world, we should expect nothing less. In addition, the American people do not support amnesty. Candidates must repudiate amnesty and show respect for the American people by showing respect for the law. Illegal aliens should not be given special consideration for citizenship and should not be put ahead of those seeking to come to America legally. Conservatives will work for candidates who pledge to put border security first and who pledge to not put illegal aliens ahead of those seeking citizenship through legal means.

Tax Reform

Make President Bush's tax cuts permanent
Reduce taxes, both on business and individuals
Simplify the tax code by moving to a flat tax or the Fair Tax
No favorites -- All tax cuts should be across the board
The tax code must be simplified, and all taxes should be reduced. The tax code should focus on its core function -- a means of raising revenue. The tax code should not be a vehicle for social engineering, and the reduction of taxes should not pit one socio-economic group against another. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to cut taxes and simplify the tax code, while not engaging in class warfare.

Size and Scope of Federal Government

Reduce the size of the federal government
Reform entitlement programs
Respect states' rights and limit the reach of the federal government as stated in the Constitution
Cut spending
Support a balanced budget amendment
Eliminate earmarks and support stand-alone spending bills
It is not enough for the federal government to only grow by a few percentage points. In the end, it still leads to bigger government. The federal government must SHRINK. The Republican Revolution was built on this core Republican principle, and conservatives will support candidates committed to shrinking the size and scope of the federal government. The pork must go! Earmarks and pork-barrel spending must be eliminated. These practices lead to corruption and are not conservative. The federal government should do only those core jobs enumerated in the Constitution. Other governmental responsibilities should fall to the states. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to cut spending, shrink government, and eliminate earmarks.

Judges

Vigorously nominate and support the confirmation of judges who follow the law, not those who legislate from the bench
Wage a real fight against left-wing attempts to block judicial nominees
Nominating a conservative judge simply to let him or her languish without an up-or-down vote is not acceptable. Judicial nominees, who follow the law rather than make new laws from the bench, deserve full and enthusiastic support. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to nominate strict constructionists and who will not wilt in that support even under left-wing attacks.

Life

Respect the rights of the unborn and promote laws which will protect innocent human life
Support the overturning of Roe v. Wade
Block any efforts to fund or promote embryonic stem cell research
Conservatives believe in a culture of life. This culture must be embraced and advocated by our Republican leaders. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to promote a culture of life and who work for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. No candidate can say they are "100% pro-life" and also support embryonic stem cell research. This research results in the destruction of innocent human life. Research proves that adult stem cells are as good or better for curing diseases, and thus the use of embryonic stem cells is moot. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to support life at every stage.

Free Speech

Repeal the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act
Embrace First Amendment rights
The Campaign Finance Reform Act is an assault on free speech and must be repealed. The law resulted in a rise in soft money advocacy through the actions of 527 organizations while other groups were not allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights to support a candidate of their choice. This is wrong. Conservatives will support candidates who pledge to repeal this law and support the free speech rights of all Americans.

I want Republicans to win. Why? The reason is simple. I want conservative ideals to be promoted and implemented into government. Winning for the sake of winning is not even a hollow victory. It is nothing. Conservatives are told to be loyal to the Republican Party, yet the Republican Party has shown no loyalty to the conservative base. Conservatives are told to fall in line and work for Republican candidates, yet Republican candidates are not working for conservatives.

This year, my support comes with a very large string attached. I want my presidential nominee to pledge to support the Contract with Conservatives. If he does, then I will work for the nominee and encourage others to do so. But we must know that our hard work will be something. Lower taxes, smaller government, a commitment to life, support for free speech.... these are timeless issues, and Republicans should be leading the charge.

GOPUSA has set up a petition to show our support for the Contract with Conservatives and to show the Republican establishment that our votes will not be taken for granted. Please sign the petition and encourage all Republicans and conservatives you know to sign it.

For Republicans to be successful in November, we need a strong, energized base of conservatives to turn out to the polls and support the Republican nominee. With our nominee pledging to uphold the Contract with Conservatives, we can take a big step forward in uniting the Republican Party, renewing our commitment to conservative principles, and generating excitement in the base.

That is the recipe, not only for victory in November, but for a new Republican Revolution.

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=661

The Republican Revolution? No, I believe at the time we called it the CONTRACT WITH AMERICA. Now we get the Contract with Conservitives? If these boys ever run out of paper we are all in trouble.

Signed the Contract Petition and became a member a few ago!!!