Thread: "Republicans love hallowing Ronald Reagan's name.

Peter Beinhart, column, The Daily Beast:

"Republicans love hallowing Ronald Reagan's name.

Too bad they know so little about the guy. ...

Reagan succeeded because he married a reputation for principle with an instinct for pragmatism. When Republicans lost big in the 1982 midterm elections because Democrats accused them of wanting to privatize Social Security, Reagan abandoned the idea and instead made a deal with Democrats that raised taxes and saved the program. ... In 1981, he nominated the socially moderate Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court, even though Jerry Falwell and other evangelical leaders cried betrayal. That was the real Reagan, the one Republicans need to embrace if they're to genuinely threaten Barack Obama's chances of re-election."

Posted at 12:20 AM/ET, February 04, 2010 in USA TODAY editorial

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/02/ ... PageReturn

In the 2010 elections, Republicans need focus on the following issues solely, no personal issues, no personal agendas. 2010 is about Saving America.

1. stop illegal immigration - Reagan tried but submitted to amnesty which defeated the entire purpose of his increased border security

2. pass the FairTax - Reagan's son, Michael is now Chairman of the FairTax Victory Campaign, because he knows his father would have loved it, had it been developed while his father was President

3. protect our trade - Reagan like all great Republican Presidents knew that we had to protect our trade. Yet, he wanted to expand the reach of our country into other countries at the same time. There is nothing wrong with this. Protected trade means balancing our imports with exports so what goes out comes back in to avoid trade deficits that bleed our economy dry. We use tariffs and quotas to achieve that important balance, hopefully in some years we'll even have trade surpluses. Republicans have always known this, always stood up for it, and have been fighting for it ever since 1854 when it was one of our founding principles. Free Trade isn't free when it bankrupts your economy and impoverishes your people.

4. legalize/regulate/tax under 2 the illegal drug trade - Reagan ramped up the War on Drugs. This was a mistake. It's cost us $1 Trillion and hurt the lives of 40 million Americans with a zero benefit. It's time to legalize it, regulate it, put US citizens only in charge of it, tax it like any product and use part of the proceeds to fund better education programs and provide free rehabilitation without stigma for anyone who wants or needs it, and then stop worrying about it.

5. drill baby drill - Reagan loved the development of our resources and the self-sufficiency that gives to our people and economy.

That's all we should think or talk about until each one of these crucial steps are taken and the laws passed and implemented. These 5 simple actions will in rapid order rid our population of illegal aliens, create 30 million new jobs for US citizens and legal residents, restore our money supply, increase our incomes and earnings, jump-start our economy, enhance our freedoms and privacy, reduce the size and cost of government, provide the funds to pay down our debts, increase the value of our currency and restore wealth and prosperity to the American People, solvency to our government and sovereignty to our nation.